Ömür Koçak

Effect of pre-slaughter management regarding transportation and time in lairage on certain stress parameters, carcass and meat quality characteristics in Kivircik lambs.

Thirty Kivircik lambs were used to investigate effect of pre-slaughter treatment on certain haematological and biochemical parameters, carcass and meat quality characteristics. Lambs were divided into three treatments: 75 min transport and lairage for 18 h (TS-L18 h); 75 min transport and lairage for 30 min (TS-L30 min) and no pre-slaughter transport and lairage for 30 min (NTS). Treatment, as a main effect, did not influence haematological and biochemical parameters, but sampling time significantly affected these parameters, except total protein. Plasma cortisol concentration at exsanguination in TS-18 h, TS-30 min and NTS treatments were 117.34, 119.23 and 72.51 ng/ml, respectively. pH of longissimus dorsi muscle was higher in TS-L30 min than other treatments. TS-L30 min lambs had the highest shear force value, the lowest WHC and cooking loss. TS-L30 min treatment yielded the darkest meat immediately after cutting and 1 h later. Meat redness, yellowness and chroma values were similar in treatments.

Effects of suckling length (45, 75 and 120 d) and rearing type on cortisol level, carcass and meat quality characteristics in Kivircik lambs

Forty lambs were used to investigate effects of suckling length and rearing type (single and twin) on welfare parameters, carcass and meat quality characteristics. SC-45 and SC-75 lambs were weaned at 45-d and 75-d of age, respectively, whereas SC-120 lambs were not weaned until slaughter age of 120-d. The elevated cortisol concentration due to weaning stress returned to pre-weaning level at 2-d after weaning. SC-120 lambs had higher daily gain, plasma cortisol and glucose levels at exsanguination, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage and fatness score than weaned lambs. Suckling length did not influence instrumental meat quality characteristics, except shear force. SC-45 lambs had tougher meat than other groups according to instrumental and sensory analyses. SC-75 and SC-120 lambs had similar meat shear force value and sensory scores. Single lambs had higher daily gain, and greater scores for carcass characteristics and sensory evaluation, and lower pH(24) and shear force than twin lambs.

Effect of production system on carcass measurements and meat quality of Kivircik lambs

Effect of production system on carcass and meat quality was investigated in four groups of lambs: i. W-C lambs were weaned between 45 and 60 days of age and then were fattened with concentrate feed until slaughter; ii. W-G-S lambs were weaned and then taken to pasture and wheat stubble; iii. UW-C lambs were fattened with concentrate feed and they suckled their dams until slaughter; iv. UW-G lambs were kept with their dams and were taken to pasture in the day-time. Hot carcass weight was 13.62, 12.52, 14.37 and 13.88 kg (P < 0.001), and dressing percentage was 55.24, 51.77, 57.83 and 55.38% (P < 0.001), for W-C, W-G-S, UW-C and UW-G lambs, respectively. Ultimate meat pH was higher in W-G-S lambs than lambs from W-C and UW-C systems (P < 0.05). W-G-S lambs had higher shear force value in longissimus dorsi muscle (P < 0.05) and lower meat lightness (P < 0.001) than those of other systems. Panellists gave the lowest sensory scores, except juiciness, to meat of W-G-S lambs.

Carcass traits of improved and indigenous lamb breeds of North-Western Turkey under an intensive production system

Abstract The aim of study was to investigate the carcass quality of Turkish Merino, Ramlic, Kivircik, Chios and Imroz breeds in north-western Turkey under an intensive production system. After weaning at approximately 85 days of age, 46 lambs from Turkish Merino, Ramlic, Kivircik, Chios and Imroz breeds were fattened for 56 days. Slaughter weights were 47.39, 45.68, 47.27, 31.08 and 29.82 kg and chilled carcass weights were 23.35, 22.33, 23.51, 14.33 and 13.75 kg, respectively (P<0.001). Improved Turkish Merino and Ramlic and indigenous Kivircik lambs had higher carcass measurements than indigenous Chios and Imroz lambs. Chios lamb carcasses had the highest tail root fat yellowness and tail percentage while having the lowest fatness score, omental and mesenteric fat percentage and kidney knob and channel fat percentage. Turkish Merino lambs had higher shoulder percentage, lean percentage and lean/total fat ratio in the hind leg and produced less total fat in the hind leg than Ramlic and Kivircik lambs. These results indicate that improved Turkish Merino might be used to produce high quality lamb carcasses in north-western Turkey. Among indigenous breeds Kivircik showed an outstanding carcass production performance.

