A study on carcass and beef quality characteristics of holstein-friesian, brown-swiss and simmental bulls fattened in Aydin province

In this study, fattening performance, slaughtering and carcass characteristics and beef quality traits were determined on Holstein-Friesian (HF), Brown Swiss (BS) and Simmental (SIM) bulls. Animal material of the study were obtained on a private feedlot located in Aydın Province, in the first group with 148 days (10 HF and 8 BS) and in the second group with 177 days (7 HF and 10 SIM) fattening period were used. For fattening performance, fattening beginning weight (FBW), fattening final weight (FFW), average daily weight gain (ADWG), for slaughtering and carcass characteristics, carcass weight, dressing percentage and some organs' weights, cooling loss, rib eye area, subcutaneous fat thickness, for beef quality traits a sample taken from the rib eye muscle and pH, color (L*a*b), drip loss, cooking loss and shear force were determined. In the first group the averages of FBW, FFW, ADWG, hot carcass weight, dressing percentages, rib eye area, subcutaneous fat thickness means for HF and BS bulls were 347.17±9.80 and 319.80±10.96 kg (P>0.05), 549.20±16.87 and 512.62±16.86 kg (P>0.05); 1.34±0.05 and 1.35±0.06 kg (P>0.05), 279.44±3.28 and 289.40±3.69 kg (P>0.05), 52.5±1.0% and 54.4±1.0% (P<0.05), 66.82±2.83 and 82.76±3.17 cm2 (P<0.01), 2.3±0.3 and 2.9±0.3 mm (P>0.05), respectively. In the second group the averages of FBW, FFW, ADWG, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, rib eye area, subcutaneous fat thickness means for HF and SIM bulls were 307.24±14.28 and 292.36±11.95 kg (P>0.05), 579.14±16.60 and 562.00±13.88 kg (P>0.05), 1.57±0.05 and 1.62±0.04 kg (P>0.05), 304.36±4.14 and 309.25±3.45 kg (P>0.05), 53.5±1.0% and 54.3±1.0% (P>0.05), 69.50±4.10 and 76.50±3.43 cm2 (P>0.05), 4.9±0.8 and 3.6±0.7 mm (P>0.05), respectively. In conclusion, by choosing any of these breeds would not give any additional advantage to the farmer in terms of fattening performance, slaughtering and carcass characteristics and beef quality. Key words: Fattening performance, Slaughtering characteristics, Carcass characteristics, Beef quality, Breed