Growth performance and meat quality of buffalo young bulls: 2: effect of dietary level of maize silage

Growth performance and meat quality of buffalo young bulls: 2. Effect of dietary level of maize silage Felicia Masucci1, Carmela Maria Assunta Barone1, Fabio Napolitano2, Maria Luisa Varricchio1, Antonio Zullo1, Antonio Di Francia1 1Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta, dell’Ambiente e delle Produzioni Animali Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy 2Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Animali, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy Corresponding author: felicia.masucci@unina.it Aim of this study was to evaluate growth performance and meat quality of buffalo bulls fed two diets with different maize silage contents. Compositions (kg/head/d) of low (LS) and high silage diets (HS) were the following: maize silage 3.0 vs 10.5; alfalfa hay 0 vs 2.0; barley 0.25 vs 0.75; wheat flour middlings 1.0 vs 1.0; wheat straw 3.0 vs 0; commercial concentrate for lactating buffalo cows 0 vs 2.5; commercial concentrate for young buffalo bulls 4.5 vs 0. The diets were approximately isoenergetic [0.92 vs 0.91 Milk FU/kg dry matter (DM)] and isonitrogenous (14.7 vs 14.7 CP% DM). Fourteen young buffalo bulls (316±70 days of age and 436±67 kglive weight) were assigned into the two dietary groups. Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated every 2 weeks, along with DM intake (DMI), calculated on pen basis. On a subgroup of 4 individuals per groups, carcass traits were recorded at slaughter. Meat quality (hardness, cohesion, chewiness, WB shear force) and meat colour (L*, a*, b*) were evaluated on 7-day aged muscles (Longissimus dorsi, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus). DMI and carcass traits were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. ADG and meat quality parameters were analyzed by a linear mixed model for repeated measures. No differences were observed for diet DMI (8.41 vs 8.64 kg DM/day for LS and HS diets, respectively; SE 0.44), as a consequence ADG did not differ between the groups (0.92 vs 0.89 kg/day; SE 0.04). All carcasses had the same carcass conformation (O) and fatness (4) scores. No differences were observed for carcass traits (carcass weight 250 vs 249 kg; SE 8.13; dressing percentages 52.1 vs 50.6%; SE 1.1) and any meat quality parameters. Therefore, maize silage can be either used as the primary source of roughage or in combination with other forages without affecting growth performance and meat quality.