Physical meat quality characteristics of Angolan giraffe (Giraffa giraffa angolensis) as affected by sex and muscle

Giraffe numbers grow exponentially when farmed, necessitating periodic culling. This study quantified the effect of sex and muscle on the physical quality characteristics of eight giraffe muscles. The Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was the only parameter to be affected by an interaction between sex and muscle (P < 0.001), although the interaction for the CIE L* values tended towards significance (P = 0.054). Cooking loss (male = 41.6 ± 0.35%; female = 40.7 ± 0.33%; P = 0.024) and CIE L* values (male = 38.8 ± 0.23; female = 37.3 ± 0.27; P = 0.039) were both affected by sex. Muscle had an effect on all physical parameters. The ultimate pH of all muscles was 5.5-5.9; the average WBSF of <43 N for all muscles indicates giraffe meat in this study is tender. This study shows that yield and physical characteristics of giraffe meat are favourable, and the results may be useful for the marketing of giraffe meat.

Impact of heat stress on the growth performance and retail meat quality of 2nd cross (Poll Dorset × (Border Leicester × Merino)) and Dorper lambs

The present study investigated the impact of heat stress and genetics on lamb growth performance and meat quality. Forty-eight Dorper and 2nd cross [Poll Dorset × (Border Leicester × Merino)] lambs (38--42 kg; 4-5 months old) were allocated to either thermoneutral [TN; 18-21 °C, 45-55% relative humidity (RH)], or heat stress (HS; 28 °C-38 °C, 40-60% RH) conditions in a 2 × 2 factorial design for 2 weeks. Compared with 2nd cross, Dorper lambs had a lower respiration rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT), and exhibited less decline in body weight under HS. 2nd cross lambs showed a higher body weight gain than Dorpers under TN conditions. HS increased a* and chroma of the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) from 2nd cross lambs over 10 days of display, but had no impact on Dorper LTL. In conclusion, Dorpers showed higher heat tolerance compared with 2nd cross lambs during the 2 weeks HS.

Carcass Yields and Physicochemical Meat Quality Characteristics of Namibian Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) as Influenced by Muscle, Sex and Age

This investigation determined the carcass yields of Namibian springbok and compared the physicochemical meat quality characteristics of 6 different muscles (biceps femoris, infraspinatus, Longissimus thoracis et lumborum, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and supraspinatus) from different sex and age groups. Although the adult male slaughter weights (40.44 ± 1.88 kg) did not differ from that of the adult female slaughter weights (36.61 ± 0.50), the adult males were heavier than both sexes from the sub-adults. No differences were observed for dressing percentages between sex nor age groups. The infraspinatus muscle showed the lowest shear force values in adult male springbok and in both sub-adult male and female springbok and can be described as the more tender muscle. The infraspinatus and Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles of the adult male springbok group showed the lowest cooking losses. The supraspinatus and semitendinosus muscles from the sub-adult groups tended to have the highest L* and thus the lightest meat. No major differences were observed for protein content between the different sex and age groups although the muscles of the different sex and age groups had a noticeably higher fat content (above 3%). Discriminant analysis revealed no differentiation among the different muscle groups for the variables measured. Neither springbok sex nor age influenced any of the meat quality parameters although older animals tended to have heavier carcasses, therefore the decision of which sex and/or age group to cull will depend on the springbok management strategy.