Abstract. This study was conducted to determine the effect of genotype and
fattening system on carcass measurements of lambs and technological
properties of the male lamb meat (Musculus longissimus dorsi, MLD). The animal material in the study
included 39 Hemşin (H) and 39 Tuj (T) male lambs. Extensive (E),
semi-intensive (SI) and intensive (I) fattening systems were applied in the study, which was completed within 90 d. In the E,
SI and I fattening groups, a total of 48 lambs, including 16 lambs in each
group, were slaughtered. The results of the study indicated that the effect
of genotype on the first-hour yellowness (b*), being one of the colour
parameters of the MLD, and the effect of the fattening system on 1 h
hour redness (a*) and chroma (C*), being among the colour parameters, were
statistically significant (P<0.05). The effect of genotype and
fattening system on MLD pH at 45 min (pH45 min) and 24 h
(pH24 h) after the slaughtering and on the third and seventh hour
drip loss (DL %) was statistically nonsignificant (P>0.05).
The effect of genotype and fattening system on DL,
cooking loss (CL %) and texture (TT) was nonsignificant
(P>0.05), whereas the effect of these factors on water-holding
capacity (WHC %) was significant (P<0.05). The effect of
genotype on external carcass length (ECL), internal carcass length
(ICL), internal hindquarter length (IHL), and carcass and leg conformation was
statistically significant (P<0.05). The effect of the fattening
system on all the carcass measurements except for carcass conformation,
carcass depth (CD) and external chest width (ECW) was statistically
significant (P<0.05). Genotype and fattening system affected
the colour and some quality traits of meat and carcass measurements of
lambs.