Seasonal effects on the patterns of deposition of water, fat and protein in rabbit meat

The effect of season on the patterns of deposition of water, fat and protein and on the changes in the chemical composition of total meat, meat from hind leg and M. longissimus lumboris, was studied in rabbits from 1 to 20 weeks of age. Allometric coefficents changed in a continuous way although changes were more marked in the first weeks of postnatal life. Relative rates of deposition increased for fat and decreased for water and protein throughout the experimental period, irrespective of the season or part considered. There were significant seasonal effects on most of the chemical components that affected the initial values of allometric coefficients, and thier later rates of change, but not the pattern of variation. As a consequence, modification of the chemical composition of meat was also significantly influenced by season, but differences were numerically very small. At birth, meat from rabbits born in summer had a lower content of fat and higher of water and protein than that from rabbits born in other seasons. Rates of deposition in postnatal life determined that the chemical composition tended to be similar to that of rabbits grown in other seasons. A tendency towards a higher degree of fatness in older animals was also observed in this season.