Carcass composition was determined in 44 grey kangaroos, 17 red kangaroos and 34 sheep.

Two field techniques (pathology score and necrosis score) are presented for estimating the prevalence and severity of capture myopathy in red kangaroos, Macropus rufus. Both are based on the amount of necrotic (pale) muscle found in a carcass at post-mortem examination. These techniques are compared for 232 experimental animals. Results indicate that either technique will provide a satisfactory assessment of the severity of capture myopathy. The necrosis score technique also provides quantitative data on distribution of the necrotic muscle in the carcass. A relationship between the amount of necrotic muscle and the clinical consequences for a kangaroo is also demonstrated.

Information is presented from which the carcass muscle yield as well as muscle yield from forequarter, hindquarter, tail and nine other carcass regions may be predicted for grey and red kangaroos of both sexes. Carcass muscle weights from grey and red kangaroos of the same body weight were found to be similar. Grey kangaroos were found to have a relatively greater proportion of their carcass muscle in the hindquarter, whereas red kangaroos were relatively heavier muscled in the forequarter and tail. Female kangaroos of both species were found to be relatively heavier muscled in the hindquarter, whereas males were relatively heavier muscled in the forequarter.

The yield of carcass muscle and its weight distribution are described in male and female grey kangaroos. A redistribution of muscle-weight between forequarter and hindquarter began in males at approximately 31 kg empty body weight. Females did not undergo such a redistribution, nor did they reach the body weight at which the redistribution occurred in males. Muscle-weight was a similar proportion of body weight in both males and females.

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