High-energy diet improves growth performance, meat quality and gene expression related to intramuscular fat deposition in finishing yaks raised by barn feeding

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the effects of dietary energy concentration (combined net energy, Nemf) on growth performance and meat quality of yaks raised by barn feeding. In all, 30 male yaks (3-year old and 114.57 ± 21.56 kg of body weight) were allocated to one of three isonitrogenous dietary treatments that had different Nemf concentrations (low 3.72 MJ/kg, middle 4.52 MJ/kg and high 5.32 MJ/kg, respectively). The yaks were fed for 120 days. The results showed that the final weight, average daily gain, dressing percentage, backfat thickness and loin muscle area were significantly improved (p