During the period of Eid al-Adha, the intensity of slaughter of ewes in slaughterhouses in Indonesia, especially for small and medium industries such as lamb satay stalls, also increased. This is closely related to the reduced number of rams for being slaughtered to sacrifice.
“To overcome the reduction of female lambs of productive age that are slaughtered in Eid al-Adha, we conducted research on the relationship between age and weight of carcasses and noncarcas in female sheep. From the study, we recommend that female sheep can be slaughtered at the age of over 1 year with weights above 15 kg,” said Dr. Ir. Endy Triyannanto, S.Pt., M.Eng, IPM when contacted Monday (22/10) at the UGM Faculty of Animal Science (FAS) campus.
The lecturer at the Meat Science and Technology Laboratory FAS UGM explained that the purpose of slaughtering cattle was to get the optimum carcass and meat. Carcass is the main body part after being reduced by non carcass factors such as blood, skin, head, feet, heart, liver, lungs, and innards.
“We conducted a study of 60 ewes which were separated by three age categories (1 year, 1-1.5 years, and 1.5-2 years) and two cut weight categories (10-14.99 kg and 15-20 kg ), “Endy explained. From the research that has been presented at the TROPENTAG Conference in Belgium, he found that cut weights have a significant effect on the percentage of carcasses and non carcasses. Meanwhile, age has a significant effect on the percentage of carcass, skin, feet, heart, liver, lungs, and innards, except the head. The average percentage of sheep carcasses above one year is higher, especially in female sheep aged 1.5-2 years.
“The heavier the weight of the cut, the heavier the carcass obtained because the body composition is closely related to the weight so that it affects the composition of the carcass,” Endy said. Meanwhile, he added, the older the sheep, the smaller the percentage of non carcasses.
“In relation to the quality of meat in the lamb meat industry in Indonesia, currently it is not so concerned about the separation of meat classes, while abroad, meat in certain parts has a more expensive price. Although it has not displayed the tenderness and sensory quality parameters, this research is important to help control slaughter of ewes during a productive growth period,” he concluded. (Nadia)