Effect of preslaughter bull handling on ante mortem muscle glycogen and post mortem pH and glycogen level (short communication)

Fortythree bulls (13 Holstein, 12 crosses Holstein x Belgium Blue, 9 Slovak Pied and 9 crosses Slovak Pinzgauer x Piemontese) were taken in this exper iment. Thirteen were stressed by mixing overnight before slaughter. Muscle values were analysed for glycogen ante mortem (M, semitendinosus) glycogen and pH post mortem (Ih, 3h, 48h) from logissimus dorsi. The ante mortem and post mortem (Ih, 3h) muscle glycogen concentration was depleted (P<0.01) i n all stressed bulls. Differences (P<0.01) were found also in pH (48h). Sig nificant correlations (P<0.01) between ante mortem and post mortem (Ih, 3h) muscle glycogen respectivelly and ultimate pH supported the possibility to measure of stress and to predict carcass ultimate pH of bulls.