EFFICIENCY OF MEAT PRODUCTION FROM CULLED FORCE-FED LACTATING BUFFALO

Abstract

SUMMARY Efficiency of meat production from culled lactating buffalo after ending their lactation was investigated by exposing them to short finishing period of 56 days. Fourteen culled female buffalos were equally divided into two groups, force-fed (finished) and control, based on their averages of initial age (91.5 and 89.0 months, respectively) and live body weight (526.67 and 539.17 kg, resp.). Finished group was fed on concentrate feed mixture (CFM), clover hay and rice straw in restricted diet regimen to fulfill nutrient requirements for 0.900 kg daily gain, whilst control group was fed the nutritional requirements for maintenance. Average body weight daily gain and dry matter intake were recorded fortnightly. At the end of finishing period, three animals from each group were slaughtered, and then the right sides of the carcasses were dissected into different cuts. Obtained results indicated that finishing regime improved the performance, carcass characteristics, carcass composition, and meat quality of buffalo cow. Force-fed group achieved higher (P<0.05) average daily gain (0.940 kg), and hence recorded higher (P<0.05) final body weight (585.9 kg) than control group (0.138 kg and 540.6 kg, respectively). The improvement of carcass characteristics, carcass composition, and meat quality were remarkably observed in force-fed group, despite of the higher percentage of fat in longissimus dorsi muscle. Carcass weight and the percentages of dressing and boneless meat increased (P<0.05) in the force-fed animals. The dressing and boneless meat percentages were 54.0% and 84.2% in the force-fed group; while it was 49.7% and 78.6% in the control one. Lean percentage increased in force-fed buffalo by about 4 % followed by higher lean / bone ratio (being 3.66 vs. 1.95). Neither internal nor external offals as a percentage from slaughter weight were affected significantly by finishing regime. In addition, meat quality of best ribs (9, 10, 11), namely physical and chemical characteristics, was improved by finishing regime. The obvious results indicated that culled lactating buffalo could be used efficiently in meat production when subjecting them to a short finishing period of 56 days. That encourages buffalo breeders to use these animals as a potential source of beef production after ending their lactation.