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Characteristics of lambs fed concentrates or grazed on ryegrass to traditional or heavy slaughter weights. II. Wholesale cuts and tissue accretion¹

R. J. Borton^*,2, S. C. Loerch, K. E. McClure and D. M. Wulf

^* Agricultural Technical Institute and and Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691; and and Department of Animal and Range Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007

² Correspondence: 1328 Dover Rd. (phone: 330-287-1310, fax: 330-287-1333; e-mail: borton.1{at}osu.edu).

Targhee x Hampshire lambs (average BW 24 ± 1 kg) were used to determine the effect of finishing on concentrate or by grazing ryegrass forage on slaughter weights of 52 kg (N) or 77 kg (H) on tissue accretion and lamb wholesale cutout. When fed to similar slaughter weights, the wholesale cuts of concentrate-fed lambs were heavier (P < 0.05) than the same cuts from forage-fed lambs; however, when expressed as a percentage of side weight, carcasses of forage-fed lambs had a higher (P < 0.001) percentage of leg than concentrate-fed lambs. Increasing slaughter weight from 52 to 77 kg resulted in a 1-kg increase in loin weight for lambs finished on concentrate and a 0.60-kg increase for lambs finished on forage (diet x slaughter weight, P < 0.03); however, the increased loin weight for lambs finished on concentrate was due largely to increased fat deposition. For lambs slaughtered at 77 kg, those finished on forage had more lean mass in the leg, loin, rack, and shoulder than those finished on concentrate, but lean mass in these cuts did not differ between diets for lambs slaughtered at 52 kg (diet x slaughter weight, P < 0.01). At the normal slaughter weight (52 kg), concentrate-fed lambs had 50% more dissectible fat than forage-fed lambs, whereas at the heavy slaughter weight, a 79% greater amount of dissectible fat was observed for concentrate- vs. forage-fed lambs (diet x slaughter weight, P < 0.001). Lean and fat accretion rates were higher (P < 0.001) for concentrate-fed lambs than for forage-fed lambs. The lean-to-fat ratio of forage-fed lambs was higher (P < 0.001) than that of concentrate-fed lambs; however, forage finishing decreased accretion rates of all tissues compared with concentrate feeding, and these differences between forage and concentrate feeding were magnified at heavier slaughter weights.

Key Words: Carcass • Concentrate • Fat • Forage • Lambs • Lean