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Vets find link between lamb weight and meat quality
Lambs heavier at weaning were found to be the highest quality at market.
Discovery could benefit consumers, farmers, and the environment.

Lambs at their heaviest at the point of weaning go on to produce the leanest and most sought-after meat at market, according to new research.

The finding by Rothamsted and the University of Bristol Vet School could allow farmers to concentrate on giving their flock the best start in life, as well as breed lambs that are heavier once weaned. 

Lead author and PhD student Andy Jones said that a greater understanding of how better-quality meat is produced would be beneficial to both human health and the livelihood of sheep farmers. 

“More than a third of British lambs going to market are rated as overfat and we’ve shown that the leanness of lamb meat is determined very early in an animal’s life,” he said. 

“Given that the majority of lambs’ pre-weaning nutrition comes in the form of ewe milk, it is now likely that carcass quality is also affected by management of ewes during pregnancy and lactation. On the other hand, how to manage lambs once weaned may not be as important as those early life experiences.”

In the study, researchers found that the leanness and musculature of lamb meat can both be successfully predicted from the growth pattern of the animal before weaning. Lambs heavier at weaning (around 13 weeks) were found to be the highest quality at market and therefore returned significantly greater profits.

Besides the benefits to consumer and farmers, researchers say the finding could also have implications for climate change. Study lead Dr Taro Takahashits, a senior lecturer in sustainable livestock systems and food security at Bristol Vet School, said: 

“At first glance, livestock’s impacts on environment and health may seem independent from one another, but as we’ve demonstrated previously, the carbon footprint of a food item should be evaluated as the ratio between greenhouse gas emissions and the overall nutritional value of the product, rather than just the nominal weight of the product. 

“Besides, if these lambs spend a shorter time on the farm, this can trim down emissions of both methane and nitrous oxide as well.”

The study, 'Using a lamb's early-life liveweight as a predictor of carcass quality’ is published in the journal
Animal.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.