Effect of diets and production systems on carcass characteristics and meat quality of buffalo and cattle

Fifteen head of intact male swamp buffaloes (20 mos. old) and 17 head of intact male Kedah-Kelantan (KK) cattle (26 mos. old) were slaughtered for carcass and meat quality evaluations. Ten buffaloes and five cattle were fattened in feedlot for a period of 8 mos. with agriculture by-products ration (ABP). The ABP ration consisted of palm kernel cake (34.5 percent), palm oil sludge (20 percent), palm press fibre (20 percent), tapioca chips (20 percent), urea (2 percent) and vitamin premix (3.5 percent). Five head of buffaloes (26 mos. old) and 12 head of KK cattle (28 mos. old) were selected from grazing system of signal grass pasture. The crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), and total digestible nutrient (TDN) values of ABP ration was 14.4 percent, 22.5 percent, 9.4 percent and 66.4 percent of dry matter (DM), respectively. The CP, CF, EE and TDN values of signal grass were 8.2 percent, 31.2 percent, 1.8 percent, and 56.5 percent of DM, respectively. The mean slaughter weight of feedlot and grazing buffaloes were 368 plus or minus 8.0 kg and 360 plus or minus 35.7 kg, respectively. The mean slaughter weight of feedlot and grazing cattle were 245 plus or minus 11.3 kg and 218 plus or minus 8.0 kg, respectively. Dressing percentage of buffalo carcass was lower (P0.05) than that of cattle in both production systems. ABP fed buffaloes showed the lowest (P0.05) percentage total carcass lean and the highest (P0.05) percentage carcass fat. Intramuscular fat was highest in ABP fed buffaloes followed by ABP fed cattle. Grazing buffaloes and cattle showed lower (P0.05) percentage of intramuscular fat. Longissimus dorsi muscle was used for meat quality evaluations. The ultimate pH of the meat from all animals was quite similar and within acceptable range value (pH6.). Meat from feedlot buffaloes and cattle was more tender (P0.05) than that from grazing buffaloes and cattle. This is due to higher intramuscular fat content in the feedlot animals. The marbling score of feedlot animals was significantly higher (P0.05) than that of grazing animals. This study showed that diets and production systems significantly affected the carcass characteristics and meat quality of buffaloes and cattle. No significant difference in the carcass characteristics and meat quality was observed between buffaloes and cattle within similar diets and production