Elands under intensive husbandry: fattening and meat quality in comparison to cattle
Date
2016-09
Authors
Kotrba, Radim, author
Kolbábek, Petr, author
Bureš, Daniel, author
Bartoň, Luděk, author
International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Domestication attempts to breed elands as cattle have been documented since the first half of last century. Based on mild temperament and similarities to cattle, elands were recommended for intensive husbandry. Our aim was to investigate fattening performance, physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of elands (Taurotragus oryx) bulls and Fleckvieh (Bos taurus, a Simmental type dual-purpose breed) bulls. Both species were finished at comparable slaughter weight under controlled conditions of feeding (mixed diets based on maize, Lucerne silages and cereal straw) and management in the Czech Republic. Elands were slaughtered at a live weight of 414.2 kg (s.d. 47.5 kg) and age at slaughter 1112 days (s.d. 138 days) and cattle at average live weight of 573.0 kg (s.d. 17.0 kg) and an average slaughter age 458 days (s.d. 39 days). Musculus longissimus lumborum from eland was darker and less yellow in colour, with a higher pH and lower contents of intramuscular fat and total collagen, compared to cattle. Contents (mg/100 g muscle tissue) and proportions (g/100 g of FA determined) of SFA and MUFA were higher in cattle. Although the proportion of total PUFA was higher in eland, contents of PUFA were similar between species. Grilled beef steaks (until an internal temperature of 70°C was reached) were consistently scored higher for sensory texture characteristics, juiciness, flavour, and overall acceptance. We concluded that bulls of eland provided low-fat meat with a beneficial fatty acid composition from a human nutrition perspective, but with lower sensory scores, compared to bull beef. It can be influenced also by higher slaughter age of elands or by relatively high final internal temperature after grilling. Therefore, eland production potential under intensive husbandry can be reasonable recently only when customers will accept higher price of eland meat or in longer perspective will be possible to improve fattening performance by improvement of diet and selection of breeding stock for higher weight gain.
Description
Presented at the 9th international wildlife ranching symposium: wildlife - the key to prosperity for rural communities, held on 12-16 September 2016 at Hotel Safari & the Safari Court, Windhoek, Namibia in conjuction with the IUCN 2nd African Buffalo Symposium.