Effects of parity and litter size on maternal behaviour in Kivircik ewes

Abstract Aim was to investigate effects of parity and litter size on grooming lambs, responses to sucking attempts of lambs, maternal behaviour score, and survival of their lambs in Kivircik ewes. Proportion of time spent grooming lambs was 0.34, 0.42, 0.41 and 0.45 in first, second, third and fourth parity ewes (P>0.05). Multiparous ewes stood and allowed lambs to suck for a greater proportion of sucking attempts compared with primiparous ewes. When the lamb attempted to suck, circling was the behaviour most often observed among ewe movement behaviours, whereas backing and moving forward behaviours were observed very rarely. Mean maternal behaviour score given to single and twin-lambed ewes were 2.87 and 3.36, respectively (P<0.05). The effect of ewe parity on survival of their lambs was not significant. However, mortality rate of twin lambs (19.2%) was significantly higher than that of single lambs (5.7%). Kivircik ewes did not increase the total maternal care to their lambs when they lambed twins, and time that the lamb received grooming attention in twin born lambs was about half of the time received grooming in single born lambs. Furthermore, survival rate of the twin born lambs was lower than that of single born ones.

Carcass and meat quality of organic lambs compared with lambs reared under traditional and intensive production systems

The aim of the study was to compare the meat quality characteristics of male lambs reared under organic (n = 9), intensive (n = 10) and traditional (n = 10) production systems. The average daily gain of organic lambs (121.4 g) was lower than lambs of intensive (161 g) and traditional (157.8 g) systems. Production system had no significant effect on carcass weight and dressing percentage. Differences among production systems for meat pH, drip loss, cooking loss, shear force value and colour characteristics were not significant. Traditional lambs had a higher percentage of total polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acid : saturated fatty acid ratio, whereas organic lambs had the highest percentage of total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the lowest n-6 : n-3 ratio. In accordance with the meat fatty acid composition, meat from the organic and traditional systems used here was healthier than meat from intensive system. But the results of sensory assessment indicate that meat from traditional system was found more acceptable by panellists in terms of flavour intensity, flavour acceptability and overall acceptability when compared with that of organic meat.

Certain behavioral characteristics and stress responses of out-of-breeding ewes and rams during an intensive fattening program

The aim was to investigate behaviors and stress responses of rams and ewes in an intensive fattening period. Out-of-breeding rams (Hemsin = 10, Karakul = 10) and ewes (Hemsin = 8, Karakul = 10) were used in the study. Sheep and rams belonging to each breed were placed into four different pens. Behavioral observations (individual, feeding, abnormal self-grooming behaviors) were performed 2 days a week for two groups a day for 1 h. Blood samples were collected at the beginning, at the 4th week, and at the end of the fattening period. Karakul ewes displayed significantly more feeding and rumination behavior than Hemsin ewes, while there was no significant difference between ram groups. Ewes displayed more lying and rumination behavior than rams in the current study. On the other hand, rams were more active than ewes and also showed more abnormal behavior (butting other animals) during the fattening period. Sheep breed had no influence on packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, or cortisol level at any sampling time. PCV, Hb, and cortisol levels at the middle of the fattening period were higher in ewes than rams. In conclusion, the behavioral repertoire of Hemsin and Karakul breeds in intensive fattening does not reveal any stress responses.

Saanen oğlaklarda büyütme tipi ve kesim yaşının bazı karkas kalitesi özellikleri üzerine etkileri

Calismada, anali ve yapay buyutulen Saanen irki erkek oglaklarin 80 ve 120 gunluk yaslarda kesime sevk edildigi uretim modellerinde, oglaklarin bazi karkas kalitesi ozelliklerinin karsilastirmali olarak ortaya konulmasi amaclanmistir. Karkas agirligi ve karkas randimani bakimindan anali ve yapay buyutulen oglaklar arasinda onemli bir farklilik tespit edilmemistir. Diger yandan bos vucut agirligina gore hesaplanan gercek karkas randimaninin yapay buyutulen oglaklarda anali buyutulenlere kiyasla daha yuksek oldugu gorulmektedir. Buyutme tipinin bobrek-legen yagi ve butta derialti yag orani uzerine etkisi onemsizken, butta kaslararasi yag oraninin anali buyutulen oglaklarda daha yuksek oldugu sonucuna ulasilmistir. Kesim yasi artisina paralel olarak karkas agirligi, karkas ve but kompaktlik indekslerinin, boyun ve kaburga oranlarinin arttigi tespit edilmistir. Kesim yasinin bobrek-legen yagi, butta derialti yag ve kaslararasi yag oranlari uzerine etkisi onemsiz bulunmustur. Butta et oraninin ise kucuk yaslarda kesime sevk edilen oglaklarda daha fazla oldugu sonucuna ulasilmistir. Yuksek sut verimi elde etmeyi amaclayan keci yetistiricileri, karkas kalite ozelliklerinde herhangi bir olumsuzluga neden olmaksizin Saanen oglaklarini yapay besleme ile buyutebilirler.