Efficiency of meat production from culled Force-fed lactating buffalo [electronic resource].

Includes references.

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 wete 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 (585.9kg) 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.

Summary in Arabic.

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