A note on the haem pigment concentration of lamb as influenced by age and sex

Abstract

SUMMARYMyoglobin and haemoglobin concentrations were determined in the m. longissimus dorsi of 133 Dorset Horn × Corriedale lambs, varying in age from 98 to 310 days, and killed at a live weight of 32 kg. Analysis of the data showed that age, over the period studied, was not a critical factor in determining the myoglobin concentration within the muscle. The average pigment level in the muscle of ewes was some 20% greater than in ‘cryptorchids’ and approximately 10% greater than in wethers. Haemoglobin was found to represent about 40% of the total haem pigment.