Carcass characteristics and meat quality of Hungarian Simmental young bulls fed different forage to concentrate ratios with or without linseed supplementation

Abstract

In total, 30 Hungarian Simmental bulls were reared to 300.07 ± 43.78 kg initial live weight and 274.57 ± 19.73 d of age. Animals were distributed into three feeding groups with different maize silage to concentrate ratios (670 : 330 = F/HC; 750 : 250 = F/LC 1; 800 : 200 = F/LC 2) based on dry matter. The low concentrate groups (F/LC 1 and F/LC 2) received linseed supplemented concentrate during the fattening period. Feeding high concentrate (F/HC) caused the significantly highest daily gain. The slaughter weights, dressing (%), lean (%) and fat (%) did not show any significant differences between feeding groups. Carcass conformation of all groups was assessed mainly as U. Bulls of group F/LC 2 had the lowest amount of kidney fat. Bone proportion of the carcasses was affected by the diet (F/HC: 18.65 %; F/LC 1: 18.41 %; F/LC 2: 17.91 %). The tendon proportions were lower in groups F/LC 1 and F/LC 2 but not significantly (F/HC: 1.15 %; F/LC 1: 1.1 %; F/LC 2: 1.08 %). The intramuscular fat content varied between the three muscles investigated. Psoas major muscle contained the highest fat concentration in all three feeding groups. The mineral content of muscles (iron [Fe], copper [Cu], zinc [Zn]) was only affected by muscle type, but not by diet. In linseed supplemented groups (F/LC 1 and F/LC 2) the palmitic acid and palmitoleic acid proportion was decreased (P<0.05) in all muscles and the linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and the sum of n-3 fatty acid (P<0.05) was increased compared to the F/HC group. The beef from groups F/LC 1 and F/LC 2 bulls showed a lower n-6 to n-3 fatty acids ratio (P<0.05). The relative and absolute concentration of CLAcis-9,trans-11 was unaffected by diet but muscle type caused changes.