Compensatory growth in Belgian Blue bulls previously maintained at two growing rates on pasture: animal performance and meat characteristics

peer reviewedA comparison was made between finishing systems with Belgian Blue bulls of the double-muscle type, in order to assess the response in terms of compensatory growth when bulls were grazed at a high stocking rate. Two groups of 8 bulls (256.5 kg liveweight) were grazed on Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens pasture during an initial period of 135 days (period I). One group grazed at a stocking rate of 6/ha allowing for normal growth at pasture (NGP); the other group grazed at a stocking rate of 10/ha (low growth at pasture, LGP). Both groups were then finished indoors (period II) with a concentrate based on dried sugarbeet pulp. Eight control bulls were also finished indoors on the concentrate diet during periods I and II (CG). Bulls were slaughtered according to a similar finishing state. Liveweight gains were 1.47, 1.10 and 0.52 kg daily (P<0.001) during period I in CG, NGP and LGP groups respectively. Corresponding liveweight gains during period II were 1.22, 1.37 and 1.50 kg daily. The LGP group had lower feed conversion ratios, slaughter weights (P<0.05) and dressing proportions (P<0.01). The meat from the grazed bulls had lower cooking losses (P<0.05) and tended to have lower drip losses and higher tenderness. It also had a higher cholesterol (P