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Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Meat consists largely of muscles, but fat and other animal tissue are also considered meat. The most commonly eaten meats come from animals that are raised for food. These animals - and the meat that comes from them - include cattle (beef and veal), pigs (pork), and chicken and sheep (lamb and mutton). The meat from cattle, pigs and sheep is all classified as red meat. Chicken and fish are classified as white meat. There are several different types of meat. The names for meat from cattle and sheep also indicate the age of the animal from which the meat was taken.
Veal is the flesh of calves less than 14 weeks old. It is light pink and contains very little fat. Veal is tenderer than beef and has a milder flavour. Beef is the flesh of full-grown cattle. Most beef sold in shops comes from animals one to two years old. Beef is bright red and has white or yellow fat, depending on the food the animal was raised on.
Lamb is the flesh of sheep slaughtered at a young age (younger than 6 months). It is red and has white fat. Lamb has a milder taste than mutton.
Mutton is the flesh of sheep older than 6 months. It has a deep red to purple colour. Mutton has a stronger flavour and a coarser texture than lamb.
The value of the product depends on the following factors:
- Availability
- Demand
- Readiness
- Quality
- Genetic parameters – age, fertility, reproductive performance
Due to the factors that influence the value of a product, animal production had intensified over the years and will certainly not stop there. The technique and methods used for harvesting have also undergone some changes to enhance the harvesting process.
When you have an objective of what to produce, you need to review what type of animal you should produce. Animals are being used in many different production units and therefore differ in age, breed and species.
For example, animals that are being bred for mutton production must be early matured so that they can be slaughtered at a very early stage e.g., 3 – 4 months (±35kg weight). At this stage, only the male animals are slaughtered. At a young age, better quality mutton is produced.
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