Interrelationships between GR and other lamb carcass fatness
measurement
A.H. Kirton, D.L. Johnson
Ruakura Animal Research Station, Hamilton
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
1979, 39: 184-201
The relationships between carcass weight and various measures of
lamb carcass fatness are reported. On average, bigger carcasses have
bigger fat measurements. Although carcass fatness could be predicted
from carcass weight alone, all fatness measurements improved the
accuracy of prediction if combined with carcass weight. Measurements GR
and C were equally accurate for predicting carcass fatness, and
measurement S2, which would be difficult to measure on an intact
carcass, was promising. The best combination of available measurements
could account for 74% of the variation in the percentage chemical fat
content of t he lamb carcasses studied.
It was concluded that the present Meat Producers Board policy of
progressively reducing the allowable GR measurement must inevitably
result in lighter carcasses being produced by the farmer who wishes to
avoid F grade carcasses, unless a series of GR measurements is
introduced which allows larger carcasses to have larger GRs without
penalty.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Last Updated 12-09-1998
