Abstract
•Wethers had greater eye muscle and intramuscular fat percentage than cryptorchids.•Wethers had heavier carcasses and greater intramuscular fat than ewes in farm C.•Chicory-fed lambs had heavier carcasses and greater intramuscular fat than pasture.•Lambs slaughtered at weaning than later in the season had greater loin shear force.•Sex, castration status, diet and age at slaughter had minor effects on meat quality.
Carcass attributes and meat quality characteristics of the Longissimus thoracis muscle were evaluated from 135 lambs from 9 commercial forage production systems (n = 15) on 3 farms. Wethers had greater eye muscle area and loin intramuscular fat percentage than cryptorchid lambs (P < 0.05). Chicory-fed lambs had a heavier carcass weight and greater loin intramuscular fat percentage compared to pasture-fed lambs (P < 0.05), but similar eye muscle area and fat depth over the loin (P > 0.05). Lambs that were processed at weaning had heavier carcasses and greater loin intramuscular fat percentage and shear force values than lambs slaughtered after further finishing on pasture or chicory (P < 0.05). The effects of the sex of the lamb, its castration status, forage diet and age at slaughter on meat quality were subtle.