Effect of castration age on weight and size of some muscles in Piemontese male cattle

Abstract

Effect of pre- and post-pubertal castration on muscle weight and measurements has been studied in 3 groups of Piemontese male cattle (EC - early castrated, LC - late castrated, IM - intact) reared in the same environmental conditions and slaughtered at about 18 month of age, at about 550 kg of l.w., and at the same commercial fattening degree. At side commercial dissection all separated muscles or meat cuts were weighted, and on the most regular ones (regular roll, shoulder clod – “copertina”, blade filet, strip loin, tenderloin, and eye round) linear measures were recorded and then some conformation ratios (weight/length, length/width, and length/circumference) were calculated. Data were analysed by GLM ANCOVA procedure, correcting data on side weight to avoid bias due to differences in carcass weight. Differences were found in meat weight, heavier in IM than in LC and EC (P<0.05), and fat weight, heavier in LC and EC than IM (P<0.01). Only the blade filet weight/length and length/circumference ratios were higher in EC than LC and IM (P<0.05) and in IM than EC (P<0.05) respectively, showing the poor effect of sexual neutralisation on weight and size of the considered muscles.