Macrocysts of the protozoan parasite Sarcocystis spp. occurred in 34 of 241 (14%) adult and 6 of 70 (8.6%) immature mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) that were collected in southwestern Louisiana from 1987 to 1989. The prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. among immature ducks was higher than previously reported, possibly because of a longer exposure period. No differences in carcass composition variable...

Right sides of 30 pork carcasses were fabricated into indicator cuts (Boston butt, picnic, anterior belly, posterior belly, anterior loin, posterior loin, and ham) and used to determine carcass composition by physical dissection and chemical analysis of soft tissue. Linear measures and chemical composition of whole-side grind were collected from left sides. Dissection of indicator cuts to predi...

Carcass and live measurements of 203 pigs representing seven genetic populations and four target live weights (100, 114, 128, and 152 kg) were used to evaluate alternative measures of carcass composition. Measures of carcass lean (fat tissue-free lean, FFLM; lipid-free soft tissue, LFSTIS; and dissected lean in the four lean cuts, DL), fat (total carcass fat tissue, TOFAT), and lipid mass (soft...

Near-infrared (NIR) interactance was evaluated as a potentially new method for estimating live body and carcass composition of pigs. Using a surface placed fiber optic probe, measurements of the live animal and carcass were made on a total of 120 pigs. These measurements were compared with lipid and protein content of soft tissue dissected from the pig carcass. NIR results were evaluated using ...

In the present contribution we compared the entomological succession pattern of a burned carcass with that of an unburned one. For that, we used domestic pig carcasses and focused on Calliphoridae, Muscidae and Sarcophagidae flies, because they are the ones most commonly used in Postmortem Interval estimates. Adult and immature flies were collected daily. A total of 27 species and 2,498 specime...

This paper describes an investigation of the use of computer tomography (CT) to genetically improve carcass composition and conformation in Scottish Blackface sheep. After 5 years of selection on an index designed to improve both composition and conformation (the 'CT index'), a large response was observed in the CT index, with genetic progress equivalent to 0.11 phenotypic standard deviations p...