The effect of holding periods at the meat works on carcase weights and nature and weights of ruminoreticulum contents of sheep and lambs

Abstract

Groups of sheep and lambs were held in the stockyards at a meat works for various time periods up to 48 hours prior to slaughter. Carcase weights and the physical nature and weights of ruminoreticulum contents were measured after slaughter and group mean values compared. There was a slight decrease in carcase weights in lambs with increased holding periods and the weights of ruminoreticulum contents were reduced in both sheep and lambs, but the differences were small and only significant between a few groups. It was found that the fluidity of ruminoreticulum contents increased significantly during the 48 hour holding period. This change was most rapid in the first 24 hours and was exacerbated by making water available in sheep but not in lambs. Further studies indicated that this difference between sheep and lambs was probably due to differences in water consumption. Sampling of the ruminoreticulum contents from a number of different lines of sheep and lambs indicated that these findings might be typical of the majority of sheep and lambs slaughtered at the works.