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The research carried out on meat from 45 ram lambs of the Polish merino breed allowed to determine the effect of meat aging and muscle type on physicochemical characteristics and oxidative stability of lipids. Analysis of physicochemical traits (pH, meat color, expressed juice, cooking loss, shear force, moisture, protein, fat and total collagen content) was performed on fresh and meat aged for 14 d in the longissimus lumborum (LL) and gluteus medius (GM) muscles. The meat aging determined all physicochemical characteristics except protein and fat content. More changes in pH and meat color parameters were defined in the GM muscle compared to the LL muscle. The increase in the tenderness of meat expressed as a reduction (P < 0.05) of shear force values was observed in both muscles aged for 14 d. A lower value (P < 0.05) of the shear force, despite the higher content of collagen, was determined in the GM muscle compared to LL. The investigated muscles differed in the degree of lipid peroxidation expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in both fresh and aged meat. The TBARS value was lower (P < 0.05) in the LL muscle than in GM. In the longissimus lumborum muscle, the significantly lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and PUFA n-6 has been recorded. The oxidation stability was not influenced by the meat aging.

Wet brewers grain (WBG) is successfully used in animal nutrition, and due to its high fiber content, especially in ruminants. The low cost of this fodder also has an impact on the economic of production. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of adding WBG to lamb fodder on the body weight gain, slaughter value and meat quality. The experiment was conducted on 40 male lambs of Polish Lowland sheep. The lambs were divided into two feeding groups, the control and the experimental (20 heads in each group), and fattened to their slaughter weight of 40 kg (± 2.5 kg). In the experimental group 35 % WBG was added to the feed. Lambs fed with WBG were characterized by higher daily weight gains (P≤0.01) and reached their slaughter body weight significantly faster (P≤0.01). Furthermore, the carcasses of the WBG group showed better hind leg conformation (P≤0.01) and a higher content of prime cuts (P≤0.05). The meat of lambs fed on WBG also had a lighter color and a lower intramuscular fat content. Additionally, the meat of this group was also characterized by higher PUFA (P≤0.01) and C18 : 2 cis9, trans11 fatty acid (P≤0.01) contents. The results obtained indicate that WBS could be successfully used in slaughter lamb production as a source of readily available, cheap fodder, especially when fattening takes place a short distance from a brewery.