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Effects of a grazing period on performance of finishing bulls: comparison with an indoor finishing system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. Dufrasne ,
M. Gielen ,
P. Limbourg ,
C. van Eenaeme  and
L. Istasse
I. Dufrasne
Affiliation:
Université de Liège, Faculté de Médicine Vétérinaire-B43, Service dc Nutrition, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
M. Gielen
Affiliation:
Université de Liège, Faculté de Médicine Vétérinaire-B43, Service dc Nutrition, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
P. Limbourg
Affiliation:
Université de Liège, Faculté de Médicine Vétérinaire-B43, Service dc Nutrition, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium Centre de Recherche Agronomique, Rue de Serpont 100, 6800 Libramont, Belgium
C. van Eenaeme
Affiliation:
Université de Liège, Faculté de Médicine Vétérinaire-B43, Service dc Nutrition, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
L. Istasse
Affiliation:
Université de Liège, Faculté de Médicine Vétérinaire-B43, Service dc Nutrition, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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Abstract

A comparison was made between two different finishing systems with Belgian Blue bulls. Two groups of bulls were grazed during an initial 140-day period and then finished indoors with concentrates. There were two stocking rates during the grazing period: a medium at six bulls per ha (MGFI) and a high at eight bulls per ha (HGFI). A third group of bulls was finished indoors on a concentrate diet during the whole finishing period (FI). The experiment was repeated over 2 years consecutively. The pasture which was grazed at the medium stocking rate was characterized by a higher sward height (P < 0·01), more refusals (P < 0·001), less Lolium perenne (P < 0·05) and more Trifolium repens (P<0·05) than that grazed at eight bulls per ha. The live-weight gain was 1·15 kg/day during the grazing period for the MGFI bulls and 1·00 kg/day when they were taken indoors. The increase in stocking rate reduced the gain at grass (1·00 kg/day, P < 0·001) and improved the gain indoors (1·24 v. 1·01 kg/day, P < 0·001). In the groups which were initially grazed when compared with the indoor system, the fattening period was longer (236·0 and 241·0 v. 186·9 days, P<0·01) and the live-weight gain lower (1·11 and 1·10 v. 1·44 kg/day, P < 0·001 for MGFI, HGFI and Fl respectively). The dressing proportion was greater also (P < 0·05), and there were higher concentrations of muscles (P < 0·05) and bones (P < 0·05) in the carcass of the bulls which were grazed initially. With these bulls, the lean meat was darker (P<0·05) and lost more water although there were no effects on the myoglobin content or on shear force. The net profit was in favour of the groups which were grazed.

Keywords

bullscarcass compositionfattening performancegrazing systems
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 60 , Issue 1 , February 1995 , pp. 75 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

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