Fattening performance of bulls of Bohemian Pied and Black-Pied breeds at final weight of 575 kg

Groups of young bulls of Bohemian Pied breed (C) and Black-Pied breed (N) were filled in a mosaic scheme to a cowshed with tied stalls and individual feeding for comparative fattening. Feed ration was determined to provide for a daily weight gain of 1,200 g. Fattening performance and body growth were evaluated in the bulls for the whole production period. Fattening of both groups started at the same average live weight of animals 219 kg: C bulls reached it by daily weight gain of 0.794 kg and N bulls by daily weight gain of 0.752, kg; a small difference between the weight gains (5.3%) was reflected at various age (15 days) of the groups at filling the fattening facility: the average age at filling was 239 days in C group and 254 days in N groups. Fattening lasted 355 (C) and 344 (N) days, resp., and the bulls reached average daily weight gains of 1,004 kg (N) and 1,045 kg (N), resp., with an insignificant difference of 41 g (4%) in favor of N breed. Age at slaughter was balanced - 594.6 (C) and 598.4 (N) days. Higher daily weight gains of C bulls during nursing and on the other hand, higher daily weight gains of N bulls during fattening were reflected in the balanced value of the indicator for the period from birth to slaughter (C - 0.918 kg, N - 0.919 kg N). Fattening length was exhibited in the slaughter weight of 572.6 kg (C) and 578.5 kg (N). Converted weight (coef. 1.8) increased by 34.2 kg in C breed and by 18.8 kg in N breed, so it made 606.8 kg in C breed and was by 9.5 kg higher (1.6%) than in N group. Fattening lasted 317 days and was assessed in four stages. There were any significant differences between the groups in none of the stages of observation. The highest growth rate with weight gain of 1.309 kg (C) and 1.278 kg (N) was recorded in both groups in the second stage, i.e. at the age of 11 to 14 months. The first stage was the second best (C group 1.224 kg, by 41 g, i.e. 3.3% higher than N). N group had better results by 112 g (1.005 kg) in the third stage. The bulls did not reach the weight gain of 1 kg in the fourth period (0.930 kg in C group; i.e. by 9.9% and 93 g higher than N). The effect of the growing age of animals on a decrease in weight gains could be seen in both final stages of fattening. After subjective evaluation of dressed carcasses (DC) by five classes E, A, B, C, D according to meatiness (class E is assigned to DC with extremely good meatiness, on the other hand class D indicates poor fleshiness) 11 young bulls out of the group of C breed were included in class A and 1 bull to class B. Out of the group of class A, 6 bulls were included in class A, 4 animals in class B and 1 bull in class C. There were also differences in fat content evaluated by class 1 at a very low fat content or by class 5 for overfatted DC. Class 2 was assigned to 7 bulls and class 3 to 5 bulls in the group of C breed. Class 2 was assigned to 5 bulls class 3 to 6 bulls in the group of N breed. Hence the bulls of C cattle received better evaluation of both characteristics. Higher meatiness of bulls of C breed, indicated by converted live weight and confirmed by better evaluation of meatiness, was reflected in the DC weight higher by 5.3 kg (1.6%). A similar trend was also observed in dressing percentage showing the values higher by 1.56% in C bulls; net weight gain fully complies with the latter characteristic, being higher by 2.5% in C bulls. Twelve basic body measures were determined at the age of 12 months and shortly before slaughter. Different genotypes were expressed in certain although insignificant differences in the body conformation of both groups. The young bulls of C breed had higher values of height in hips, chest girth, chest width, diagonal trunk length, limb girth, pelvis length and leg size. On the contrary, the bulls of N breed had higher values of height at withers, chest depth and pelvis width.