Search

This work focuses on the effect of slaughter age (6 and 9 months) and sex on carcass characteristics and meat quality of the Minhota cattle breed. In this study, data from 52 cattle (34 entire males and 18 females) were used for the carcass and meat characterisation. Regarding carcass characteristics, entire male carcasses (158 kg and 223 kg for animals of 6 and 9 months, respectively), were heavier than female carcasses (130 kg and 161 kg for animals of 6 and 9 months, respectively), with better dressing percentages, increased lengths, thicknesses and depths and compactness indexes. The quality of meat from carcasses of both entire males and females had strong luminosity (L*), a pale pink tone (lower a*-value) and high yellowness. Mean tenderness of Longissimus thoracis, expressed as shear force, was below 5.5 kg/cm2, without significant differences (P > 0.05) between either the slaughter age or sex

The effect of sex and livestock production system (LPS) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Mirandesa breed calves was studied. A total of 2,263 and 60 animals for growth performance and carcass characteristics, respectively were used. Initially, the suitability of several equations to describe the growth of cattle from the Mirandesa variety was studied. In all situations, mathematical models were formulated with parameters of clear biological meaning. Bertalanffy and Gompertz equations were the most satisfactory equations to model the growth of males and females, respectively. Calves from traditional system were 68.61 kg heavier than animals from extensive system. On the other hand, calves from traditional systems showed (P<0.01) higher dressing percentage compared to animals from extensive system. There were significant differences for all morphometric parameters by LPS effect with the exception of internal depth pf chest, whereas sex effect had less importance. The LPS had statistically significant effect in all individual joints in the front quarter and hind quarter with the exception of sirloin and eye of round for front quarter and shoulder and the sum of chuck plus neck in the hind quarter. Finally, the LPS had statistically significant effect in all components of fifth quarter, with the exception of intestines, liver, tail and spleen, whereas sex effect only affected heart proportion

[ES] La utilización de animales para investigación y docencia con el objetivo de obtener información y datos relevantes para la ciencia ha generado una gran controversia ética desde finales del siglo XIX. Asumiendo la necesidad de utilizar animales para estos fines los países europeos han desarrollado un amplio corpus legislativo ya que entre las disposiciones de la Unión Europea se encuentra la obligación de los Estados Miembros de aplicar la protección/Bienestar Animal en las políticas de investigación y desarrollo tecnológico.

[EN] Milking cows is one of the most important tasks on dairy farms. Poorly performed milking can lead to animal welfare problems manifested by increased aversive behaviour. Kicking is defined as the cow's behaviour as she shifts her weight from one leg to the other (Rousing et al., 2006). Several factors are associated with stepping behaviour during milking, such as the quality of the human-animal relationship, lameness, teat injuries, milk production, and number of parturitions, among others.