FATTENING AND SLAUGHTER RESULTS ANALYSIS OF HEREFORD BREED BULLS BORN IN DIFFERENT SEASONS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explain the birth season effect on Hereford bulls fattening results. The research was made within the project ‘Baltic Grassland Beef’ framework in years 2015 and 2016. Data about 41 Herford purebred bull was used in the research, grown in different farms of Latvia. Bulls were slaughtered in certified slaughterhouse ‘Agaras’ (Lithuania). The average birth weight of the Hereford breed bulls was in border from 42.9 – 45.0 kg. The lowest birth weight was on spring season born bulls – 42.9 kg, but the highest on winter season born bulls - 45.0. Average realization age of bull’s, in the research groups, was on range from 567 days to 661 days. Bulls born on autumn and winter before slaughtering were significantly older, respectively 661 and 655 days with live weight of 519.9 kg un 542.1 kg. On spring born bulls with age 600 days reached the biggest live weight – 542.0 kg, respectively these group bulls average daily weight gain from birth to slaughter per day was the biggest among all the groups – 831.9 g. The highest slaughter weight showed on autumn and winter seasons born bulls, respectively 275.5 kg and 274.8 kg. In the research groups on different seasons born bulls conformation score was from points 2.4 to 2.6. All the bull’s carcass in the research groups were evaluated as 2nd and 3rd fat class. between the age before slaughter and average daily weight gain from birth to slaughter there is an important negative correlation (from r = -0.858 to = -0.977, p<0.05), except on spring season born bulls.

Keywords: Hereford bulls, beef cattle fattening, growth, carcass characteristics

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.198