meat growth

Question 1

how to work out dressing out percentage

Answer 1

DO% = Carcass weight/Liveweight x 100

Question 2

dressing out percentage differences between lines

Answer 2

Decreased with greater gut fill
Decreased for pregnant animals
Decreased for weaned vs. milk-fed lambs
Generally decreased for entire males

Question 3

intramuscular marbling

Answer 3

fat inside the muscles as visible speckles of fat when concentration i high enough

Question 4

subcotaneus fat

Answer 4

fat directly under the skin and over the muscle

Question 5

intermuscular

Answer 5

difficult to trim if excessive quantities

Question 6

genetic influence on the four key growth characteristics

Answer 6

growth rate

• efficiency of growth
• extent of growth (mature weight)
• compostion of gain (less then for the other traits)

Question 7

cross breeding

Answer 7

results in heterosis where the performance of the cross breed is better than that of the parents.

Question 8

compensatory gain

Answer 8

animals that have been previously underfed
grow faster than animals that were previously adequately
fed when offered the same feed allowance in a subsequent
period

lower in

• young animals
• restriction to severe
• feed levels restricted on subsequent period

Question 9

Growth promotants

Answer 9

a non-medical or nutritional substance that affects the growth of an animal.
has trade restrictions etc
they are rumen active substances or steriods

Question 10

other effects on growth

Answer 10

animal health

• stress
• climate extremes
• hours of daylight
• topography and shade

Question 11

how promotants are applied (3)

Answer 11

• subcutaneous implant
• inclusion in feed
• slow release capsule in rumen

Question 12

what are bones for (4)

Answer 12

• provides a rigid structure for muscle to attach to
• protection of vital body parts
• storage site for calcium and phosphorus
• production of new blood cells

Question 13

adipose tissue function in living animal (4)

Answer 13

• energy store
• protects important organs
• subcontanous fat insulation
• provides high level of heat through thermo genisis

Question 14

skaletel muscle functions

Answer 14

• movement
• heat production e.g. shivering
• source of nutrients if intake is to low

Question 15

the animals in order of greatest to least dressing out percentage

Answer 15

pigs, paultry, lamb

Question 16

how to tell the difference between a mature animal and an immature animal

Answer 16

as an animal metures it has more abominal muscle than leg muscle. the value of high proportion of meat decreaseswith age

Question 17

carcuss clasification based largely on what type of fat

Answer 17

subcutaneous fat depth

-so greater or fewer proportions of fat here may effect carcass grading and hence payment

Question 18

factors effecting meat quality

Answer 18

• tenderness
• colour
• flavour
• juiciness

Question 19

factors effecting tenderness

Answer 19

more conective tissue= tougher

• ultimate PH of below 5.8
• aging of meat
• greater marbling may effect tenderness

Question 20

factors of colour of meat

Answer 20

Myoglobin is a red-coloured compound

• more myglobin=redermeat
• high ph darker meat

Question 21

what is rigourmotis and what causes it

Answer 21

• loss of muscle extensibility

- when ATP is depleted rigour mortis sets in

Question 22

flavour

Answer 22

most differnces in the fat
-not very well understood
high ph =more bland

Question 23

juiciness

Answer 23

• greater water content=more juicy

- more intramuscular fat more juicy

Question 24

what is classification

Answer 24

• sorting of like with like

- different classes receive different payments to indicate which is more desirable

Question 25

Bone is relevant to the meat industry because

Answer 25

it provides landmarks on carcuses for repeatable mesurements of fat depth.

Question 26

comman traitsfor grading

Answer 26

age/maturity
-Meat quality changes with age 
-assesed on teeth, bones and ear tags
gender
-meat differs in some animals on gender
-presence of gonands
carcuss fatness
-increased fatness=less LMY
LMY (lean meat yeild)
fat colour
meat colour
marbling
ultimatemuscle PH
carcuss weight

Question 27

males have meat quality that is

Answer 27

less fatty and less juicy

Question 28

male vs female lambs

Answer 28

there is little difference so isn’t graded separately

Question 29

depletion of muscle
glycogen supplies (so less lactic acid) leads
caused by

Answer 29

to high ultimate PH
-excess activity
-stress
-

Question 30

why is high ultimate PH bad

Answer 30

Darker colour, bland flavour, greater water holding capacity,
and a shorter shelf-life because it tends to spoil more rapidly