Effect of slaughter weight on carcass characteristics of egyptian baladi bullocks

Abstract EN

Based on their slaughter weight (SW) a total of 20 Baladi bullocks were divided into two groups (n=10 each) to study the effect of SW (400 vs.

450 kg) on carcass characteristics.

Average SW of the 1st group (G1) was 404.3 ± 2.1, while of the 2nd one (G2) was 445.3 ± 2.1 kg.

Experimental animals were kept tied and fed according to body weight (BW) on concentrate feed mixture, Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) hay and rice straw.

After slaughtering, hide removing and eviscerating, weights of edible and non-edible offal in addition to internal fat were recorded.

Carcass was weighed and afterward was sectioned down into two halves.

Each half was dissected between the 8th and 9th rib into fore and hind-quarters before weighing.

Forequarter was separated into brisket, shoulder, fore ribs, flat ribs, neck and shin, while hindquarter was separated into fillet, thick flank, thin flank, hind shank, round and sirloin cuts.

Bones were removed from the left half for recording boneless meat percentage.

Dressing percentage, boneless meat percentage, internal fat, edible and non-edible offal weight were recorded.

Carcass weight of G2 was higher (P<0.0003) than of G1 by about 25 kg, however no significant difference between the two groups was observed concerning dressing and boneless meat percentages.

Except liver (P<0.03) and testis weight (P<0.02) which were higher in G2 than in G1, difference in weights of the other edible offal were non-significant.

G2 was higher in kidney (P<0.05) and mesenteric (P<0.008) fat weight than G1.

G2 was higher in brisket (P<0.004) and neck (P<0.009) cuts, while G1 was higher in fillet (P<0.003) and thick flank cuts (P<0.003).

Under the present experimental circumstances, it could be preliminary concluded that increasing SW to more than 400 kg is not recommended, due to increasing forequarter weight relative to hind ones, increasing percentages of internal fat and non - edible offal by about 0.6 and 62.5 % of the total increase in SW.