Abstract

Shearing immediately followed by underfeeding reduced carcass fatness in sheep aged 10 to 14 months. When compared with woolly, growing sheep at the same weight a combination of shearing and mild underfeeding lowered GR measurements by 1.5 to 6.3mm in 3 experiments. Although this practice is 1 of only a few management procedures that have been shown to consistently lower GR measurements at a given carcass weight it is not recommended as a routine production practice because of potential effects on animal health and welfare and meat quality.

NS, Percival, MF Hawke, AH Kirton, and C Hagyard

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 48, , 13-18, 1988