title: Growth, digestive capability, carcass, and meat characteristics of Bison bison, Bos taurus, and Bos x Bison.
abstract: Three experiments involving 39 Bos taurus, 14 Bison bison, and 20 Bos x Bison fed diets differing in proportions of roughage and concentrate to evaluate growth, digestive capability, carcass, and meat characteristics are reported. Bos taurus consumed more (P < .05) feed per day and gained more (P < .05) rapidly than bison or Bos x Bison except during a period of extremely cold weather. Efficiency of gain was similar for all species types. There was no tendency for bison or Bos x Bison to gain more than Bos taurus on the higher-roughage diets. Bison and Bos x Bison had higher (P < .10 to .01) digestion coefficients for all components evaluated (i.e., DM, CP, GE, NDF,hemicellulose, and cellulose). Species x diet interactions were not significant, indicating that the higher digestion coefficients of bison were not specific to high-roughage diets. Bison and their hybrids had more (P < .05) lean meat and less (P < .01) fat trim in all wholesale cuts except the chuck and rib cuts. Fat thickness at the 12th rib of bison was higher (P < .01) than that of Bos taurus because most of the carcass fat of bison is located over the thoracic area. Bison and Bos x Bison had higher (P < .01) dressing percentages and a lower (P < .01) proportion of their carcass in the hindquarter than Bos taurus. Shear force and sensory tenderness scores indicated bison were more (P < .05) tender and had a flavor different (P < .01) from that of Bos taurus. Bison and Bos x Bison had more (P < .01) cholesterol in the longissimus muscle and less (P < .05) in the subcutaneous fat than Bos taurus. Bison had a lower (P < .01) percentage of white and higher percentage of intermediate muscle fibers than Bos taurus with essentially no difference in percentage of red fibers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0908, USA.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Crouse
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Varel
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Cundiff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016164:Bison / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D001947:Breeding; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol