Growth and carcass composition of Friesian, Limousin × Friesian and Blonde d'Aquitaine × Friesian steers

1989 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Keane ◽  
G. J. More O'Ferrall ◽  
J. Connolly

ABSTRACTOne hundred and twenty spring-born steers comprising 40 Friesians (FR), 40 Limousin × Friesians (LM), and 40 Blonde d'Aquitaine ' Friesians (BL), were reared together from shortly after birth to slaughter at a mean age of 771 days. They were at pasture in summer and were housed and offered grass silage plus concentrates in winter. All were implanted with anabolic agents. During the finishing winter, there was a 3 (breed types) ' 2 (3 or 6 kg concentrates per day) ' 2 (94 or 181 day finishing period) factorial arrangement of treatments.Slaughter weights per day of age, carcass weights per day of age and carcass weights of FR, LM and BL were 846, 828 and 866 (s.e. 8·0) g, 464, 476 and 497 (s.e. 4·9) g and 358, 368 and 385 (s.e. 3·8) kg respectively. LM had lower carcass length, carcass depth, leg length and leg width values than FR or BL but when these measurements were expressed per kg carcass weight the values for LM and BL were similar. Both LM and BL had better carcass conformation than FR, and BL had a lower carcass fat score than either FR or LM between which there was no difference. FR, LM and BL had carcass lean, fat and higher-priced lean proportions of 634, 669 and 685 (s.e. 3·7), 185, 168 and 144 (s.e. 3·7) and 352, 361 and 361 (s.e. 1·4) g/kg respectively.Increasing the concentrate level from 3 to 6 kg per day increased side weight by 9·6 kg (P < 0·001). This consisted of 0·6 kg bone, 3·3 kg lean and 5·7 kg fat. Extending the finishing period from 94 to 181 days increased side weight by 30·3 kg (P < 0·001). This consisted of 2·6 kg bone, 12·0 kg lean and 15·7 kg fat. Allometric regression coefficients for side lean, bone and fat weights on side weight were not significantly affected by breed type or concentrate level. The coefficients for lean, bone and fat were 0·80 (s.e. 0·04), 0·58 (s.e. 0·05) and 2·27 (s.e. 0·16) respectively. The coefficients for weights of lean in the hind-shin, fore-shin, fillet and brisket on side lean weight were 0·8 or lower. The corresponding coefficients for silverside, inside round, knuckle, rump and strip-loin were between 0·8 and 1·0 while the flank, shoulder, neck, chuck, plate, fore-rib and cube-roll had coefficients in the range 1·0 to 1·5.

1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Keane ◽  
G. J. More O'Ferrall

AbstractOne hundred and twenty spring-born steers comprised of 40 Friesians (FR), 40 Canadian Hereford × Friesians (HF) and 40 Simmental × Friesians (SM) were reared together from shortly after birth to slaughter after a mean period of 740 days. During the finishing winter there was a 3 (breed types) × 2 (3 and 6 kg supplementary concentrates per head daily with grass silage ad libitum) × 2 (222- and 225-day finishing periods) factorial arrangement of treatments. One side from each of 96 carcasses (eight per treatment) was completely separated into bone, muscle, intermuscular fat and subcutaneous fat and a 10th rib sample of m. longissimus was chemically analysed.Carcass weights per day of age and carcass weights were 404, 433 and 449 (s.e. 4·6) g and 301, 320 and 330 (s.e. 3·4) kg for FR, HF and SM, respectively. Corresponding proportions of carcass muscle were 602, 577 and 628 (s.e. 4·8) g/kg. FR and HF had similar proportions of their total muscle in the hindquarter, whereas SM had more of their muscle in the hindquarter. M. longissimus lipid concentrations for FR, HF and SM were 36, 39 and 26 (s.e. 1·96) g/kg. Increasing supplementary concentrate level from 3 to 6 kg/day increased side weight by 7 kg, of which proportionately 0·48 was fat. Extending the finishing period from 121 to 225 days increased side weight by 22 kg of which proportionately 0·45 was fat. Both the higher concentrate level and the longer finishing period reduced carcass muscle and bone proportions, and increased carcass fat proportion. Allometric regression coefficients for side muscle, bone and fat weights on side weight were 0·75, 0·51 and 2·13, respectively. It was calculated that FR, HF and SM would have similar carcass fat proportions at approximate carcass weights of 320, 290 and 380 kg, respectively.


