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Journal of Applied Animal Research, vol.8, no.1, pp.85-90, 1995 (Scopus)
Sixteen Awassi ram lambs were slaughtered at 40, 50, 55, 60 and 65 kg liveweight to determine their carcass composition and characteristics. The carcasses were jointed into neck, forelegs, thorax, loin, pelvis and hindlegs. Each joint was dissected into bone, lean, subcutaneous and intermuscular fat. Most of the carcass characteristics increased when lambs were slaughtered at 50 kg liveweight. Carcass length, skin weight and most of the fat estimating parameters continued to increase with increase in slaughter weight. The mean carcass bone and lean content values as a percentage of carcass weight decreased from 19.6 and 53.7% at 40 kg slaughter group to 14.4 and 45.5% at 65 kg slaughter group. The subcutaneous fat (SCF) increased from 40 to 65 kg slaughter group (16.4 to 26.0%). It can be said that the optimum carcass with an acceptable composition from Awassi male lambs can be produced at 40 kg slaughter weight. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.