Influence of dietary energy concentration and body weight at slaughter on carcass tissue composition and beef cuts of modern type Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Honig, Aniela Christine; Inhuber, Vivienne; Spiekers, Hubert; Windisch, Wilhelm; Götz, Kay-Uwe; Ettle, Thomas
• Is Part Of: Meat science. Volume 169(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: Beef cuts -- Carcass composition -- Fattening bulls -- Feeding intensity -- Meat quality; Meat -- Periodicals; Meat industry and trade -- Periodicals; Viande -- Périodiques; Viande -- Industrie -- Périodiques; Meat; Meat industry and trade; Periodicals; 641.36
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108209
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-1740

Abstract

Abstract: A feeding and slaughter experiment was conducted to evaluate the carcass tissue composition and meat quality of growing modern type Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls. For the study, 72 bulls were customary reared and for the fattening period allocated to a normal energy and a high energy treatment group with 11.6 and 12.4 MJ ME/kg DM, respectively. Bulls were slaughtered in a serial slaughter trial with final live weights of 120, 200, 400, 600, and 780 kg. The weights of carcasses, carcass quarters, beef cuts and their tissues (muscle, tendon, fat and bone) as well as meat quality traits were recorded. Results showed that carcass fat increased during growth primarily at the expense of bone and subsidiary muscle tissue, while the tendon content remained constant. Meat quality traits like IMF, meat color and tenderness were superior in high weight groups. Feeding high energy rations did not lead to increased fat accretion, but increased daily gain during certain stages of the fattening period.