Body components and carcass characteristics with oil palm by-products or grass diet

I. Dahlan, M.H.I. Sukri and O. Abu Hassan

Abstract

Body components and carcass characteristics of swamp buffaloes fed with oil palm by-products in a feedlot or grazing improved pasture was compared. Diets differed in total digestible nutrient (TDN). Grazing buffaloes showed a lower percentage of total hide and higher percentages of spleen, lungs, four stomachs (rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum) with contents, liver, heart and kidneys than feedlot buffaloes. Carcass fat composition, pelvic-kidney-heart (PKH) fat, subcutaneous fat trimmings and inter muscular fat of buffaloes in Diet 1 and Diet 2 were higher than grass-fed. Regression equations for percentage TDN related to percentage of body cavities fat (BCF) and percentage of total carcass fat (TCF) were %TDN = 53.5 + 2.5 * %BCF and %TDN = 52 + 0.87* %TCF Carcass quality of feedlot buffaloes was satisfactory. Oil palm by-product diets promote the formation of marbling in buffalo muscles and produced better carcass conformation than the grazing buffaloes.

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