Sida silage in cattle nutrition - effects on the fattening performance of Holstein-Friesian bulls and beef quality

摘要

The aim of this study was to determine whether silage composition affects the fattening performance of Holstein-Friesian bulls and beef quality. Fourteen Holstein-Friesian bulls were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments, and were fed a control diet composed of grass silage (GS) and an experimental diet composed of grass silage and Sida silage (GS+SS). The quality of longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles was determined after 14-d ageing in vacuum. The applied dietary treatments did not affect the fattening performance of bulls or carcass quality parameters, except for the fat score, which was lower in group GS+SS. Sida supplementation increased carcass fat content, water binding capacity, b* values and meat taste intensity, and decreased the moisture content of the LL muscle, whereas it had no effect on the above parameters in the SM muscle. In both studied muscles, an increase in anserine content was noted in group GS+SS. The concentrations of anserine and carnosine were significantly higher in the LL muscle than in the SM muscle. Due to its positive effect on meat quality, including a lower fat score, Sida silage can be recommended as a component of bull diets.