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Influence of food withdrawal at various times preslaughter on carcass yield and meat quality in sheep
Author(s) -
Warriss Paul D.,
Brown Steven N.,
Bevis Edward A.,
Kestin Steven C.,
Young Ceridwen S.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740390407
Subject(s) - glycogen , weight loss , zoology , crossbreed , biology , body weight , carcass weight , endocrinology , obesity
Castrated male crossbred lambs were fed a complete pelleted diet ad libitum for 4 weeks prior to slaughter at a liveweight of about 32 kg. Forty lambs were killed directly off feed and forty each after 24, 48 and 72 h from food withdrawal. They had access to water at all times. Fasting had a significant effect on the weights of all body components examined except the combined fleece and feet. Liveweight was lost slightly more rapidly over the initial 24 h after food withdrawal, and this was attributable mainly to a 20% decrease in the weight of the gut contents. The overall rate of liveweight loss between 0 and 72 h was 0.14% h −1 . The corresponding loss of carcass weight was 0.085% h −1 , some reduction in yield being evident by 24 h of fast although a significant effect was seen only after 48 h. Liver weight was lost most rapidly (0.69% h −1 ) over the initial 24 h but continued to be lost throughout fasting. Associated with the initial decrease in liver weight was a rapid loss of glycogen to very low levels by 24 h after food withdrawal. Fasting also reduced muscle glycogen concentrations but had no large or consistent effects on ultimate pH, reflectance or water‐holding capacity.