Relationships between Carcass Density and Body Composition with Observations on Differences in the Fat Free Body Composition in Sheep

Abstract

Chemical analysis of the carcasses and empty bodies of 54 ewe lambs, 60 wether lambs and 140 mature ewes provided data to calculate regression equations relating chemical compositionto carcass density. Carcass density was highly significantly related to composition (P < .01). Correlation coefficients between density and carcass componentsranged from 0.67 to 0.80 for % water, 0.76 to 0.89 for % protein, 0.64 to 0.79% for ash, −.71 to −.86 for % fat and −.71 to −.85 for energy content (kcal/g). The relationship between carcass fat content and carcass density was significantly different for sheep of different ages and between pregnant and nonpregnant ewes. These unlike relationships may be related to significant differences in the composition of the fat-free dry matter of the empty body. Copyright © 1973. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1973 by American Society of Animal Science.