Effects of a grazing period on performance of finishing bulls: comparison with an indoor finishing system
- 1 February 1995
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Animal Science
- Vol. 60 (1), 75-80
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s1357729800008158
Abstract
A comparison was made between two different finishing systems with Belgian Blue bulls. Two groups of bulls were grazed during an initial 140-day period and then finished indoors with concentrates. There were two stocking rates during the grazing period: a medium at six bulls per ha (MGFI) and a high at eight bulls per ha (HGFI). A third group of bulls was finished indoors on a concentrate diet during the whole finishing period (FI). The experiment was repeated over 2 years consecutively. The pasture which was grazed at the medium stocking rate was characterized by a higher sward height (P < 0·01), more refusals (P < 0·001), less Lolium perenne (P < 0·05) and more Trifolium repens (PP < 0·001) and improved the gain indoors (1·24 v. 1·01 kg/day, P < 0·001). In the groups which were initially grazed when compared with the indoor system, the fattening period was longer (236·0 and 241·0 v. 186·9 days, Pv. 1·44 kg/day, P < 0·001 for MGFI, HGFI and Fl respectively). The dressing proportion was greater also (P < 0·05), and there were higher concentrations of muscles (P < 0·05) and bones (P < 0·05) in the carcass of the bulls which were grazed initially. With these bulls, the lean meat was darker (P<0·05) and lost more water although there were no effects on the myoglobin content or on shear force. The net profit was in favour of the groups which were grazed.Keywords
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