Abstract

Consumer demand for leaner lamb meat all-year-round and price incentives to produce heavier carcases means that in New Zealand ram lambs are often being left entire in an attempt to improve lamb growth rates (Fisher et al. 2010). While this offers potential improvements in on-farm returns, there are still perceived concerns in the market place that meat from entire ram lambs of a certain age may be unsatisfactory. Based on the latest scientific evidence (Young et al. 2006; Young et al. 2003) New Zealand processors make no distinction between carcasses from lambs of different genders. However, due to continual perceived concerns from consumers, ... continued

JI, Kerslake, FS Hely, G Maclennan, S Lindsay, MR Behrent, and AW Campbell

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 72, Christchurch, 144-146, 2012