Growth and carcass quality of suckler calves grazing at the farm or in the mountain

Summary

The objective was to examine the effect of mountain grazing on the growth and meat quality of suckler calves. Suckler calves with their dams were raised on either cultivated pasture (C) or free range on mountain/forest pasture (M) on four and five commercial farms in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The M included different vegetation types from open, grass-dominated meadows to forests with patches of grasses, herbs and shrubs among the trees. All calves were slaughtered at the end of the grazing season at an average age of 203 (2006) and 193 days (2007). On average, there was no effect of pasture type on production traits except for carcass fatness that was higher on M than on C. In 2006, significantly higher live weight gain and carcass weight were found in the C treatment, whilst the reverse results were found in 2007. Only first year results of chemical analysis are ready. Total lipid content in the tissue of M. Longissimus dorsi was significantly higher in the M treatment (12 vs. 14 g kg-1, P < 0.05). There were otherwise no differences between treatments on meat quality.