Less intensified grazing management with growing fattening bulls

Animal performance, composition and quality of meat from Belgian Blue bulls either fattened indoors (FI) or finished indoors after a previous grazing period were studied during six years. During the grazing period, three intensification managements were tested on a permanent pasture conducted as set stocking. The intensification levels were either high (HN:140 kg N(.)ha(-1) with 6 bulls(.)ha(-1)) or moderate with a 33% reduction of nitrogen fertilisation but with the same stocking rate (MN:93 kg N(.)ha(-1), 6 bulls(.)ha(-1)) or low with no nitrogen fertiliser but with a reduced stocking rate (ON, 4 bulls(.)ha(-1)). The levels of intensification did not affect sward characteristics and chemical composition of the grass. The apparent nitrogen efficiency per ha was larger in the ON plot than in the HN and MN plots ( 26 vs. 14%). The average daily gain of bulls during the grazing season was similar in the three groups at 1.0 kg(.)d(-1). The bulls from the FI group were characterised by average daily gains significantly higher than the bulls which were previously grazed and then finished indoors (1.5 vs. 1.2 kg(.)d(-1); P < 0.01). The slaughter weight, the carcass composition, the dressing percentage and most of the meat quality parameters were similar between the treatment groups. The inclusion of a grazing period in the fattening system produced a meat which was darker (lower L*, P < 0.01), more red (higher a*, P < 0.05) and had a higher content of linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) than that of the animals fattened indoors.