Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of age and breeds (Arsi, Borana, HF-Cross and Harar) on carcass and meat characteristics of bulls finished under similar feeding conditions. The feeding experiment was conducted for 90 days at Beef farm of Haramaya University. In this experiment, 24 bulls were fed with roughage (60%) which contained grass hay and wheat straw and concentrate (40%) which contained wheat bran, noug (gucia abysica) cake, maize grain, limestone, salt and ruminant premix. The bulls were transported to Bishoftu ELFORA export abattoir for slaughter following the procedure of the abattoir. The result of the study revealed that the average slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, shrink loss, commercial dressing and true dressing percentage were 179.1 kg, 86.8 kg, 82.7 kg 4.7%, 48.8% and 78.3%, respectively. Total edible and nonedible offal were significantly (P significantly (P Boran, Harar, and HF-crossbred were 78.1%, 77%, 72.8% and 77.2% respectively. Meat yield was predicted from fat thickness and ribeye area with 61% accuracy. Arsi bulls attained the highest (78%) meat yield at early age but decreased by 0.713 rate as age of animals advanced by one digit whereas the meat yield from other breeds showed increment in meat yield percentage with the rate of 1.98, 1.1 and 0.1 for cross, Borana and Harar breed bulls, respectively as age advanced. Yield from fore shank, sirloin, top and bottom sirloin primal cuts were affected by breed. Arsi breed had higher meat bone ration than cross breed. Retailed meat yield was significantly (P 0.05) by age and breed in the current study.
Highlights
Ethiopia is one of the lowest per capita meat consuming countries (9 kg/capita/year) compared to consumptions of red meat in Africa [1]
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of age and breeds (Arsi, Borana, HF-Cross and Harar) on carcass and meat characteristics of bulls finished under similar feeding conditions
Evaluation of carcass and meat characteristics of cattle breeds were conducted based on slaughter of the bulls at Elfora Beshoftu Abattoir
Summary
Ethiopia is one of the lowest per capita meat consuming countries (9 kg/capita/year) compared to consumptions of red meat in Africa [1]. To satisfy the meat demand at local and export markets, the country needs to characterize and document the potential of cattle breeds in respect to meat and carcass yield and quality. Little information is available so far on yields, meat cut and quality characteristics of indigenous cattle breeds in Ethiopia [9] [10]. Little information is available on carcass characteristics, meat yield, yield percentage and meat cut of Ethiopian cattle finished under similar preslaughter management. A study by [12] suggested the possibilities of age and breeds of cattle in significantly influencing carcass and meat characteristics bulls from Arsi, Boran, Harar cattle breeds. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of age and breeds on carcass and meat characteristics of bulls from Arsi, Borana, HF-Cross and Harar breed finished under similar concentrate supplementation
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