Effect of age on Carcass Characteristics of Nellore Brown Rams
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/jms.2026.21.02.08Keywords:
Nellore brown rams, Age, Carcass characteristics, Meat qualityAbstract
The present study was undertaken to assess the influence of age on carcass characteristics and meat production potential of Nellore Brown rams under field conditions in Anantapuram district of Andhra Pradesh. A total of twelve apparently healthy male animals were selected from local slaughter facilities and stratified into three age groups based on dentition, namely 1 year, 1.5 years, and 2 years (n = 4 per group). Standard slaughter and carcass evaluation procedures were employed to record pre-slaughter weight, carcass traits, edible offals, non-carcass components, and wholesale cut yields. The results demonstrated a highly significant (P < 0.01) effect of age on major carcass parameters. Pre-slaughter weight increased from 27.30 ± 0.23 kg to 30.15 ± 0.23 kg, while hot carcass weight increased from 13.47 ± 0.11 kg to 15.07 ± 0.11 kg with advancement of age. Dressing percentage also showed a significant improvement, increasing from 48.05 ± 0.10% to 49.52 ± 0.10%, indicating enhanced carcass yield efficiency in older animals. Furthermore, the weights of edible offals and non-carcass components exhibited a significant upward trend, reflecting progressive physiological growth and organ development. The yield of wholesale cuts, including neck, shoulder, rack, loin, leg, and breast, increased significantly across age groups, indicating improved carcass conformation and distribution of commercially valuable meat portions. Muscle development parameters also showed significant enhancement, as evidenced by an increase in loin eye area from 11.55 ± 0.12 to 12.85 ± 0.12 cm², suggesting superior muscularity in older rams. In conclusion, the findings indicate that carcass yield, composition, and muscling characteristics improve significantly with advancing age, and slaughtering Nellore Brown rams at approximately 2 years of age may be considered optimal for maximizing meat production efficiency and economic returns.
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Copyright (c) 2026 D Sindhu, G Gangaraju, Dr D Indira, GV Bhaskar Reddy, U Vinod
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