• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.617-625
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• 1995

Distribution of wholesale carcass cuts and tissues was studied in Omani Dhofari bulls and steers raised under intensive management and slaughtered over a range of 110 to 210 kg body weight. The fore quarter of Dhofari cattle carcasses was heavier than the hind quarter with the chuck being the heaviest cut in the half carcass followed by the round whereas the flank was the lightest cut. Proportions of the fore quarter and its cuts increased whereas that of the hind quarter and its cuts decreased with increasing carcass weight. The fore quarter contained higher proportions of carcass tissues especially intermuscular fat than the hind quarter. The chuck and round contained the highest proportions of lean and bone and the flank the least. There was a general trend of increasing proportions of fat and decreasing proportions of lean and bone in carcass cuts and fore and hind quarters with increasing slaughter weight and age. As % total body fat (TBF), total carcass fat (TCF) increased whereas total non-carcass fat (TNCF) decreased. The largest proportion of TBF was deposited in the intermuscular site. Among the TNCF depots, the kidney and omental contributed the highest proportions whereas the pelvic and channel were the lowest. Proportions of M. rhomboideus and M. splenius increased in the half carcass whereas that of M. semitendinosus decreased as the cattle increased in size. The axial skeleton contributed 47.4-51.1, the fore limb 21.6-22.6 and the hind limb 23.9-26.2% of the total carcass bone. Proportions of axial skeleton increased whereas that of fore and hind limbs decreased with increasing slaughter weight and age. There were no major effects of castration on the distribution of weight of carcass cuts or carcass tissues. Steers had higher total body fat at 160 kg body weight and higher proportions of mesenteric, scrotal, pelvic, kidney and total non-carcass fat at 210 kg weight than bulls. As % of total body fat, steers fad significantly higher kidney and total non-carcass fat. There was little effects of castration on proportions of dimensions of individual muscles or bones.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.611-616
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• 1995

A study was conducted which demonstrated that Dhofari cattle responded well to intensive management systems in terms of growth rates and carcass yields. Twenty-four Omani Dhofari bulls and steers (12 of each) were reared from birth until slaughter at 110, 160 and 210 kg body weight (for of each sex at each slaughter weight). Calves were fed ad libitum a diet of concentrate (16.5% CP) and Rhodesgrass hay (8.8% CP). Bulls and steers reached the predetermined slaughter weights of 110, 160 and 210 kg at 154 and 164; 219 and 233; 273 and 310 days of age, respectively. Respective mean pre and post-weaning daily body weight gains for bulls and steers were 581 and 530; 796 and 706 g averaging 645 and 596 g over 36 weeks. At 210 kg, the heaviest weight of the study, dressing-out percentage (DO) was 54.5 and 56.9 yielding carcasses of 115.9 and 118.5 kg which contained 60.4 and 61.5% muscle; 11.6 and 11.4% bone and 24.5 and 22.9% fat for bulls and steers, respectively. Proportion of bone in the carcass decreased, that of fat increased, whereas that of muscle remained unchanged between slaughter weights of 110 to 210 kg. That resulted in increased muscle : bone and decreased muscle : fat ratios. At 160 kg body weight, bulls had less fat and more muscle and bone than steers but there were no sex differences in carcass composition at 210 kg slaughter weight.