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.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.