Effect of draft power on quality of sub-primal beef cut from hararghe highland oxen

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of draft power on the quality of sub-primal beef cuts from 12 Hararghe highland oxen who completed their experiments on draft service at beef farm Haramaya University. The experiment was conducted over 8 weeks exposing 4 oxen for 0, 4, and 6 hrs draft service per day. At the end of the experiment, oxen were slaughtered. A total of 84 meat samples were collected from the right side of the 12 carcasses, specifically, a sample from each sub-primal cut: short rib, 7-Bone rib, blade, shoulder, cross rib (Fore quarter), tenderloin (Hind quarter) and longissimus dorsi. The meat samples were evaluated for pH, color, WHC, proximate composition, and instrumental tenderness using a WBSF device. The data collected was analyzed following the procedure of General Linear Model (GLM) using SAS software SAS version 9.4. When the GLM showed the presence of a significant difference between the different parameters, Duncan’s multiple range tests will be used for mean separation. The result of the study revealed that the use of oxen for draft power significantly (p