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Factors Influencing Retail Carcass Value of Lambs¹

Texas A & M University,² College Station

Abstract

Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained on 169 wether lambs representing four breed groups. The percent of retail leg was highly associated with the retail value of carcasses. Excessive subcutaneous fat was found to exert a highly significant negative effect on the retail carcass value. Fat thickness over the loineye and loineye area were found to be useful objective measures for estimating the cutout value of the carcasses, accounting for 65% of the variation in carcass value per hundredweight of carcass.

Tenderness differed among breed groups with the finewool x mediumwool lambs producing the most tender rib chops. Marbling score was not highly associated with the Warner-Bratzler shear force values. Marbling score was significantly related to feathering and flank streaking scores, but was not significantly associated with the excess subcutaneous fat trimmed in preparation of retail cuts. These data indicate that selection of trim, muscular carcasses does not affect tenderness, which is one of the most important palatability characteristics.

¹ This study was supported in part by Agricultural Marketing Act (1946), Title II, Project MA-1504.

² Department of Animal Husbandry, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.