ASSESSMENT OF CATTLE FATTENING PRACTICES AND EVALUATION OF MEAT QUALITY OF GURAGHE CATTLE IN GIBE WOREDA, HADIYA ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The survey part of study was conducted to assess cattle fattening practices in Gibe woreda and evaluated of meat quality of meat from Guraghe cattle slaughtered in Hosanna municipal abattoir. For the survey purpose total of 119 households; 75 cattle producers, 24 traders, 10 abattoir workers and 10 butchers were interviewed. To evaluated qualities of meat a total of 48 meat samples were collected at wet and dry seasons. The samples were collected from longissimus-dorsi (LD muscle location between 12th and 13th ribs from three age groups (4-5, 6-7 and 8-9 years) of animals and evaluated for their initial and ultimate pH, PSE and DFD, water holding capacity, instrumental tenderness, and sensory attributes and cooking losses The collected meat samples were aged for14 days to analysis instrumental tenderness by using Warner Bratzler Shear Force Device and to evaluate sensory panel testing through conducted trained panelist at Oda Bultum University. The survey results of cattle producers indicated that 57.3% of respondents kept cattle for multipurpose in the study area. Major feed resources available for fattening cattle during wet season natural pasture, enset and crop residue while in dry season crop residue, enset and natural pasture were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. The survey results of major constraints cattle fattening were shortage of water and grazing land, drought, diseases and parasites, and improved cattle fattening technologies, lack of initial capital and limited access to credit, inadequate veterinary services and weak extension services in the study area. About 82.3% of the respondents used cattle for draft purpose, about 58.6% of respondents preferred for fatting were old oxen age, 60% of respondents use oxen for draft purpose until oxen become old and 42% of respondents fatten for three months before selling. The overall mean value of analysis in instrumental tenderness, sensory tenderness, Juiciness, flavor, WHC, ipH, upH and CL were (31.46±1.37, 7.08, 7.07, 7.34, 70.7, 6.73, 5.63 and 17.55) respectively. The analysis of variance indicated that age had significance difference (P<0.05) on instrumental tenderness. The analysis result of age and season interaction was shown high significant difference (P< 0.01) on juiciness. Age and seasons interaction were affected significantly (P <0.05) the water holding capacity. From among samples at wet and dry seasons 25% and 8.33% of DFD recorded respectively. The analysis of correlation among instrumental tenderness and sensory analysis of tenderness had high (negatively) significant difference (r= -0.51) and (r= - 0.47) at wet and dry season respectively. From current study, it was concluded that eating quality of meat was tender while difference at age groups and both season’s. Therefore, increase the number of young cattle fattening to slaughter through first-class payment for the young age cattle and awareness creation on cattle fattening practices to the fatteners. To fully utilized benefit from cattle strategy should be developed for cattle fattening practices to solve major constraints