SEX, AGE OF ANIMAL AND WEIGHT AT SLAUGHTER AS EXPLANATORY VARIABLES FOR CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY PROPERTIES IN GOATS AND SHEEP PRODUCTION

SEX, AGE OF ANIMAL AND WEIGHT AT SLAUGHTER AS EXPLANATORY VARIABLES FOR CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY PROPERTIES IN GOATS AND SHEEP PRODUCTION

NEVER ASSAN

Slaughtering kids/lambs at specified age and weight of
specialized goat and sheep meat breeds might promote high muscle
deposition and a desirable carcass fat cover, culminating into meat
with a more adequate nutritional profile and health properties for
human consumption. In this case, animal factors such as sex, age and
weight at slaughter play a central role as the primary explanatory
variables on meat yield and quality of carcass parameters in goat and
sheep production. The discussion on determinants of carcass and
meat quality properties is complex given that the diversity of goat
and sheep meat breeds, both early and late maturing is considerable,
over and above exploited as is the practice in non-identical
production systems. Of interest goats and sheep in most cases are
accordingly slaughtered at different weights and age, and on the
other hand, specific markets have preferred sex of animal for
slaughter. However, taking cognisance of the above, carcass and
meat parameters are influenced by various non-genetic effects,
hence the knowledge on these factors and their interactions
becomes of paramount importance in order to produce desirable
meat quality for specified markets and consumers’ preference. A
linear relationship between carcass yield with age at slaughter has
been reported in goats and sheep, there is a tendency of carcass
weight increasing as the age of the animal increases. Sex dependency
on carcass and meat parameters has been inconsistent in goats and
sheep, however, most studies show that sex greatly influence carcass
and meat quality properties. Compromised dressing percentage in
goats and sheep due to higher slaughter weight, could be explained
by the lightest animals lacking perfectly developed digestive tracts.
Against this background, age at slaughter explicitly influences meat
quality, particularly with regards to tenderness of meat derived from
young animals. The differential carcass status in young and mature
animals is due to increased fat deposition in older animals than in
younger ones, while fat tissue increases with increased slaughter
weights. Complexity of determination of desirable carcass and meat
parameters is ascribable to interaction of many variables, hence it is
imperative to appreciate the role of each component by
appropriately factoring their influence in any slaughter decision,
where animals could be slaughtered at given age and weight to meet
specified objectives of a particular market requirements. Producers
operating in different production systems might not duplicate factors
such as age, weight and sex of slaughter because they utilise
different genotypes, and the prescribed nutritional regime in non-
identical production systems will weigh heavily on the outcome of
carcass and meat parameters. The interaction of all these factors
(genotype and non-genetic factors) at different levels as influenced
by the market expectations will decide the economics of goat and
sheep meat production. This present review will give an insight on
some non-genetic effects that influence carcass and meat quality
properties namely sex, age and weight at slaughter

Scientific Journal of Review

2020