BODY COMPOSITION OF ONGOLE CROSSBRED GROWING BULL UNDER INTENSIVE FEEDING MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between age and body composition of ongole crossbred growing bull under intensive feeding management. Eight Ongole Crossbred growing bull aged 6-18 months old with initial live weight ranged at 133.5-228 kg were used in this study. They were fed Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) ad libitum and concentrate feeding at 2.1% of body weight (dry matter basis) which was adjusted to contain 15% protein. The grass was wilted for 7 days prior to feeding. The change of body composition was done in two methods. The first method is histological components by slaughtering animal to measure meat, bone and fat. The second method is chemical composition to determine water, protein and fat. The later body composition was measured during raising under intensive feeding regime for three months and determined by urea space method. The results showed that total meat, bone and fat were increased as cattle age increased, with correlations values between these body components and age were ranged at 0.53-0.72, or if those components were percentaged to the empty body weight, the correla-tion were 0.04, 0.40 and -0.46, for bone, fat and meat, respectively. These were suggested as a result of different growth rate of body components. In the chemical components, the EBH2O, EBPro and EBFat were ranged at 48.3-53.7% (average 51.22%), 12.5-13.8% (21.54%) and 27.0-34.18% (average 30.38%), respectively, with correlation values were ranged at 0.68-0.69. It could be concluded that during 6-18 m.o. growing period, the growth rate of bone was at the stable rate due to reaching the bone maturity. The weak correlation between age and meat and fat showed that age has small effect on the growth rate, even though fat deposition tended to start and grow in higher rates than that of meat during this age. Key words: Body Composition, Ongole Crossbred, Growing Bull, Intensive Feeding