Effect of Age and Breed on Carcass and Meat Quality Characteristics of Beni-Guil and Ouled-Djellal Sheep Breeds

Table 1

Effect of breed and age at slaughter on carcass traits of Beni-Guil and Ouled-Djellal sheep breed from eastern Morocco (means ± SD).

Parameters	Beni-Guil (BG)			Ouled-Djellal (ODj)
	Age 1 (n = 30)	Age 2 (n = 30)	Age 3 (n = 30)	Age 1 (n = 39)	Age 2 (n = 39)	Age 3 (n = 40)
Weight measurements
SLW (kg)	22.91 ± 2.10^a	32.21 ± 2.10^b	45.10 ± 2.00^c	24.88 ± 3.23^a	36.15 ± 3.68^d	47.54 ± 1.52^e
HCW (kg)	11.12 ± 1.30^a	15.25 ± 1.16^b	22.41 ± 1.23^c	12.35 ± 1.64^a	17.43 ± 1.59^d	24.79 ± 1.57^e
CCW (kg)	10.90 ± 1.28^a	14.97 ± 1.14^b	21.96 ± 1.17^c	12.14 ± 1.66^a	17.12 ± 1.57^d	24.41 ± 1.53^e
HD (%)	48.53 ± 0.01^ab	47.34 ± 0.01^a	49.68 ± 0.01^b	49.63 ± 0.02^ab	48.21 ± 0.01^ab	52.14 ± 0.02^c
CD (%)	47.57 ± 0.01^ab	46.47 ± 0.01^a	48.69 ± 0.01^b	48.79 ± 0.02^ab	47.35 ± 0.01^ab	51.34 ± 0.02^c
SL (%)	1.97 ± 0.40	1.83 ± 0.36	2.00 ± 1.37	1.70 ± 0.49	1.75 ± 0.46	1.53 ± 0.72
Linear measurements
G (cm)	15.24 ± 1.47^a	16.64 ± 0.61^b	20.60 ± 1.49^c	15.98 ± 1.22^ab	17.90 ± 1.15^d	20.09 ± 1.32^c
K (cm)	58.27 ± 5.63^a	61.49 ± 0.58^b	73.01 ± 1.45^c	61.67 ± 2.48^b	66.66 ± 3.00^d	76.87 ± 3.40^e
F (cm)	27.93 ± 1.00^a	31.65 ± 1.14^b	32.78 ± 1.21^bc	31.64 ± 1.51^b	32.68 ± 1.84^b	34.18 ± 2.54^c
LCI = G/F	0.55 ± 0.04^a	0.53 ± 0.03^a	0.63 ± 0.06^c	0.55 ± 0.04^ab	0.54 ± 0.03^ab	0.59 ± 0.05^bc
CCI1 = G/K	0.26 ± 0.03^a	0.27 ± 0.10^a	0.28 ± 0.02^b	0.26 ± 0.02^ab	0.27 ± 0.01^ab	0.26 ± 0.01^a
CCI2 = CCW/K (g/cm)	187.06 ± 24.77^a	243.45 ± 19.89^b	300.78 ± 21.57^c	296.85 ± 28.56^b	256.82 ± 23.68^b	317.54 ± 35.68^c
Subjective characteristics
EUROP-conformation	2.15 ± 0.37^a	2.19 ± 0.40^a	2.75 ± 0.44^bc	2.47 ± 0.5^ab	2.42 ± 0.5^ab	2.91 ± 0.28^c
EUROP-fatness	2.95 ± 0.20^a	3.42 ± 0.50^b	4.00 ± 0.00^c	3.25 ± 0.44^ab	4.09 ± 0.3^cd	4.36 ± 0.49^d
Fat colour	1.00 ± 0.00^a	1.00 ± 0.00^a	1.00 ± 0.00^a	1 ± 0.00^a	1.19 ± 0.40^ab	1.33 ± 0.48^b
Fat firmness	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00

^a,b,c,d,eValues with different superscript letters are significantly () different within row. Age 1 = six months to one year; age 2 = between one and two years; age 3 = between two and four years; SLW: slaughter live weight; HCW: hot carcass weight; CCW: cold carcass weight; HD: hot dressing; CD: cold dressing; SL: shrinkage loss; G: basin width; K: carcass length; F: leg length. LCI: leg compactness index; CCI1: carcass compactness index 1; CCI2: carcass compactness index 2; EUROP-conformation: E = 5. U = 4. R = 3. O = 2. P = 1 (1 = poor 5 = excellent); EUROP-fatness: 1 = very low; 2 = low; 3 average; 4 = high; 5 = very high; fat colour scale: 1 = very white, 2 = slightly colored 3 = partially colored, 4 = strongly colored; fat firmness scale: 1 = hard, 2 = firm, 3 = soft, 4 = very soft and oily.