5 research outputs found
Nutrutional quality of meats from young fallow deer (Dama dama) of different ages
Twelve male fallow deer (Dama Dama) were slaughtered at 3, 6 and 12
months of age. The productive performances of the animals and the most si
gnificant quantitative and qualitative traits on carcasses and meats were asses
sed. Four animals were slaughtered at 90 days of age, the others, allotted to
two groups of four animals each, at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Ali the
animals were kept in paddocks where, besides pasture, they received a supple
mentary feed 500 g/heaclld on the average. From the data available it emer
ges that the 6-month-old fallow deer as compared to the 12-month-old
bucks, present better gains and a reduced chilling loss of the carcass, the cuts
of which into leg and loin and their lean fractions do not differ as to age.
Moreover, the meats of these animals always in comparison with the 12
month-old bucks do not differ for "a" redness, "L" lightness as well as chemi
cal composition. The meats are also less tough, less resistant and with reduced
quantities of free water. At last, the fat extracted from the meat of 6-month
old fallow deer vs the older ones, in spite of a greater content in unsaturated,
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, the differences of which
have no statistical value, is even richer in 0)6 and poorer in 0)3 fatty acids