1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Keane

AbstractOne hundred and twenty spring-born steers, comprising 40 Friesians (FR), 40 Meuse-Rhine-lssel (MRI) × Friesians (MR), and 40 Belgian Blue × Friesians (BB) were reared together from 3 weeks of age to the start of their second winter. During the second winter there was a 3 (FR, MR and BB breed types) × 2 (3 kg and 6 kg supplementary concentrates per head daily with grass silage ad libitum) × 2 (96- and 220-day finishing periods) factorial arrangement of treatments (10 animals per subgroup). Carcass weights and grades were recorded after slaughter at the end of the second winter, and one side from each of 96 carcasses (eight per subgroup) was dissected into bone, muscle, intermuscular fat and subcutaneous fat. A sample of m. longissimus from the 10th rib was chemically analysed. Slaughter weights and carcass weights per day from arrival to slaughter were 796, 813 and 828 (s.e.d. 11·7) g and 419, 440 and 457 (s.e.d. 7·1) g for FR, MR and BB, respectively. Corresponding carcass weights were 314, 329 and 342 (s.e.d. 4·5) kg. BB had better conformation than both FR and MR. BB also had a lower carcass fat score, lower proportions of bone, intermuscular fat and subcutaneous fat, a higher proportion of muscle and muscle with higher proportion of moisture and a lower proportion of lipid than FR and MR. The higher level of concentrates increased side iveight by 8 kg, but the overall effects on carcass composition were small. The longer finishing period increased side weight by 25 kg and was associated with significantly reduced proportions of bone and muscle and an increased proportion of fat. Allometric regression coefficients for carcass weight on slaughter weight, and for bone, muscle and fat weights on side weight were 1·19, 0·39, 0·80 and 2·16, respectively. It is concluded that despite the better carcass conformation of MR, there was little difference in carcass and muscle composition between FR and MR. BB, in addition to having a higher growth rate and better carcass conformation than FR, also had more muscle in the carcass, more of the total muscle in the higher value joints and a lower proportion of lipid in the muscle. It was calculated that FR, MR and BB would have similar proportions of separable fat in the carcass at approximate carcass weights of 300, 320 and 400 kg, respectively.


1987 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Keane ◽  
M. J. Drennan

ABSTRACTSixty-four (48 female and 16 male) spring-born Hereford × Friesian calves were used to examine the effects of sex type, heifer slaughter age and implantation with anabolic agents on growth and carcass composition. Non-implanted and implanted heifers were slaughtered after 491, 612 and 731 days and non-implanted and implanted steers (castrated on day 81) were slaughtered after 731 days. Implantation was with 36 mg resorcylic acid lactone (RAL) on days 81 and 171 and RAL plus 300 mg trenbolone acetate on days 395, 491, 583 and 658.Carcass weights of non-implanted and implanted heifers slaughtered at 491, 612 and 731 days were 189 and 206, 218 and 235 and 290 and 326 (s.e.d. 10·1) kg respectively. Carcass lean, bone and fat weights and fat proportion increased with increasing slaughter age but proportions of lean and bone decreased.There was no difference between heifers and steers in growth rate to 395 days but from 395 to 731 days the steers grew faster than the heifers. Non-implanted and implanted steer carcass weights at 731 days were 297 and 355 (s.e.d. 9·5) kg respectively. Steer carcasses had higher lean and bone proportions and a lower fat proportion than heifer carcasses. Implanted animals had heavier carcasses than non-implanted animals and all of the extra carcass weight consisted of lean and bone. The results indicate that non-implanted and implanted heifers and steers had similar lean proportions when the heifers were 31 and 70 kg carcass weight respectively lighter than the steers.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2623
Author(s):  
Peter R. Doyle ◽  
Mark McGee ◽  
Aidan P. Moloney ◽  
Alan K. Kelly ◽  
Edward G. O’Riordan

