Comparison of Production Performance, Slaughtering Performance and Meat Quality of Qinghai Plateau-Type Yaks of Different Months of Age

Background: Research and development in animal husbandry is receiving increasing attention as society continues to develop and as consumer awareness of the nutritional value of livestock products, information about their sources and the importance of production systems and environmental impacts increases. In this context, research on the production performance, slaughtering performance and meat quality of Qinghai plateau-type yak, as a rare and important livestock resource, has become essential and the market demand for high-quality yak meat products has increased significantly. Methods: 10 yaks of 3, 4 and 5 months of age were selected at the same feeding level and 3 yaks of different months of age were randomly selected for slaughtering to determine the routine performance and meat quality and to evaluate them. Result: The results showed that the pH of Qinghai Plateau-type yak meat differed significantly (P less than 0.05) among yaks of different ages. There was a significant difference in the ash content of the longest dorsal muscle of yaks with increasing months of age (P less than 0.05) and the water content of yak meat at 5 months of age decreased significantly (P less than 0.05). The difference in arm triceps muscle was more significant (P less than 0.05) in yaks of different months of age. There was no significant difference (P greater than 0.05) in drip loss rate and moisture content of other parts of different months of age.