Effect of social dominance on the meat quality of young Friesian bulls

J A Partida; J L Olleta; M M Campo; C Sañudo; G A María

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2006.11.008

Effect of social dominance on the meat quality of young Friesian bulls

Meat Sci. 2007 Jun;76(2):266-73. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2006.11.008. Epub 2007 Jan 31.

Authors

J A Partida¹, J L Olleta, M M Campo, C Sañudo, G A María

Affiliation

¹ Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; The National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research of México, Serapio Rendón 83, 06470 México DF, Mexico.

PMID: 22064295
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2006.11.008

Abstract

This study examined whether social status of the animals influenced the productive, morphological, physiological, and meat quality parameters in young Friesian bulls. The social dominance index (SDI) was estimated by direct observation of the dominance relationships among animals living in a feedlot. Thirty young bulls were divided into three groups based on their social status as assessed by SDI. The social status of the animals had a small effect on daily growth rate, but did not affect carcass or meat quality parameters. Physiological measures of stress were also unaffected by the animals' social status.