Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2021, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (8): 2223-2232.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2021.08.015

• ANIMAL NUTRITION AND FEEDS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Grazing and Confinement Feeding Systems on the Meat Quality of Small-tailed Han Sheep

YU Xiaojie, WANG Jing*, BAI Yuanyuan, ZHANG Lei, ZHAO Xiaokun, YANG Jiangfeng, WANG Conghui, YANG Chaochao   

  1. Hebei Mutton Sheep Innovation Strategic Alliance, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
  • Received:2021-01-21 Online:2021-08-23 Published:2021-08-21

Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of grazing and confinement feeding systems on meat quality of Small-tailed Han sheep. One hundred male weaning lambs of 2-month-old were randomly divided into grazing and confinement groups. The nutritional composition, amino acid content, meat colour, pH, tenderness and meat production performance were detected after slaughtered at 8-month-old. The results showed that the crude protein and water content of meat in the grazing group were significantly higher than those of the confinement group (P<0.05). The dry matter of meat in the confinement group was significantly higher (P<0.05) and the crude fat was extremely significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of the grazing group. The meat contents of methionine, aspartic acid and serine were significantly higher (P<0.05) and the contents of threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, glutamic acid and histidine in confinement lambs were extremely significantly higher (P<0.01) than those in grazing lambs. The total amount of essential amino acids, non-essential amino acids and total amino acids in confinement lambs were also extremely significantly higher than those in grazing lambs (P<0.01). Compared with the confinement group, the yellowness (b*) and brightness (L*) values of longissimus dorsi were extremely significantly higher (P<0.01), the diameter of muscle fibre was extremely significantly smaller (P<0.01), the density of muscle fibre was extremely significantly larger (P<0.01) in the grazing group. The cooked meat rate was extremely significantly higher (P<0.01) and the loin-eye area was extremely significantly larger (P<0.01) in the confinement group than those of the grazing group. In conclusion, grazing lambs have a higher content of protein, lower content of fat, better characteristics of muscle fiber, and confinement lambs have a higher content of fat and amino acids, better meat color and meat production performance. Two feeding systems should be combined in production to balance feeding.

Key words: grazing, confinement, Small-tailed Han sheep, characteristics of muscle fibers, meat production performance

CLC Number: