Author(s)

Anteneh Worku¹, Mengistu Urge², Getachew Animut³, Getnet Asefa⁴

¹Department of Animal Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
²School of Animal and Range Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
³Agriculture Transformation Agency, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
⁴Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

A study was conducted to compare the carcass yield and meat quality of Rutana, Gumuz and Washera sheep of Ethiopia under two concentrate supplement levels (CSL), low (300 g/day) and high (450 g/day). The supplement contains 45% wheat bran, 26% maize grain and 29% Noug cake. A total of 36 sheep (12 from each genotype) were used in 3 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement (3 genotypes and 2 CSL) which was used in a completely randomized block design. Hay was fed ad libitum at a rate of 20% refusal. After the completion of 90 days fattening period, all sheep were slaughtered and meat sample from longissimus dorsi muscle of each animal was taken for sensory evaluation and instrumental measurement of tenderness and for color, pH, and chemical composition analysis. Slaughter body weight (SBW) (26.0 vs. 24.1 kg), hot carcass weight (HCW) (11.3 vs. 9.7 kg), dressing percentage (DP) on SBW (43.4% vs. 40.1%) and EBW basis (53.6% vs. 50.9%), and rib eye-muscle (REM) were higher for the high than low CSL. Rutana sheep had heavier HCW (11.9 kg) than Gumuz (10.1 kg) and Washera (9.4 kg) sheep. DP on EBW basis was higher for Rutana (54.7) than Washera sheep (48.1), while the value for Gumuz (50.9) was similar with both genotypes. Meat from high supplemented sheep had higher fat (9.7% vs. 8.8%), tenderness, juiciness, flavor and lower shear forces than the low level of supplementation. Most sensory parameters measured were in the order of Rutana > Gumuz > Washera sheep. It is concluded that Rutana sheep were relatively more suitable than Gumuz and Washera sheep for production of better carcass yield. The potential of Washera sheep to produce more carcass yield relative to their HCW, SBW and EBW was comparable with that of Gumuz sheep.

Dressing Percentage, Carcass and Non-Caracara Parameters, Meat Color, Proximate Compositions, Sensory Evaluation, Shear Force, Supplement, Sheep

Worku, A. , Urge, M. , Animut, G. and Asefa, G. (2020) Comparative Slaughter Performance and Meat Quality of Rutana, Gumuz and Washera Sheep of Ethiopia Supplemented with Different Levels of Concentrate. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 10, 48-63. doi: 10.4236/ojas.2020.101005.