Carcass and meat quality in Brown fattened young bulls: effect of rearing method and slaughter weight

Three groups of Brown fattened young bulls were studied, comparing the effects of rearing method (suckled vs . bucket reared) and of slaughter weight (400 vs . 480 kg). Suckled animals had higher fatness scores (2.2 vs. 1.3), more dissectible fat (14.5 vs . 9.1%), and higher intramuscular fat content (7.8 vs . 4.6%DM), accom - panied by better scores in sensory tenderness (5.2 vs . 3.8) than did the bucket-reared ones. Animals slaughtered at a heavier weight showed a higher dressing percentage (57.5 vs . 53.8%), conformation score (9.2 vs . 6.2), and fat content (fatness score, dissectible fat and intramuscular fat). The meat from animals in the heavier group had lower a* (12.4 vs . 14.2) and higher b* (10.8 vs . 12.9) indexes, as well as higher scores in most sensory traits than the lighter ones.