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Cattle performance and carcass traits as affected by feedlot pen space allowances were investigated. Bulls (N = 1350) of 30 ± 6 months of age and a weight of 392 ± 46 kg were assigned to one of three pen space allowances: 6 (T6), 12 (T12), and 24 (T24) m2 animal-1. Individual average daily gain (ADG), hot carcass weight (HCW), fat cover (scored from 1 to 5), carcass bruise occurrences, and meat pH24 were assessed. Treatment T24 showed higher (P < 0.05) ADG than T6 and T12. T6 had lower (P < 0.05) HCW than T12 and T24. T6 had the highest percentage of carcasses (P < 0.05) and scored 3 for fat cover, followed by T24 and T12. In all treatments, pH24 was within the acceptable range for good meat quality, ranging from 5.60 (T24) to 5.63 (T6). The mean of new bruises per carcass was lowest for T24 (P < 0.05) and did not differ between T6 and T12 (P > 0.05). Superficial bruises were more frequent in T24 than in T6 and T12 carcasses (P < 0.05). Muscular bruises were higher in T6 than in T12 and T24 (P < 0.05). Based on the results, reduced space in feedlot pens lessens beef cattle performance and downgrades carcass quality.

HIGHLIGHTS Lecithin and lysolecithin enhance growth performance throughout all stages in broiler chickens. Lecithin and lysolecithin decrease the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in broiler chickens, regardless of sex or growth period. Lecithin appears to improve nutrient digestibility, with consistent results observed in ducks. Lecithin tends to lower cholesterol levels in broiler chickens.

HIGHLIGHTS Neither the rearing system nor the carcase weight affected meat proximate composition, vitamin E and cholesterol contents. The combination of the plein air rearing system and heavier carcases can improve the nutritional properties of the intramuscular fat. Nero d’Aspromonte pig could be an interesting genetic and economical resource for the marginal areas.

The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of beef hot carcass weight (HCW) on consumer sensory attributes. Beef carcasses (n = 116) were selected based on the USDA quality grade and HCW. Lightweight (LW; 296–341 kg), middleweight (MW; 386–432 kg), or heavyweight (HW; 466–524 kg) carcasses with USDA Choice (LC) or USDA Select (SEL) quality grades were used in this study. Carcasses were tracked through fabrication and the semitendinosus, chuck roll, and strip loin were collected and fabricated into eye of round, Denver cut, and strip loin steaks, respectively, for consumer sensory evaluation. USDA Select MW Denver cut steaks had increased overall liking and texture liking scores and were more tender and juicier than the SEL LW steaks (p ≤ 0.02). USDA Select MW strip loin steaks had increased overall and flavor liking scores and were more tender than the SEL LW steaks (p ≤ 0.02). USDA Choice MW eye of round steaks had increased overall, flavor, and texture liking scores and were juicier than the LW eye of round steaks (p ≤ 0.04). The steaks evaluated in this study were differentially impacted by HCW and little to no clear pattern of effects could be determined across cut or quality grade. Additional research is needed to determine the most acceptable HCW from a consumer perspective.

The rumen microbiota is important for energy and nutrient acquisition in cattle, and therefore its composition may also affect carcass merit and meat quality attributes. In this study, we examined the associations between archaeal and bacterial taxa in the rumen microbiota of beef cattle and 12 different attributes, including hot carcass weight (HCW), dressing percentage, ribeye area (REA), intramuscular fat content, marbling score, fat thickness, yield grade, moisture content, purge loss, and shear force. There were significant correlations between the relative abundance of certain archaeal and bacterial genera and these attributes. Notably, Selenomonas spp. were positively correlated with live weight and HCW, while also being negatively correlated with purge loss. Members of the Christensenellaceae R-7, Moryella , and Prevotella genera exhibited positive and significant correlations with various attributes, such as dressing percentage and intramuscular fat content. Ruminococcaceae UCG-001 was negatively correlated with live weight, HCW, and dressing percentage, while Acidaminococcus and Succinivibrionaceae UCG-001 were negatively correlated with intramuscular fat content, moisture content, and marbling score. Overall, our findings suggest that specific changes in the rumen microbiota could be a valuable tool to improve beef carcass merit and meat quality attributes. Additional research is required to better understand the relationship between the rumen microbiota and these attributes, with the potential to develop microbiome-targeted strategies for enhancing beef production. Key points • Certain rumen bacteria were associated with carcass merit and meat quality • Moryella was positively correlated with intramuscular fat in beef carcasses • Acidaminococcus spp. was negatively correlated with marbling and intramuscular fat

