Effect of age on the quality of slaughterhouse by-products of indigenous cattle at Fulbaria, Mymensingh

Abstract

Indigenous cattle are integral to rural livelihoods, food security, and the agricultural economy of Bangladesh, yet systematic data on the influence of age on slaughterhouse by-products remain scarce. The present study was conducted at Fulbaria, Mymensingh district, Bangladesh, to investigate the effects of age on slaughterhouse by-products of indigenous cattle. Live weight, warm carcass weight, and dressing percentage were recorded across five age groups: T0 = 0 permanent incisor (< 2 years), T1 = one pair permanent incisor (2 years), T2 = two pairs permanent incisors (2 years 6 months), T3 = three pairs permanent incisors (3 years), and T4 = four pairs permanent incisors (3.5–4 years). The results showed that the oldest age group, T4 (3.5–4 years), had significantly higher live weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, and weights of most edible and inedible by-products compared to the younger groups. Specifically, T4 exhibited the highest values for head, heart, brain, skin, intestine, and blood. Lung weights were significantly greater in all groups except the youngest (T0), while liver and eye weights showed no significant differences across ages. Kidney weight was highest in T1 but lower in older groups, and tongue weight peaked in T1 with variable values in others. Teeth weight was significantly higher in T2, and hoof weight was greatest in T3. Market survey data revealed high economic returns from liver, heart, and kidney, emphasizing their contribution to carcass value. These findings suggest that optimizing slaughter age and promoting by-product utilization could enhance economic efficiency, reduce waste, and improve protein availability in Bangladesh. Overall, these findings indicate that male indigenous cattle aged 3.5 to 4 years (T4) offer the most favorable yield of meat by-products, although some specific by-products reach maximum weight at intermediate ages.