Paternity and gender effects on the production and slaughter performance, meat quality, and economic benefit of fattening Galiba cattle

In this study, we aimed at investigating how different paternities and genders could affect Galiba cattle fattening-related production performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and economic benefits in order to provide a theoretical basis for promoting the resource utilization efficiency in the case of this cattle breed and achieving precision animal husbandry in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Twelve healthy Huang-Galiba cattle and 12 healthy Mao-Galiba cattle (half male and half female), all aged 3 years old and with similar body weight (151 ± 9.2) kg were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design study. The experimental diets consisted of concentrate and wheat straw: The concentrate was fed at 2.50 kg·d⁻¹ per cattle while wheat straw was supplied as a voluntary intake. We obtained the following results. First, the Huang-Galiba cattle final body weight and average daily gain (ADG) were higher than those of Mao-Galiba cattle (P < 0.05), while the ADG in male Galiba cattle was beyond that of females (P < 0.001). The feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) of Huang-Galiba cattle was lower than that of Mao-Galiba cattle (P < 0.001), and the F/G of male Galiba cattle tended to remain below that of females (P = 0.057). Second, the body diagonal length before the experiment and chest girth after Huang-Galiba cattle fattening were higher than those of Mao-Galiba cattle (P < 0.05). Third, the Huang-Galiba cattle live (before slaughter) and carcass weights were beyond those of Mao-Galiba cattle (P < 0.05), and the carcass weight of male Galiba cattle was higher than that of females (P = 0.084). Fourth, Galiba meat shear force, cooked meat rate, and driage were not affected by paternity, gender, and their interactions (P > 0.10). Finally, the economic value of Huang-Galiba cattle body weight gain and fattening income were bigger than that of Mao-Galiba cattle (P < 0.001), while that of male Galiba cattle were higher than that of females (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the Galiba cattle fattening strategy is feasible in Gannan Prefecture with the following economic benefit sequencing: Male Huang-Galiba > female Huang-Galiba > male Mao-Galiba > female Mao-Galiba.