This work aims to identify the rearing practices which increase the carcase weight according to slaughter age. For this purpose, an innovative statistical method, the decision tree method, was used to identify the most influential action levers on the carcase weight, with associated thresholds values and modalities, among the rearing practices applied throughout the animals' life. The data of 636 heifers carcases were collected from the slaughterhouse and the rearing practices from 45 farms by survey. Firstly, classifications were done to define slaughter-age classes and carcase-weight classes. Three slaughter-age classes (younger, mid-age, older) and 3 carcase-weight classes (lighter, intermediate, heavier) were defined, then these two classifications were crossed. The decision tree method highlighted that the influence on carcase weight of the life periods of the animals (i.e. suckling, growth, and finishing periods) and the related rearing practices were different according to the slaughter age of the heifers. For the younger-slaughtered animals, the most influential rearing practices on the carcase weight were the suckling duration, the concentrate supply during growing, the distributions of compound feed and grass silage in-stall during growing. For the mid-age slaughtered animals, the rearing practices identified as the most influential were the concentrate amount distributed in-stall during finishing, the meal supply in-stall during finishing and the cereals supply at pasture during growing. For the older-slaughtered animals, the compound feed supply at pasture during finishing and the concentrate amount distributed in-stall during growing were the most influential on the carcase weight. HIGHLIGHTS Decision tree: an innovative statistical method to identify action levers on carcase weight among the applied rearing practices throughout the life. The influential periods and rearing practices were distinct according to the slaughter-age of the animals.

Finding insect meals as alternative sources of poultry feedstuffs is a recent research topic; therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L., HI) larvae meal in broiler chicken diets on the carcass characteristics and meat quality parameters, proximate composition, fatty acid profile and the heavy metal content of the breast meat. Four dietary treatments were designed: a control diet (HI0) and three experimental diets (HI5, HI10 and HI15), corresponding to 50, 100 and 150 g/kg HI inclusion levels, respectively. The inclusion of 50, 100 and 150 g HI meal per kg feed supply 16.56%, 33.01% and 49.63% of required crude protein. The broilers were slaughtered at day 35, the carcasses were weighed and the breast muscles were excised from 16 birds per each feeding group (two birds per replicate pens) and used for meat quality evaluation. Linear and quadratic responses were observed, for increasing HI meal levels, in the live and carcass weights (maximum for HI10). As far as the colour of the breast meat is concerned, redness (a*) showed a linear response, while yellowness (b*) linearly decreased with increasing HI meal levels (minimum for HI15). As the HI larvae meal increased in the diets, the moisture content linearly decreased and the protein content increased. The total saturated fatty acid and total monounsaturated fatty acid proportions rose to the detriment of the polyunsaturated fatty acid fraction. The HI larvae meal, used in the current study, represents a valuable protein source for broiler chickens when included by up to 100 g/kg in their diets, as an improved slaughtering performance was observed without any detrimental effects on meat quality parameters or heavy metal residues in the meat.

This study assessed the effects of season on health, behaviour, physiological stress parameters, and carcass and meat quality in a total of 480 slaughter pigs. The following health indicators were recorded: pneumonia, pleurisy, milk spots, and pericarditis. Behaviour was monitored during unloading (slipping, falling, turning back, reluctance to move, panting, shivering) and lairaging (panting, shivering, huddling). Blood lactate and glucose concentrations were determined at exsanguination. Performance indices (live weight, daily weight gain), carcass (carcass weight, backfat and loin thickness, lean meat content, carcass lesion score), and meat quality (pH, temperature, drip, thawing and cooking losses, colour, marbling) traits were measured postmortem. Pigs slaughtered in winter had the highest live weight, carcass weight, loin thickness, and carcass lesion score, while the lowest live weight, carcass weight, and backfat thickness were recorded in pigs slaughtered in summer. The highest lactate and glucose concentrations were recorded in pigs slaughtered in summer. The highest prevalence of red, soft, and exudative meat was recorded in pigs slaughtered in winter. Pigs slaughtered in summer had the lowest pH, the highest thawing loss, L* value, b* value, and occurrence of pale, soft, and exudative meat. Pigs slaughtered in autumn had the lowest drip loss, cooking loss, L* value, b* value, and the greatest percentage of red, firm, and nonexudative meat. In conclusion, the summer and winter temperatures compromised health and welfare and reduced carcass and meat quality in slaughter pigs, indicating that protection against heat and cold stress is not yet effective.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different feeding levels of Alfalfa pellet ration (APR) on the productive performance and economic feasibility of Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). A total of 270 one-day-old ducklings were used. The birds at seven-day-old were assigned to 9 indoor pens of (1×2.2m) with outdoor and swimming pool (1×9.8m) and Each box represented an indoor replicate with 30 ducklings. The feeding program for Pekin Duck group treatments with alfalfa pellet rations (47% alfalfa) was used as a replacement to the basal diet at different percentages (0%, 25%, and 50%) for control (T0), first (T1) and second (T2) groups. The results showed no significant differences among treatments except accumulative feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and mortality percentage, which showed significant differences among the treatments, the second treatment (50%) resulted in a higher accumulative feed intake, lower production index, and lower mortality% compared to the control and first treatment. The economic profit of the second treatment was the highest. The treatments showed a non-significant effect on carcass percentage except back and neck cuts. There were significant effects of sex on live body weight at marketing age and on the neck and breast cuts, male neck% were significantly higher than females, while females showed significantly higher breast%. In general, feeding ducks with a 25% of Alfalfa pellet ration improved production performance, while feeding ducks with a 50% Alfalfa pellet ration improved economic values.