Effect of fish oil supplementation and forage source on Holstein bulls performance, carcass characteristics and fatty acids profile

Abstract

Thirty-six Holstein bulls (initial body weight, 345 ± 61 kg) were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with two levels of AH (alfalfa hay) (10 and 20% of AH) combining with three levels of FO (fish oil) (0, 1 and 2.1% of DM) to investigate the effects of AH proportion and FO supplementation on performance, carcase characteristics, and meat fatty acids profile. DMI (dry matter intake) (kg/day) was lower (p