Tissue growth patterns in the carcasses of water buffalo and friesian crossbred cattle: Part 2—individual bones and anatomical bone groups

Abstract

Twelve Egyptian buffalo, nine ♂ Friesian × ♀ Egyptian native Baladi (half Friesian) and nine ♂ Friesian × ♀ half Friesian (three-quarter Friesian) bulls were serially slaughtered between 161 and 560 kg for buffaloes and between 176 and 448 kg for cattle. Anatomical dissection data from the left sides of the carcasses were used to examine the growth of individual bones and bone groups. No significant genetic differences with respect to the growth patterns of bones relative to total side bone were reported, indicating that bones followed similar patterns in buffaloes and cattle. Differential growth of bones occurred following an increase of impetus from cervical vertebrae to os sacrum and with growth coefficients for bones of the forelimb correspondingly higher than for the hindlimb and the entire axial and appendicular skeletons following, respectively, late- and early-maturing patterns. Some significant, though minor, differences between buffaloes and cattle were found when weights of individual bones were adjusted to constant side bone weight. As compared with Friesian crosses, buffaloes had more weight of the ribs and less weight of the vertebral column in the axial skeleton, and more weight of radius-and-ulna and less weight of scapula in the forelimb at equal total bone. There were no significant differences between buffaloes and Friesian crossbreds in the proportion of total bone occurring in the entire hindlimbs and forelimbs and in the distribution of total bone between axial and appendicular skeletons.