Production environment of beef cattle farms in relation to the incidence of DFD meat

Authors

• Hannu Saloniemi Department of Animal Hygiene, College of Veterinary Medicine, 00550 Helsinki 55
• Mikko Tuori Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Helsinki, 00710 Helsinki 71
• Liisa Syrjälä-Qvist Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Helsinki, 00710 Helsinki 71
• Eero Puolanne Department of Meat Technology, University of Helsinki, 00710 Helsinki 71

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72079

Abstract

In 1979—80, DFD (dark, firm, dry) meat was obtained from 26.3 % of the bulls slaughtered in Finland. The incidence of DFD meat depends closely on the mode of lairage at the slaughterhouse. In the present study, the frequency of DFD meat in 693 bulls reared at 45 farms was examined in relation to the production environment on the farms. The incidence of DFD meat is increased by housing in group pens at the slaughterhouse, high atmospheric humidity and poor hygiene in the farm buildings, failure to keep the animals clean and rearing in standings. In an analysis of variance,29.9 % of the variation in the pH of the carcasses was explained when the independent variables were: the mode of lairage at the slaughterhouse (group pens vs. individual spaces, 17.1 %), the atmospheric humidity in the farm buildings (8.6 %), the management at the farms (pens. vs. standings, 6.3 %), the slaughterhouse (three slaughterhouses 3.8 %)and the level of hygiene at the farm(1.9 %). The reduction in the variation explained caused by the removal of each variable is given in percentage units in parentheses. The influence of feeding was slight, being smaller than that of a good rearing environment and individual spaces at the slaughterhouse, but intensive feeding and a high growth rate were also connected with a low DFD percentage.