Robert C Mulley

Consumer evaluation of venison sensory quality: effects of sex, body condition score and carcase suspension method.

Intact fallow bucks (n=20) and non-pregnant fallow does (n=24) (Dama dama), in the body condition score (BCS) of 2, 3 and 4 (lean, prime and fat) and rising 2 year old red deer stags (n=26) (Cervus elaphus) of the same BCS range (2-4) were used in this study to determine the impact of sex, BCS and method of carcase suspension on consumer perception of venison quality. Consumers were asked to evaluate cooked meat samples (M. gluteus medius) on an unstructured line scale for colour, flavour, tenderness, juiciness and overall liking. Meat from both fallow deer and red deer was preferred by consumers when carcases had hung by the pelvic suspension (PS) method compared with the Achilles tendon (AT) method of hanging (p<0.001). Consumers also noted a difference in colour between sexes in fallow deer venison, with venison from 36 month-old does being darker (p=0.015), and preferred venison from does over 18-24 month-old bucks. There was a significant difference in the consumer scores for tenderness in red deer stags of BCSs 2 and 4 (p=0.05) with panellists determining BCS 4 animals to be more tender; however no tenderness differences were observed for fallow deer does compared with bucks.

Effect of concentrate feeding on instrumental meat quality and sensory characteristics of fallow deer venison

Venison from twenty four hybrid fallow deer does, 36months old with an initial body condition score (BCS) of 2, was tested to determine the influence of feed type on meat quality. Feeding with concentrates increased BCS (P<0.01) but did not affect ultimate pH (P>0.05). BCS 4 animals had higher intra muscular fat (IMF) (P<0.01), and more tender meat (P<0.05). Venison from does fed over 24weeks exhibited less redness (P<0.01) than those fed for 19weeks regardless of feed type. Panellists evaluated samples for colour, flavour, tenderness, juiciness and overall liking. They detected significantly (P<0.05) stronger flavour in meat from animals fed concentrates. Male panellists detected flavour differences within meat from animals fed concentrates (P<0.05), with longer feeding periods resulting in stronger flavour. There was no difference in overall liking, therefore finishing fallow deer on grain-based concentrate feeds prior to slaughter provided little commercial advantage.

Diet analysis of mammals, raptors and reptiles in a complex predator assemblage in the Blue Mountains, eastern Australia

South-east Australia has a complex predator assemblage which has historically been vulnerable to introduced species. This is the first Australian field study to analyse samples from members of the families Canidae, Dasyuridae, Strigidae, and Varanidae to describe the diet and diet overlap between these predators. Samples were collected opportunistically and hair and bone analysis was used to identify the content of samples. Wild dogs (Canis lupus) and lace monitors (Varanus varius) predominantly consumed large mammalian prey, which contributed to the high level of diet overlap (Ojk = 0.79) between these two species. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and spotted-tailed quolls (Dasyurus maculatus) also had a high level of diet overlap (Ojk = 0.76), a result of their diets containing a high proportion of medium-sized mammals. The diet of wild dogs and foxes showed moderate overlap (Ojk = 0.59), and foxes were more likely to prey on species within the critical weight range than on macropods, which made up a high proportion of the diet of wild dogs. These data confirm that significant diet overlap can occur between predators from different taxonomic classes and further investigation of potential competition will be important to ongoing management.

Effect of pelvic suspension on the instrumental meat quality characteristics of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) venison.

The effect of pelvic and Achilles tendon suspension of red and fallow deer carcasses on meat quality parameters were compared. Venison was evaluated from red deer stags (n=14), bucks (n=14) and fallow deer does (n=10) between 12 and 36months old. Immediately after slaughter, carcasses were split down the dorsal midline and assigned to one of the two hanging methods and pH and core body temperature measured. Twenty-four hours post-slaughter muscles were excised. Venison from fallow deer and red deer stags pelvic-suspended had significantly lower (P<0.001) cooked shear force values than Achilles hung carcasses. There was no significant difference between hanging technique for other characteristics measured. These data indicated that pelvic suspension should be adopted by the deer industry to increase tenderness of venison.

Integrating science into management of ecosystems in the greater Blue Mountains

Effective management of large protected conservation areas is challenged by political, institutional and environmental complexity and inconsistency. Knowledge generation and its uptake into management are crucial to address these challenges. We reflect on practice at the interface between science and management of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), which covers approximately 1 million hectares west of Sydney, Australia. Multiple government agencies and other stakeholders are involved in its management, and decision-making is confounded by numerous plans of management and competing values and goals, reflecting the different objectives and responsibilities of stakeholders. To highlight the complexities of the decision-making process for this large area, we draw on the outcomes of a recent collaborative research project and focus on fire regimes and wild-dog control as examples of how existing knowledge is integrated into management. The collaborative research project achieved the objectives of collating and synthesizing biological data for the region; however, transfer of the project’s outcomes to management has proved problematic. Reasons attributed to this include lack of clearly defined management objectives to guide research directions and uptake, and scientific information not being made more understandable and accessible. A key role of a local bridging organisation (e.g., the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute) in linking science and management is ensuring that research results with management significance can be effectively transmitted to agencies and that outcomes are explained for nonspecialists as well as more widely distributed. We conclude that improved links between science, policy, and management within an adaptive learning-by-doing framework for the GBMWHA would assist the usefulness and uptake of future research.

Rate of blood loss and timing of exsanguination on prevalence of ecchymosis in fallow deer (Dama dama)

Blood loss associated with four combinations of stunning and exsanguination methods was determined as part of studying prevalence of ecchymosis in slaughtered fallow deer (Dama dama). A fifth treatment simulated incomplete severance of the extended neck after captive bolt stunning. Predicted mean weights of blood collected from the five slaughter treatments, including electrical stunning followed by the thoracic stick method of exsanguination, captive bolt stunning followed by the thoracic stick, captive bolt stunning followed by the gash cut method of exsanguination, electrical stunning followed by the gash cut, and captive bolt stunning followed by incomplete severance of the extended neck, were 1458.7, 1072.7, 684.5, 463.7, and 228.5 g, respectively. The overall effect of exsanguination method was highly significant (p<0.001) with the thoracic stick resulting in the greatest weight of blood collection in the 10s period immediately after initiation. The overall effect of stunning method on blood loss was not significant, although there was a significant (p<0.05) stunning method by exsanguination method interaction. Ecchymosis of varying severity occurred in some carcases from all treatment groups. Using the total loin and round ecchymosis scores, when little or no ecchymosis (grades 0 or 1) was compared with some ecchymosis (grade 2) by logistic regression, castrated bucks were 9.8 times more likely (p=0.002) and does 4.2 times more likely (p=0.06) to have some ecchymosis than entire bucks. The results indicate that ecchymosis can be reduced in fallow deer carcases by thoracic stick exsanguination incorporated less than 10s after stunning.

An assessment of exposure to respirable crystalline silica and the impact on lung function among quarry workers in Queensland

Work related injuries continue to contribute to the global burden of disease and injuries. According to recent global estimates, about a million workers are injured and a thousand die per day due t ...Introduction: Pregnancy is a unique period in women’s life, in which exposure to toxic material during this period of time can influence fetus health for long-life. Recently, exposure to toxic metals decreased sharply in both general population and workers. On the other hand, pregnant women are not usually exposed to very high levels of toxic metal to show clear clinical symptoms, but their fetuses may suffer several adverse effects, which often do not detect before delivery, such as developmental problems.