The effect of the flax seeds nutrition of cattle on production and slaughter properties

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of adding flax seed to nutrition of cattle in the final stage of fattening. The sample included a total of 30 young bulls of Simmental breed of uniform initial weight, divided into 2 groups (control and experimental). The control group had no flax seed in the diet, while the trial groups of cattle consumed flax seed in the amount of 8.75% of the concentrated part of the ration, i.e. 700 g per day. The study included the examination of the fattening performance, slaughter properties, the share of the slaughter by-products and the composition of the bovine carcass. Post slaughter, individual measurements of warm carcass sides, with and without kidneys, were performed. After cooling, the left carcass side was cut into the basic parts according to the Rulebook. The results of this experiment showed that flax seed as a food supplement did not have a statistically significant (p>0.05) impact on the weight of young bulls at the end of the experiment. It also did not have a statistically significant (p>0.05) impact on differences in average total yield (ATY) of cattle and food conversion ratio. By cutting the carcass sides into the basic parts it was established that the flax seed diet did not influence significantly (p> 0.05) the share of carcass parts or the share of the offals.