Growth, digestive capability, carcass, and meat characteristics of Bison bison, Bos taurus, and Bos × Bison

Abstract

Three experiments involving 39 Bostaurus, 14 Bisonbison, and 20 Bos × Bison fed diets differing in proportions of roughage and concentrate to evaluate growth, digestive capability, carcass, and meat characteristics are reported. Bostaurus consumed more (P < .05) feed per day and gained more (P < .05) rapidly than bison or Bos × 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 × Bison to gain more than Bostaurus on the higher-roughage diets. Bison and Bos × Bison had higher (P < .10 to .01) digestion coefficients for all components evaluated (i.e., DM, CP, GE, NDF, hemicellulose, and cellulose). Species × 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 Bostaurus because most of the carcass fat of bison is located over the thoracic area. Bison and Bos × Bison had higher (P < .01) dressing percentages and a lower (P < .01) proportion of their carcass in the hindquarter than Bostaurus. Shear force and sensory tenderness scores indicated bison were more (P < .05) tender and had a flavor different (P < .01) from that of Bostaurus. Bison and Bos × Bison had more (P < .01) cholesterol in the longissimus muscle and less (P < .05) in the subcutaneous fat than Bostaurus. Bison had a lower (P < .01) percentage of white and higher percentage of intermediate muscle fibers than Bostaurus with essentially no difference in percentage of red fibers.