Comparison of slaughter performances and meat qualities of Honghe yellow cattle at different ages

Abstract

RuminantsFull-length research article Comparison of slaughter performances and meat qualities of Honghe yellow cattle at different agesABSTRACT -We examined differences in slaughter performance and meat quality of Honghe yellow cattle of different ages. We randomly selected nine Honghe bulls for slaughter at 12 (12M), 36 (36M), and 60 (60M) months of age. There were significant differences in antemortem live weight, carcass weight, and net weight among the three groups, all of which increased with age. Backfat thickness in 36M (4.77±0.25 mm) and 60M (5.50±0.50 mm) was significantly higher than in 12M (3.00±0.00 mm), and the loin-eye area in 60M (68.02±16.02) was higher than in 12M (27.01±1.89). There was no significant difference in the pH value of the month-old group. Compared with 12M (29.33±4.93%) and 60M (23.87±5.08%), the cooking loss of meat in 36M (36.50±5.07%) was significantly higher; meanwhile, a* value was also the highest in 36M (22.39±1.34), the protein and fat content of muscle in 12M was lower, while the content of meat in 60M was lower. There was no significant difference in muscle ash, Ca, and P contents; the total amino acid and essential amino acid contents of 36M were higher than those of 12M and 60M, and the unsaturated fatty acids of meat in 12M were higher than those in 36M and 60M. The change of age has a certain influence on the slaughter performance and meat quality of Honghe yellow cattle.

Impact of Various Ration Energy Levels on the Slaughtering Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Qualities of Honghe Yellow Cattle

“…A Sykam S-433D (from Saikam Scientific Instruments Co., Ltd., Beijing, China) automatic AA analyzer was used to analyze the filtrate. The one-step extraction methylation procedure for LD and BF muscle fatty acid acquisition [4] was performed in a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer model 7890B-5977B (Agilent, Palo Alto, CA, USA). The column specifications and field parameters were DB-5 (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm), and 25 µL (10.337 mg/mL) of C19:0 was used as an internal standard.…”

“…In 1981, they were incorporated into the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of China's Records of Livestock and Poultry Breeds [3]. Located in the Mourning Mountains, a mountainous region in the southwestern part of China's Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Honghe yellow cattle are adapted for grazing roughage on steep slopes (at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 3166 m) [4]. And their advantages are that they are well adapted to harsh environmental conditions, have high resistance and fertility to parasites and diseases, and have good roughage/heat tolerance and adaptability.…”

“…And their advantages are that they are well adapted to harsh environmental conditions, have high resistance and fertility to parasites and diseases, and have good roughage/heat tolerance and adaptability. However, the disadvantages of Honghe yellow cattle are their small size, slow growth rate, low productivity, and low average slaughter rate (45.6%) [4].…”