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Fifteen young Holstein Friesian bulls (18 mo of age) were divided into three groups of five. All groups were fed a diet consisting of 60% concentrate and 40% roughage. The control (C) group received a mixture of dry meadow hay, dry lucerne and wheat straw as roughage. The second and third treatment groups were fed a similar mixture of roughage partially substituting wheat straw with wet sugar beet pulp (SBP) at levels of 4% and 8% on a dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. Dry matter intake and feed efficiency ratio (kg DM intake/kg weight gain) of the C group were significantly higher than those of the 4% SBP and 8% SBP groups. Slaughter and carcass traits indicated that there were no significant differences between dietary treatments. The inclusion of 8% SBP significantly improved panel ratings for tenderness, juiciness, beef flavour intensity and general acceptance, as well as number of chews before swallowing and the Warner Bratzler Shear value. Proximate analysis of the meat did not demonstrate differences between meat from the bulls fed C and the SBP diets. It was concluded that wheat straw could be replaced by 8% SBP in the finishing diet for young Holstein Friesian bulls in order to improve feed efficiency and sensory quality characteristics of their meat. ________________________________________________________________________________

The effects of slaughter age and muscle type on meat quality properties of Eastern Anatolian Red (EAR) bulls (n = 46) were investigated in the present study. Forty-six EAR bulls were slaughtered at 15, 17, 19, 25 and 27 months. Meat samples were taken from longissimus dorsi (LD) and gluteus medius (GM) muscles obtained from the carcasses at 24 h post-mortem. Meat color parameters were significantly affected by slaughter age. Older animals (19, 25 and 27 months of age) possessed higher L * , a * and H values than those of younger animals (15 and 17 months of age). LD muscle had higher L * and a * values than those of GM muscles. The influences of slaughter age and muscle type on the proportions of dry matter, ether extract, crude ash and crude protein were not significant in the present study. The influence of slaughter age on the tenderness, acceptability, juiciness, number of chews and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) values were found to be significant. Tenderness, juiciness, flavor intensity and acceptability increased until 19 months of age, and then increase in age resulted in lower tenderness, flavor intensity and acceptability scores. Cooking yield significantly increased depending on the increase of age. WBS and cooking yield values from the LD were higher than that of the GM muscle. Textural characteristics such as hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience were not affected by slaughter age, but muscles had a significant influence on hardness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience. In conclusion, most eating quality characteristics and color parameters were positively influenced by slaughter age.Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology.

The aims of the study were to determine heritabilities of growth characteristics and growth characteristics of Morkaraman sheep raised by local breeders in Erzurum province between 2006 and 2010. Growth characteristics such as live weight and daily live weight gains of Morkaraman lambs in the various periods were examined for this purpose. The effects of some environmental factors such as herd type, sex, birth type and years on these characteristics were also examined. In the study, growth characteristics of lambs obtained from mating of 5339 ewes and 253 rams were measured based on performance tests and a selection practice was performed. Elite, multiplier flock and commercial herds were established. The heritabilities of traits in question were determined. The breeding value for daily live weight gains up to the end of grazing season in the fifth year was calculated. Birth weight, birth weight heritability, weights and weight heritability at the beginning of grazing season, weight and weight heritability at the end of grazing season, daily live weight gain up and daily live weight gain heritability to the beginning of grazing season, daily weight gain up and daily live weight gain heritability to the end of grazing season were found 3.590.01 kg, 0.2690.149, 21.490.07 kg and 0.4190.103, 37.490.09 kg and 0.4390.138, 23991.33 g and 0.489 0.083, 20190.78 and 0.4790.082, respectively. At the end of the research, to improve the growth characteristics of Morkaraman sheep and to increase live weight gain to be obtained from each lamb were targeted. As a result, the live weights at the end of grazing season of lambs, Morkaraman provided an increase of approximately 5 kg. In terms of examined growth characteristics of Morkaraman sheep measured by individual performance testing, it is determined that Morkaraman sheep can be breeded by local breeders to improve its growth traits.