Starbuck, TJ; Edwards, NJ; Hocking Edwards, JE; Devine, CE; Lowe, TE; Wells, RW; Speck, PA
Abstract:
Adverse pre-slaughter handling of animals will affect meat quality, but the factors involved are often overlooked by producers preparing animals for the sale yards or delivery to meat processors. Stressors such as crutching, extended handling (e.g. weighing and sorting for sale) and even sale through sale yards all involve extra animal handling and ultimately affect meat quality through its effects on ultimate pH (pHu) where values of 5.8 > pHu < 6.1 produce tough meat (Devine et al. 1994). This paper examines the relationship between the little-documented effects of normal on-farm handling stressors and the time required for recovery before transport to slaughter on meat pHu of prime lambs.