MEAT PERFORMANCE OF COWS OF THE BOHEMIAN PIED BREED

A group of 482 cows was evaluated; they all came from one farm and were slaughtered in experimental slaughterhouses at the average age of 4.3 years. The pre-slaughter weight was 534 kg (v = 14.6% ), the weight of carcass made 270.3 kg (v = 16.4%). High variability was observed in the weight of all kinds of internal fat (xBAR = 15.82 kg, v = 65.7%) and in their proportion in the carcass weight (xBAR = 5.53%, v = 52.1%). The value of dressing percentage (xBAR = 50.47%, v = 5.0%) showed a decrease by 2.28 to 4.78%, in comparison with the previous period. The higher the age of slaughtered animals, the higher the weight of cows and the lower the proportion of the weight of head, dressed skin and limbs. For the same dressing percentage, the proportion of hind quarters decreased, and the proportion of internal fat in the carcass weight decreased. Quite expressive changes were observed till the age of five years, in the following period they were less distinct. The effect of crossing with the Ayrshire and Red Holstein breeds (the blood share of 25 to 38% of dairy breeds) was significant only as to a decrease in skin weight. The longer the period after calving (on average 244 days), the more marked the increase in cows' weight, and also in the weight and proportion of internal fat at slaughter performed later than 300 days after calving. With the increasing milk performance over 100 lactation days, the weight of cows before slaughter was increasing and the proportion of internal fat was slightly decreasing.