Prediction of lamb carcass composition from GR and carcass weight

A.H. Kirton, D.M. Duganzich, C.L. Feist, G.L. Bennett, E.G. Woods

Ruakura Animal Research Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hamilton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1985, 45: 63-66

The composition of 2 groups, comprising 70 and 837 lamb carcasses, was predicted from hot carcass weight (HCW) and GR separately and together, these being the main observations considered in the export lamb carcass grading system. GR was a better predictor of composition than HCW with the 2 in combination tending in most cases to be slightly better than GR alone. These measurements could account for 50 to over 70% of the variation in carcass fat and bone and 26 to 47% of the variation in carcass muscle. On average, for each 1 mm decrease in GR, carcass fatness decreased by about 1 percentage unit, muscle increased by about 0.5 percentage units and carcass bone increased by just under 0.5 percentage units.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Lamb carcasses; grading; GR; hot carcass weight; composition

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Last Updated 03-05-1997