Fjölrit RALA - 22.03.1979, Síða 85

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weighed 16.98 kg but carcasses of lambs in subgroup 3 on
aftermath the last week before slaughter weighed 15.89 kg
or 1.04 kg less than the other lambs in the green feed
group. The average weight of liver in groups C and D was
0.62 kg, much heavier than the average weights of livers
of indoors fed and lambs on aftermath which weighed 0.49
kg and 0.42 kg respectively.
Table 2 shows the average muscle/fat/bone ratio and
the average weight of the tissues in kg for each group and
subgroup. The average muscle/fat/bone ratio for all the
carcasses was 56% muscle/26.66% fat/15.68% bone. The high-
est muscle ratio was in the mountain-grazed lambs (group F),
59.49%, but the greatest amount of muscle was in the kale
lambs (groupC), 9.21 kg. The difference between the green
feed groups and the mountain-grazed group in muscle/fat/
bone ratio is mainly due to increased dressed carcass weight
of the green feed group.
An experiment done in New Zealand shows that the growth
rate of bone is relatively slow during this period or 63-77%
of the average growth rate of the carcass. The growth rate
of muscle is 90-97% but the fat has the fastest growth rate.
of the carcass in this growth period or 137-150% (Fourie,
Kirton and Jury, 1970, New Zealand Journal of Agricultural
Research). The growth rate is therefore 113.63% muscle,
127.9% fat and 88.00% bone.
The lambs in group A have added more fat and less muscle
than expected. This is in accordance with the composition of
the grass pellets, which were high in energy but low in pro-
tein.
A comparison of groups C-E and group F shows that the
green feed lambs have added 1.09 kg of muscle, 0.92 kg of
fat and 0.29 kg of bone during the experimental period.
Table 3 shows the results from the sensory evaluation
of muscles and fat of the dissected carcasses. The meat
got high scores for taste on the average. The average
score for muscles and fat was 3.87 but the 1. dorsi muscle
got 3.67 on the average. No significant difference was
between fried and boiled meat.