Carcase characteristics in young bulls of Italian Mediterranean buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

In the last few years new initiatives have been undertaken to add value to buffalo meat that is peculiar for its nutritional properties. It is well known that buffalo does not have the same productive performances of cattle breed meat type; it is usually slaughtered at an average body weight of 400 kg, that represents, in agreement with previous literature, the weight over which the body weight gain starts to slow down and the food conversion index increases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the carcase characteristics of buffalo young bull in relation to the weight and the age. 39 young buffalo bulls, bred and slaughtered in a co-operative farm in the province of Caserta (Baronia), were divided in two weight at slaughter groups (<422 kg and >422 kg) with the same mean age, and in two groups of age (>500 days and >500 days), with the same weight at slaughter. The mean data of age, body weight, body weight gain (BWG), yield at slaughter, and the carcase composition were analysed by t Student test. Young bulls of the same age that had higher weight (> 422 d), showed lower bone (P< 0,01) and higher (P< 0,05) 1st quality meat percentages (tab. 1 e fig. 1). The subjects with the same weight that were older had a lower percentage of bone (P< 0,01) but an higher percentage of total meat (P< 0,05). At increasing age muscle tissue also increases while bone tissue decreases. The contrary occurs in the subjects with higher body weight gains that reach earlier the weight for slaughter. If these data will be confirmed, the anticipation of slaughtering will result in a carcase with lower commercial value. Therefore, it would be better to postpone at an heavier weight the slaughtering of those young bulls that reach precociously a weight of 430 kg.