Relation of physical body composition to meat yield in the grasscutter (Thryonomys Swinderianus Temminck)

Abstract

Analyses of the grasscutter body by anatomic and economic components in relation to values for local Zebu cattle show that the grasscutter basically is a meat type. This is expressed in the male body size, body case, carcass weight and lean meat output. In the female, these traits are significantly depressed in favour of higher yields of viscera, chiefly in digestive and excretory organs. Considering that the activities of these organs are heightened during reproduction, the possibility is suggested that higher yields of these relative body weight may have adaptive significance in the reproductive process, or in terms of female productivity, in multiplication of the species as a form of meat output