Research in: Agricultural & Veterinary Sciences

This study evaluated the effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oil (GEO) on carcass characteristics, organ weights and sensory attributes of bulls. Fifteen bull calves were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (5 bulls per group) in a completely randomized design, with comparable initial body weights (40.55 ± 0.70 kg) at about 10 months of age (post weaning). The feeding trial spanned 240 days. Prior to statistical analysis, data were tested for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and for homogeneity of variances using Levene’s test. Both assumptions were satisfied, justifying the use of parametric procedures. Carcass weight at slaughter, hot carcass yield and dressing percentage exhibited a consistent and significant upward trend in rams supplemented with GEO (Treatments 2 and 3), with both groups recording markedly higher values (P < 0.05) compared to the control group (T1). Conversely, organ weights (head, limbs, heart, kidneys, lungs, trachea) and ribeye area exhibited no significant differences among treatments. Primal cuts including the Chuck, Rib, Loin, Round, Brisket, Short plate, Flank and Shank were significantly heavier in rams T3. No significant differences were observed in brisket weights. Cooking loss was highest in the control group but significantly reduced in GEO-supplemented groups, indicating improved meat quality. Water-holding capacity (WHC) was significantly higher in Treatment 3 compared to the other groups. However, shear force and meat pH at 0, 1 and 24 hours postmortem did not differ significantly among treatments. Similarly, sensory evaluations (colour, flavour, tenderness, texture, juiciness and overall palatability) showed no significant variation across groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with GEO improved carcass yield and meat quality in rams without compromising organoleptic properties. A supplementation level of 20 ml GEO/kg diet was identified as optimal for enhancing dressing percentage and carcass traits.