Carcass composition and yeilds of wild fallow deer (Dama dama) in South Africa

FITZHENRY Leon B., CAWTHORN, Donna M., MUCHENJE, Voster, BUREŠ, Daniel, KOTRBA, Radim and HOFFMAN, Louwrens C. Carcass composition and yeilds of wild fallow deer (Dama dama) in South Africa. African Journal of Wildlife Research, 2019, 49, 100-110. ISSN 2410-8200.
Year2019
CathegoryScientific publication in impacted journals
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the carcass characteristics, as well as the meat and offal yields, of wild fallow deer. Live-weights, warm carcass weights and cold carcass weights were significantly higher in male fallow deer (47.4 kg, 29.6 kg, 29.2 kg, respectively) versus females (41.9 kg, 25.2 kg, 24.7 kg, respectively), as well as in pregnant females (47.5 kg, 28.7 kg, 28.2 kg, respectively) versus non-pregnant females (32.5 kg, 19.7 kg, 19.3 kg, respectively). Similarly, dress-out percentages were significantly higher in males (61.5%) than females (59.0%), while being comparable to or higher than those found for other African antelope species and domestic livestock. Consumable offal (excluding stomach and intestines) contributed 9.6% and 8.9% to the live weights of males and females, respectively, with some significant sexand pregnancy effects on certain offal components. The individual weights of seven muscles (longissimus thoracis et lumborum [LTL], infraspinatus [IS], supraspinatus [SS], biceps femoris, [BF], semimembranosis [SM], semitendinosus [ST], psoas major [PM]) did not differ significantly between males and females. Male fallow deer had significantly higher total meat and bone weights than females, however, no sex differences were observed for the meat-to-bone ratios.