Sheep Breeds and Meat Quality

Sheepmeat eating quality is greatly affected by breed.

What breed comprises around 70% of Australian sheep genetics?

An increase in the proportion of Merino genes increases an animal's sensitivity to _____ prior to slaughter.

What are key factors for optimized eating quality from all breeds?

When comparing like-for-like, which has the best sheepmeat eating quality?

Merinos are less sensitive to stress compared to crossbred lambs.

In low-stress conditions, Merino lambs can perform as well as _____ with no differences in glycogen, meat color, or pH.

What is required to achieve optimal intramuscular fat concentration in Merinos?

Some genes for increased muscling may lead to reduced tenderness in sheepmeat.

Breed

Sheepmeat eating quality is not significantly affected by breed
Merino genetics make up roughly 70% of Australian sheep genetics due to the success of the wool industry
Other breeds are increasingly used for meat production because they have faster growth rates, better reproductive performance, and more muscled carcasses
Processing regimes exist to improve eating quality and consistency in all classes of sheepmeat
Merino lamb can have the best quality sheepmeat when compared to other breeds in a similar context (cuts, cooking method, etc.)
Merino breed has an increased sensitivity to stress which can extend to Merino crosses
Loss of muscle glycogen between the farm and slaughter is higher in Merinos compared to crossbred lambs
Merino lambs perform as well as crossbred lambs when low-stress pre-slaughter conditions exist
When nutrition is adequate and a minimum fat score of 2 is reached, Merinos have the same or even higher intramuscular fat concentration compared to other breeds
Some genes for increased muscling can lead to a significant reduction in eating quality through reduced tenderness

Age

Lamb has the best sheepmeat eating quality
Mutton loin can have a similar eating quality to hogget loin

Explore the relationship between different sheep breeds and their impact on meat quality. This quiz focuses on the Merino breed and its significance in the Australian sheep industry, as well as comparisons with other breeds in terms of growth rates and meat production. Test your knowledge on the factors influencing sheepmeat quality and processing techniques.