Influence of Body Condition Score on Carcass Characteristics of Cull Bali Cows

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of body condition score (BCS) on dressing percentage and carcass characteristics of cull Bali cows. Three groups of Bali cows (n=4) with body condition of 2, 3 and 4 were used in this experiment. They were assigned as BCS2, BCS3 and BCS4, respectively. The animals were slaughtered at the faculty slaughter house. Weight of non-carcass parts (skin, blood, fluck, offal, hide and head) were recorded. Hot carcass was weighed and fabricated into lean, fat and bone of each sub-primal cuts. Results showed that the percentage of non-carcass part did not differ (P>0.05) among cows with different BCS. Dressing percentage of cull Bali cows was improved (P<0.05) from 48% in BCS2 to 58% in BCS3 and BCS4. Front legs and rib were highest in BCS4, meanwhile hind legs did not differ among cows with different BCS. Total lean meat cut was significantly increased (P<0.05) from 36.84% in BCS2 to 40.63 and 41.12% in BCS3 and BCS4 respectively. Meat from hind quarter and rib were highest in BCS3 but tender loin was highest in BCS4. Carcass fat percentage, however, was also significantly increased (P<0.05) in BCS4, while bone was comparable among cows with different BCS. It can be concluded that although carcass and precious primal cuts are higher in cows with BCS 4 but the excessive degree of carcass fatness made slaughtering cull Bali cows is optimal at body condition score less than 4.