Mutton Quality and Yield: Quality and Yield of Sheep Carcass in Ethiopia

Yearling sheep from Highland (Arsi-Bale) and Lowland (Black head Ogaden) areas of Ethiopia were used to determine effects and interactions of animal origin, lengths of rest and feeding periods after arrival to abattoir on harvest measures. The data were analyzed using the General Linear Model of Statistical Analysis. As expected, meat pH changed with advancing time post slaughter, with a substantial decrease from day 0 to 1 and relatively little change thereafter. Darkening was not detected or apparent from comparisons of carcass pH and color measures with values in the literature