The Indian Journal of Small Ruminants

The reported slaughter study was undertaken on one-year-old Garole (G), Malpura (M) and Garole X Malpura (GM) lambs maintained on grazing with ad lib. concentrate supplementation. The pre slaughter weight (PSW) of the lambs was 6.6 kg in G while it was 22.8 and 20.9 kg in M and GM, respectively. The empty live weight, hot carcass weight and hot carcass with edible offal (Saleable meat yield) were also lower (P<0.01) in G than M and GM. The dressing yield on PSW was similar in G and M and higher (P<0.01) in GM while on its expression in terms of empty live weight (ELW) it was found similar M and G and lower (P<0.01) in G lambs. The loin eye area was also lower (P<0.01) in G than M and GM lambs. The organ weights, total edible and inedible offal weights were sizably lower in G than M and GM whereas these weights expressed as % of PSW were generally higher (P<0.01) in G than M and GM. The depot fat (kidney and caul fat) as % of PSW was higher (P<0.05) in M, more so in GM than G. Although the half carcass weight was lower in G than M and GM, still the cut proportion of half carcass for retail cuts as loin, rack, neck and shoulder and breast and fore shank was similar in the three groups with overall average of 10.84, 12.59, 25.84 and 18.60%, respectively. The leg cut proportion was however lower (P<0.05) in G (30.53%) than M (32.50%) and GM (33.34%).The results indicated that although the pre slaughter weight, edible organ weight and dressed carcass weight were lower in Garole than Malpura and Garole X Malpura yearling lambs still cutability of standard cuts were generally similar in these genotypes providing a carcass of acceptable quality. Moreover the organ weights as proportion of pre slaughter weight of small stature Garole was higher than other tow genotypes.