LAUSR

The present study was aimed at characterizing carcass and meat quality traits in Bandur/ Mandya ram lambs. Eighteen ram lambs were slaughtered at the age of six months by Halal method. The pre-slaughter weight (PSW), hot carcass weight (HCW) and dressing percentage based on PSW recorded were 13.49 ± 0.26 kg, 6.44 ± 0.14 kg and 47.77 ± 0.70 per cent, respectively. The mean loin eye area was 15.43 ± 0.64 cm2. The mean primal cut weights for leg, loin, rack, chuck, and breast and fore shank were 2.090 ± 43.35, 0.675 ± 29.40, 0.646 ± 28.82, 2.036 ± 47.35 and 0.601 ± 23.97 kg, respectively. The highest proportion of meat was recorded in leg (25.06%) and chuck (23.23%). The meat quality traits viz., pH, water holding capacity, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force value, cooking loss and back fat thickness were 6.35 ± 0.05, 49.74 ± 3.33 per cent, 3.75 ± 0.14, 26.01 ± 2.19 per cent and 0.26 ± 0.02 cm, respectively. The mean percentage values for proximate principles viz., moisture, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, and total ash were 72.10 ± 0.38, 19.76 ± 0.34, 0.24 ± 0.03, 7.23 ± 0.47 and 1.01 ± 0.04 per cent, respectively. Compared to earlier reports higher loin eye area measurement was observed in the present study indicating higher muscular development in Bandur ram lambs.