Abstract
Twenty-four reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) carcasses from male and female animals that ranged in age from calves to adults were purchased from Bering Sea Reindeer Products (BSRP), Nunivak Island, Alaska, USA. Preslaughter and abattoir procedures were observed and evaluated. Carcasses were split in half, weighed, and broke into wholesale primal cuts of chuck, rib, loin, and hindquarter. Each primal cut was weighed, boxed, and frozen. Each half carcass of primal cuts was later dissected into lean tissue, bone, and the three compartments of fat: subcutaneous, intermuscular, and peritoneal. A portion of the loin was collected from each animal in order to obtain data on pH and shear force. Sensory panel analysis was performed on loin steaks. Due to management and environmental effects, pH values were high and the meat was dark in colour. Carcasses from adult male reindeer contained significantly lower levels of fat than carcasses of adult females. Data indicated that yearling reindeer are of greatest economic value for meat production.
Highlights
The natural patterns of cervid growth and weight loss are important criteria in the decision of optimal slaughter age
Material and methods In January 1993, twenty-four reindeer carcasses were purchased from Bering Sea Reindeer Products (BSRP) during the scheduled Nunivak Island reindeer slaughter
The results of this study show that at the time of slaughter (January) on Nunivak Island the adult female reindeer have significantly more subcutaneous, intermuscular, and peritoneal fat than all other age and sex cohorts
Summary
The natural patterns of cervid growth and weight loss are important criteria in the decision of optimal slaughter age. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), like wapiti (Cervus elaphus) (Renecker & Hudson, 1993), moose (Alces alces) (Renecker & Hudson, 1986), and red deer (Fennessy, 1982) have seasonal growth cycles that are important functions in determination of the optimal time and age of commercial slaughter (Drew, 1991a). These cycles are entrained by factors such as photoperiod, temperature, and plant growth that show rapid growth in spring and summer followed by stasis and weight loss in late autumn and winter (Nieminen, 1994; Schwartz & Renecker, 1997). While there have been some studies on Rangifer tarandus regarding the deposition and utilization of fat (Engebretsen, 1975), information is limited on the differential growth of muscle, bone, and fat of the reindeer from commercial operations
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