The effect of the Texel muscling trait on carcass weight is reflected in increased weight of all carcass areas, with no effect of the Texel muscling quantitative trait locus (TM-QTL) on weight distribution.
The effects of the TM-QTL on meat quality traits for the semimembranosus muscle in purebred Texel lamb were negligible in a trail where lamb had been aged for seven or more days.
Under good grazing conditions, grazed grass is superior to high quality grass silage for finishing hill lambs during the autumn/winter.
Spine characteristics differ between sheep breeds, indicating that there could be a genetic basis for variation
Finishing lambs on chicory resulted in heavier carcases with better killing-out percentages and conformation scores, without detrimental effects on overall sensory meat eating quality.
Dietary Zn supplements for ruminants have traditionally been inorganic salts, such as zinc oxide (ZnO) or zinc sulphate (ZnSO4)
Take Home Message: Exposing ewes to parasites does not affect mean lamb birth weight, but reduces lamb weight gain in the first 5 weeks post lambing and increases lamb weight gain during lamb exposure to parasites.
The expression of immunity to parasites in immune ewes is nutritionally expensive and body reserves may be sacrificed over reproductive [...]
Traditional British and New Zealand lambs are similar in performance for birth assistance and lamb vigour traits, but high index-selected lambs required more assistance at birth than NZ lambs.
Increasing herbage allowance in mid-gestation ewes increased subsequent birth and weaning weights of lambs.
To accelerate changes in carcass composition and muscularity, within the context of a multi-trait selection index for hill sheep, consideration should be given to including objective CT-derived carcass traits in the index in addition to the Meat and Livestock Commission carcass grades or ultrasound measurements.
