@article{Wiklund_Finstad_Worker_Bechtel_2008, title={Effects of early castration on carcass composition, yield and quality characteristics of meat from young reindeer (<em>Rangifer tarandus tarandus</em>) bulls and steers}, volume={28}, url={https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/145}, DOI={10.7557/2.28.1.145}, abstractNote={Thirty male reindeer; &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;=16 bulls (control treatment) and &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;=14 steers (castrated males) were used to evaluate the effects of early castration on carcass yield and meat quality attributes. The reindeer were castrated at 2 and 13 months of age, and then slaughtered at 2 and 3 years of age. Live weights and carcass weights were significantly highest in the 3 year old bulls and steers. Dressing percentage did not differ between the 2 and 3 year old reindeer steers castrated at 2 months; however these values were higher than for 2 year old steers castrated at 13 months. Meat ultimate pH values (measured in the striploin; LD) were significantly highest in 2 year old steers castrated at 13 months and their corresponding control group of 2 year old bulls, indicating low muscle glycogen stores at slaughter. Castration had an effect on fat content with 3 year old steers having a higher fat content than bulls. No significant differences were found in any sensory attribute when the trained panel compared the meat from 2 year old reindeer bulls and steers. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Abstract in Swedish / Sammanfattning:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Effekter av tidig kastrering p&amp;aring; slaktkroppssammans&amp;auml;ttning, styckningsutbyte och k&amp;ouml;ttkvalitet hos unga renar&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trettio hanrenar; &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;=16 tjurar (kontrolldjur) och &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;=14 kastrater (h&amp;auml;rkar) ingick i denna studie f&amp;ouml;r att utv&amp;auml;rdera effekterna av tidig kastrering p&amp;aring; slaktkroppssammans&amp;auml;ttning och k&amp;ouml;ttkvalitetsparametrar. Renarna kastrerades vid 2 respektive 13 m&amp;aring;naders &amp;aring;lder och slaktades sedan n&amp;auml;r de var antingen 2 eller 3 &amp;aring;r gamla. Levandevikt och slaktkroppsvikt var h&amp;ouml;gst f&amp;ouml;r 3 &amp;aring;r gamla tjurar och h&amp;auml;rkar. Slaktutbytet skiljde sig inte mellan 2 och 3 &amp;aring;r gamla h&amp;auml;rkar som kastrerats vid 2 m&amp;aring;naders &amp;aring;lder, men deras slaktutbyte var h&amp;ouml;gre &amp;auml;n f&amp;ouml;r de 2-&amp;aring;riga h&amp;auml;rkarna som kastrerats vid 13 m&amp;aring;naders &amp;aring;lder. K&amp;ouml;ttets pH-v&amp;auml;rde (m&amp;auml;tt i ytterfil&amp;eacute;n) var signifikant h&amp;ouml;gst hos de 2-&amp;aring;riga h&amp;auml;rkarna som kastrerats vid 13 m&amp;aring;naders &amp;aring;lder och deras tillh&amp;ouml;rande kontrollgrupp av 2-&amp;aring;riga tjurar, vilket tydde p&amp;aring; l&amp;aring;ga niv&amp;aring;er av muskelglykogen vid slakt. Kastrering hade en signifikant effekt p&amp;aring; fettinneh&amp;aring;llet i slaktkropparna hos de 3-&amp;aring;riga renarna, med de h&amp;ouml;gsta fetthalterna hos h&amp;auml;rkarna. Inga skillnader i &amp;auml;tkvalitet rapporterades n&amp;auml;r k&amp;ouml;tt fr&amp;aring;n 2-&amp;aring;riga rentjurar och h&amp;auml;rkar j&amp;auml;mf&amp;ouml;rdes.&lt;/p&gt;}, number={1}, journal={Rangifer}, author={Wiklund, Eva and Finstad, Greg and Worker, Suzanne and Bechtel, Peter J.}, year={2008}, month={Apr.}, pages={1–8} }