An experiment was undertaken to study the effect of various physical and chemical methods of castrating and sterilizing lambs at 15 and 60 days of age on the classification, tenderness, flavor and several physical and chemical measurements of the carcass. The effects of breed and sex were also investigated. Based on the official grading system, females and completely or partially castrated males produced superior carcasses when compared with non-castrated males. No significant differences were observed among treatments, age of treatment, sex and breeds, for tenderness and flavor. However, there was a preference for the carcasses of partially castrated lambs. Treatment and sex had a highly significant effect on the chemical composition of the carcasses. The meat from non-castrated and partially castrated lambs contained more water and protein but less external and intramuscular fat than meat from females and castrated males. No significant differences were observed among the treatments, age at treatment, sex and breeds for loin-eye area, melting point of the fat and pH of the "longissimus dorsi" muscle.
Physical and chemical characteristics of the longissimus dorsi from swine reared in climate-controlled and uncontrolled environments