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Effects of Weight and Castration on Lamb Carcass Composition and Quality¹

University of Wyoming, Laramie 82070

Abstract

FORTY-THREE wether lambs weighing 50 kg, and 47 wethers and 50 rams weighing 65 and 68 kg, respectively, were used to evaluate the effects of weight and castration on carcass composition, fatty acid composition and palatability. Light wethers (50 kg) were superior in cutability to heavy wethers (65 kg). Heavy rams (68 kg) were superior to heavy wethers (65 kg) in cutability.

Percent myristic, palmitic and stearic decreased as weight and age increased and total percent unsaturates increased proportionally. There were no significant differences in intramuscular fatty acids due to castration. Kidney fat from rams contained significantly (P<.05) less 18:0 than that from heavy wethers. Subcutaneous fat from rams contained significantly (P<.05) more myristic and palmitic than that from heavy wethers.

Taste panel results indicated that both light wethers and rams were significantly (P<.05) less tender than heavy wethers. However, rams were comparable to light wethers in all palatability traits studied.

¹ University of Wyoming Experiment Station Journal Article No. JA 510.

² Present address: Department of Animal Industries, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83843.