COMPARISON OF MEAT PERFORMANCE IN CROSSBR EDS AFTER SIRES OF CHAROLAIS AND BELGIAN BLUE-WHITE BREEDS AND IN BULLS OF CZECH PIED CATTLE

The objective of an experiment was to compare fattening performance, c arcass composition and meat quality in bulls-crossbreds after sires of Charolais (Ch) and Belgian Blue-White (BM) breeds and after dams of d airy populations C and N as well as of purebred bulls of Czech Pied br eed (C). Slaughter was followed by carcass analysis while technologica l analysis of right sides of beef was made after cooling. Muscle sampl es were taken for chemical and physical analyses. The fattening facili ty was filled with experimental animals of average live weight 229 kg, and the animals were slaughtered at average weight 584 kg. No signifi cant differences in daily weight gains and net weight gain were determ ined in the particular groups during fattening (ca. 300 days). A signi ficant difference (P < 0.01) between the groups BM (61.1%) and C (58.0 %) was observed in dressing percentage; Ch group had dressing percenta ge of 59.1%. Proportions of visceral fat in carcass weight (kidney, ru men and intestinal fats), of separable fat in carcass weight and the t hickness of fat layer in ribmeat were lower in both groups of crossbre ds, but no statistically significant differences were determined. BM g roup had the highest proportion (P < 0.05) of prime meat (BM 42.3%, Ch 40.9%, C: 39.9%) and of total meat (BM 82.2%, Ch 81.7%, C 80.8%) and the lowest proportion of bones and tendons (BM 16.6%, Ch 17.0%, C 17.4 %). These results were reflected in the prime meat to grade II meat ra tio (BM 1.06, Ch 1.00, C. 0.98). The crossbreds had the highest eye-mu scle area adjusted per 100 kg live weight -15.2 cm(2)(Ch), 12.6 cm(2)( C) and 16.8 cm(2)(BM). No significant differences were observed in the results of chemical and physical analyses. Higher dressing percentage and better musculature in the carcass of the crossbreds resulted in h igher grade and higher realized price per 1 kg live weight (BM 38.40 K C, Ch 37.10 Kc, C 35.90 Kc) and per 1 kg of carcass (BM 62.90 Kc, Ch 6 2.60 Kc, C 61.90 Kc).