Prache Sophie, Vazeille Karine, Note Priscilla, Prunier Armelle
Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, Vetagro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, HERBIPOLE, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
Animal. 2023 Oct;17(10):100979. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100979. Epub 2023 Sep 1.
A recent long-term system-level experiment, using grassland-based organic systems established as separate farmlets, showed that combining sheep and beef cattle within a mixed (MIX) system promoted self-sufficient production of grass-fed meat and improved economic and environmental performance in the sheep enterprise compared to a sheep-only (SH) system. In the present study, we used all male lambs produced over the first year in this experiment to evaluate the effect of this farming practice on some lamb carcass and meat sensory quality traits. Lambing took place at the end of February and lambs were pasture-fed from 1 month of age on average until slaughter, unless they were not ready for slaughter at 3-4 weeks before the start of the mating period in October, in which case they were finished indoors on a concentrate-based diet. All MIX lambs (n = 33) were finished at pasture. One SH lamb (out of a total of 85) had to be finished indoors with a concentrate-based diet. MIX lambs had a higher growth rate than SH lambs (P < 0.001), resulting in a lower lamb age at slaughter in MIX than in SH (150 vs 173 days, P < 0.001). Carcass weight and degree of fatness, kidney fat weight and dorsal fat thickness did not differ between systems. Kidney fat skatole concentration was higher in MIX than in SH (median value reaching 0.15 µg/g liquid fat and 0.11 µg/g liquid fat in MIX and SH, respectively, P < 0.05). This was most likely due to MIX lambs being slaughtered at a younger age and therefore eating younger grass. There were minor differences between MIX and SH lambs in dorsal fat firmness and in colour coordinates of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. We conclude that while combining sheep and beef cattle within a mixed system offers advantages in terms of self-sufficient production of grass-fed meat and system economic and environmental performance, it could come at a cost to lamb flavour.
最近一项长期的系统层面实验，使用建立为独立小农场的草地有机系统，结果表明，与单一养羊（SH）系统相比，在混合（MIX）系统中同时饲养绵羊和肉牛可促进草饲肉类的自给自足生产，并改善养羊企业的经济和环境绩效。在本研究中，我们使用了该实验第一年生产的所有雄性羔羊，以评估这种养殖方式对一些羔羊胴体和肉的感官品质性状的影响。产羔在2月底进行，羔羊平均从1月龄开始以牧草喂养直至屠宰，除非它们在10月交配期开始前3 - 4周还未准备好屠宰，在这种情况下，它们在室内以精饲料为基础的日粮育肥。所有MIX羔羊（n = 33）都在牧场育肥。一只SH羔羊（总共85只中的一只）不得不以精饲料为基础的日粮在室内育肥。MIX羔羊的生长速度高于SH羔羊（P < 0.001），导致MIX羔羊的屠宰年龄低于SH羔羊（150天对173天，P < 0.001）。胴体重量、脂肪度、肾脂肪重量和背部脂肪厚度在不同系统间没有差异。MIX羔羊肾脂肪中粪臭素浓度高于SH羔羊（中位数分别达到0.15μg/g液态脂肪和0.11μg/g液态脂肪，P < 0.05）。这很可能是由于MIX羔羊屠宰时年龄较小，因此食用的是较嫩的草。MIX和SH羔羊在背部脂肪硬度以及胸腰最长肌的颜色坐标方面存在细微差异。我们得出结论，虽然在混合系统中同时饲养绵羊和肉牛在草饲肉类的自给自足生产以及系统经济和环境绩效方面具有优势，但这可能会以牺牲羊肉风味为代价。
