2/9/23, 9:44 AM Factors Affecting Lamb Quality and Value

Factors Affecting Lamb Quality and Value

An important aspect of sheep production involves raising high quality and high value lambs.

Updated: January 28, 2022

Photo was taken by Bob Mikesell.

Sheep producers constantly strive to improve lamb quality and value within their flock in order to produce an acceptable commodity for
their buyers. These buyers could be either lamb packers or lamb consumers from the general public. Acceptability of the finished product
can have major impacts on profitability for the sheep operation. Here are a few tips to consider that may improve the quality and value of
lambs produced by a flock.

First, let's start with an understanding of what quality is. Eating quality is a perception by the consumer based on some key characteristics
such as tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall acceptability of the product. Basically, we want all lamb consumers to have a good eating
experience, which may add more value. We can help to ensure this good eating experience for consumers by considering the main factors
that affect lamb quality and value.

There are several points that producers can control to manage lamb quality. Aspects such as genetics, feed, growth rates, body condition
and husbandry practices can greatly impact lamb quality.

Genetics
Genetic impacts start with selecting breeding stock with appropriate muscling. Consumers certainly prefer larger loin eyes when selecting
lamb chops. However, producers may want to avoid genetics that carry the Callipyge gene, a genetic mutation responsible for increasing
muscle size and appearance in sheep. Although this appearance may look attractive to some individuals, the Callipyge mutation can also
greatly decrease tenderness of meat produced from Callipyge carcasses. In other words, Callipyge genetics produce lamb chops with larger
loin eyes, but those lamb chops tend to be very unacceptable to consumers from a tenderness standpoint.

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Feeds
Feeds can impact lamb flavor profiles. Lambs finished on a high forage diet produce a more intense flavor when compared to lambs
finished on a grain diet. This flavor may sometimes be referred to as "gamey" to some individuals not accustomed to lambs finished on
forages. In contrast, meat from lambs produced with extended periods of high grain diets can result in off flavors and soft fats that leads to
higher rancidity and decreased shelf life. The decision to finish lambs on grain or grass should be made based on customer preferences.
Know what your customer wants you to produce.

Growth Rate
Rations can certainly impact lamb growth rate, but tenderness remains similar between fast and slow growth rates. Regardless of the
growth rate (fast or slow), it is very important that lambs maintain a consistent growth rate from weaning to harvest. This is especially
critical during the last two weeks of finishing just prior to slaughter.

Rations will also impact the amount of time is takes for lambs to develop intramuscular fat, also known as marbling, found in the meat.
However, meat quality differences can be minimal if lambs are fed to a particular end point (harvest) weight. At this end point collagen
degradation rates will be greater in lambs with high growth rates. What this means in terms of lamb quality is that the collagen tissues
break down more quickly in lambs fed to gain weight faster and thus results in a more tender meat.

Body Condition or Finish

Lambs should be marketed when they reach a desired body condition or finish. Lambs fed to a yield grade 2 or 3 are often the most ideal
for packers and consumers. A lamb with a yield grade 2 will have 0.16 to 0.25 inches of backfat at the 12th rib, while a lamb with a yield
grade 3 will have 0.26 to 0.35 inches of backfat. This is an important consideration when producing lambs, because animals with an
adequate amount of finish should yield a high-quality carcass that has enough fat to produce meat with desirable sensory qualities. These
qualities should provide the consumer with a good eating experience. Adequate fat cover also provides enough insulation over the carcass
to prevent cold shortening, a quality defect caused by chilling small or lean carcasses too rapidly. Whenever a carcass is hanging in a cooler
for chilling, the muscle tissues can shorten if the chill rate is too fast. "Cold shortening" can lead to extremely tough meat because the
"shortening" effect causes the muscle structure to remain in a constant state of being contracted. However, the amount and extent of
shortening can be lessened whenever the carcass has adequate finish because it chills more slowly. Very small and/or lean lamb carcasses
may need a two-step chilling process to avoid excessive cold shortening.

Appropriate amounts of finish impact the value of lambs to packers. Lamb carcasses exhibiting excessive fat cover will have a lower value
because it costs the packer time and money to trim the excess fat. Lamb meat with appropriate amounts of fat will also be more acceptable
to most consumers. In contrast, under finished lambs can develop quality defects due to excess drying of the meat while hanging in the
cooler.

Husbandry Practices
Husbandry practices can also affect meat quality due to various stressors at the farm, stress caused by transport and the pre-slaughter
environment. Always seek to minimize stress when handling or transporting lambs by reducing noise and by handling animals gently. Do
not mix lambs from different groups into one pen or lairage, check loading ramps and trailers for any areas that could cause bruising and
avoid overloading the trailer. Also, be sure to move animals slowly and avoid vigorous exercise. Chasing lambs around the pen can be quite
stressful to sheep at any age.

Whenever an animal is stressed or has vigorous exercise prior to slaughter, glycogen becomes depleted in the muscle tissues. Animals
store glycogen, a form of sugar or energy, in muscle tissues. This impacts the pH level of the muscle tissue after slaughter which can impact
meat quality. Once an animal is harvested, the stored glycogen is converted to lactic acid which decreases the meat pH from about 7.2 to
5.5.

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The meat derived from stressed animals with depleted glycogen levels maintains a high pH (> 6.0), which has a negative impact on meat
quality. The meat color will remain dark upon cutting into chops or roasts, will produce a more intense flavor and have a decreased shelf
life.

Pre-slaughter husbandry practices can help to manage glycogen reserves in muscle tissue. Lambs that have not been appropriately
weaned prior to slaughter should be processed immediately on arrival at the processing facility to minimize stress. Weaned lambs that
have been hauled a long distance should receive an adequate rest period prior to slaughter. All lambs should have access to water to
prevent dehydration which could lead to meat quality issues such as dark colored meat. Dehydration also leads to decreased carcass
weights and dressing percentages.

Lambs should be held off feed for a 12-hour period prior to slaughter. This allows the GI tract to empty, which decreases the likelihood of
fecal contamination on the carcass. For lambs that may be scouring prior to shipment, feeding additional hay may stop the scouring.
However, avoid feeding hay in high enough levels or for extended periods of time that may result in lambs losing weight within the two
weeks prior to slaughter.

Overall, increasing the quality and value of lambs begins with paying close attention to nutrition, selecting animals with adequate muscling,
feeding them to an appropriate body condition, keeping lambs clean and making sure that lambs are gaining weight throughout the
finishing phase and especially during the last two weeks before harvest. Minimizing stress to the lambs will also positively impact meat
quality. Paying close attention to these few simple production aspects can result in higher quality meat and more satisfied consumers.

For more information on improving lamb quality and value, check out Quality Sheep Meat: Achieving a Brilliant Finish to Your Lambs
(https://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep-guide/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Achieving-a-billiant-finish-to-your-lambs.pdf) or Lambing
Eating Quality Summary of Good Practice(https://www.qmscotland.co.uk/sites/default/files/Lamb%2BEQ.pdf).

Written by Melanie Barkley

Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Campbell

Authors
Melanie Barkley
Senior Extension Educator, Livestock

Expertise
Agriculture
Sheep and Goat Production
Beef Production
Pasture Management
Forage and Pasture Management

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