Table 3
Carcass yield and composition in elk bulls according to the castration time

T1aT2T3T4
Live weight at slaughter (kg)324.40 ± 20.93360.00 ± 19.52322.80 ± 75.80316.80 ± 14.14
Hot carcass weight (kg)187.80 ± 20.01211.70 ± 30.03196.90 ± 20.01201.20 ± 27.05
Cold carcass weight (kg)184.20 ± 10.18206.00 ± 23.76197.10 ± 40.02195.90 ± 0.99
Dressing weight (kg)129.90 ± 10.02153.23 ± 29.03143.00 ± 30.03156.41 ± 10.06
Dressing percentage (%)56.80 ± 0.5757.15 ± 3.4661.30 ± 1.9861.90 ± 2.40
Total meat weight (kg)129.91 ± 10.60153.24 ± 16.28143.00 ± 33.52157.42 ± 0.11
Total meat Percentage (%)70.50 ± 1.84b74.40 ± 0.71c72.35 ± 2.33c79.85 ± 0.35b
Total fat weight (kg)25.25 ± 1.53b23.72 ± 6.70b24.55 ± 1.08b10.53 ± 0.24c
Total fat Percentage (%)13.75 ± 1.60b11.40 ± 1.94b12.66 ± 2.02b5.38 ± 0.15c
Head weight (kg)14.62 ± 6.0717.19 ± 4.0514.52 ± 5.0116.04 ± 5.02
Velvet antler yields (kg)8.80 ± 1.718.42 ± 1.239.83 ± 2.218.90 ± 0.14
Total Intestine weight (kg)48.97 ± 5.0451.69 ± 7.0150.04 ± 8.0237.51 ± 20.07
Bone weight (kg)29.16 ± 1.3328.90 ± 1.8229.25 ± 1.2329.00 ± 0.87
Hindquarter weight (kg)6.49 ± 1.037.91 ± 1.647.12 ± 1.467.16 ± 1.77
Hindquarter percentage (%)3.52 ± 0.533.84 ± 0.623.61 ± 0.223.65 ± 0.79
Forequarter weight (kg)15.99 ± 5.0418.12 ± 5.3117.57 ± 4.0319.39 ± 5.03
Forequarter percentage (%)9.90 ± 0.938.68 ± 0.618.80 ± 0.538.91 ± 0.34
Saddle weight (kg)19.53 ± 1.04d23.67 ± 1.01c20.87 ± 1.05d26.34 ± 1.09b
Saddle percentage (%)10.60 ± 0.41c11.49 ± 0.65c10.59 ± 0.98c13.29 ± 0.14b
Tenderloin weight (kg)3.73 ± 1.034.10 ± 1.013.98 ± 1.044.09 ± 1.44
Tenderloin percentage (%)2.02 ± 0.741.99 ± 0.452.02 ± 0.612.09 ± 0.81
Brisket weight (kg)14.37 ± 3.14d16.94 ± 2.29c16.63 ± 1.94c20.26 ± 1.39b
Brisket percentage (%)7.80 ± 1.23c8.22 ± 0.89c8.44 ± 1.09c10.34 ± 0.39b
Rib weight (kg)19.97 ± 4.3323.14 ± 5.0621.63 ± 4.5419.06 ± 6.21
Rib percentage (%)10.84 ± 2.0311.23 ± 3.3210.97 ± 3.019.73 ± 5.32
Chunk weight (kg)7.47 ± 4.549.26 ± 5.878.42 ± 6.8714.92 ± 4.64
Chunk percentage (%)4.06 ± 4.434.49 ± 4.654.27 ± 5.847.62 ± 5.83