Determination of some carcass quality characteristics of buffaloes slaughtered at a private slaughterhouse in Bafra district of Samsun

In this study, it was aimed to reveal some carcass characteristics of Anatolian water buffalo slaughtered in a private slaughterhouse in Bafra district of Samsun province and their quality status according to these characteristics. For this purpose, information about the animals and their fattening status was obtained from the owners of the animals that came to the slaughterhouse by going to the slaughterhouse on the days when the slaughter was intense between February 2021 and April 2021. Hot carcass weight, marbling, back fat thickness, waist muscle depth and width, muscle pH, muscle and fat color were determined in slaughtered animals. Scales developed for this purpose were used for the degree of marbling and color of muscle and fat, and pH was determined with a pH meter for meat. As a result of the evaluation, it was determined that the age of the animals that came to the slaughter did not affect any of the features emphasized, while the fattening period was effective on the carcass weight (P<0.01), pH and muscle color (P<0.001). It was concluded that the sex of the slaughtered animals was effective in the change of carcass weight, muscle width (P<0.01) and pH (P<0.05). It can be said that the determined carcass weight is generally compatible with other studies, but it should be increased. Other conclusions reached were that the level of marbling is insufficient and the thickness of the tread oil should be less. The correlation coefficients between the examined features were generally found to be moderate or low. The highest correlation coefficient was determined between carcass weight and muscle with (0.466).