A standard method for jointing camel carcasses with reference to the effect of slaughter age on carcass characteristics in Najdi camels

Abstract

: The influence of age on the relative growth patterns of subcutaneous, intermuscular, intramuscular, perirenal channel and hump fat in relation to the total fat weight in carcass sides of 18 Najdi male camels averaging 8, 16 and 26 months of age has been investigated. The total fat weight in a carcass side increased (P<0.01) from 17.3% to 27.1% as the camel age increased from 8 to 26 months. However, at all ages studied, intermuscular fat weight was the largest fat depot, followed, in order, by subcutaneous and intramuscular fat. The change in weight of the intramuscular, intermuscular and subcutaneous fat between 8 and 26 months of age was greater, reaching 6.7, 4.3 and 4 times respectively, than the hump, channel and perirenal fat weight which increased by 3.6, 2.5 and 2.3 times, respectively. The allometric growth coefficient (β) for intramuscular fat in relation to the total carcass fat weight was the highest, followed, in order, by intermusculat, subcutaneous, hump, channel and perirenal fat.