This study evaluated the effects of post-grazing sward height (PGSH, 4 or 6 cm) on herbage production, its nutritive value, dry matter (DM) intake, grazing behaviour and growth of early- (EM) and late-maturing (LM) breed suckler steers (n = 72), and the subsequent effect of indoor finishing diet (grass silage + 3.8 kg concentrate DM/head daily (SC), or grass silage only (SO)) on performance and carcass traits. Animals rotationally grazed pasture for 196 days, followed by indoor finishing for 119 days. At pasture, daily live-weight gain (LWG) was 0.10 kg greater for PGSH-6 than PGSH-4, resulting in a tendency for carcass weight to be 11 kg heavier. Although EM had a 0.10 kg greater daily LWG at pasture than LM, carcass weight did not differ between the genotypes. There was a genotype × PGSH interaction for carcass fat score, whereby there was no difference between EM-4 (8.83, 15-point scale) and EM-6 (8.17), but LM-6 (7.28) was greater than LM-4 (6.33). Although concentrate supplementation during indoor finishing increased carcass weight (+37 kg) and fat score (1.75 units), the majority of steers (83% of EM and 78% of LM) achieved a commercially-acceptable carcass fat score (6.78) at slaughter in the grass-forage-only system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (s1) ◽  
pp. s10-s14
Author(s):  
M. Pesonen ◽  
E. Joki-Tokola ◽  
A. Huuskonen

An experiment with 30 Hereford growing bulls was designed to study the effects of (1) forage type and (2) inclusion of rapeseed meal (RSM) in the barley-based concentrate. The three forage types were grass silage (GS), whole crop barley silage harvested at the milk stage (BSM) or at the dough stage (BSD). The concentrate used was rolled barley alone or barley plus RSM. Mean total dry matter (DM) intakes for the GS, BSM and BSD bulls were 9.04, 8.74 and 9.46 kg/day, and carcass gains were 883, 770 and 867 g/day, respectively. Both DM intake and carcass gain were significantly higher in the BSD bulls compared with the BSM bulls. Mean carcass weights of the GS, BSM and BSD bulls were 395, 369 and 392 kg, respectively, and tended to be lower in the BSM bulls. Forage type and RSM had no effects on the carcass conformation or fat score. Rapeseed meal supplementation increased total DM intake (+10%, P<0.01), carcass gain (+14%, P<0.001) and carcass weight (+8%, P<0.01) of the bulls. Overall, GS could be totally replaced by whole crop barley silage in the diet of growing bulls when the concentrate constitutes 0.4 of the diet, but whole crop barley silage should be harvested at the dough stage instead of the milk stage.


2002 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Patterson ◽  
C. A. Moore ◽  
B. W. Moss ◽  
D. J. Kilpatrick

AbstractA total of 77 heifers (3⁄4 Charolais crossbred) completed a study which examined the effects of parity number on growth, changes in size of the carcass, carcass composition and meat quality. The experiment had a factorial design based on the factors: parity and level of finish. The parities were: 0 (maiden), 1, 3 and 5. At each parity animals were slaughtered at medium (EU fat class 3) and high (EU fat class 4H) levels of finish. All data were analysed by analysis of variance using individual animal observations, and linear, quadratic and asymptotic trends were explored. Where appropriate, regression equations were derived using individual animal values to describe the relationships between key parameters and the parity status of the finished animal. Animals calved at turn-out to grass in spring (April/May) and the cows were housed at weaning in mid October (mean lactation length of 163 days) and all pregnant animals were given a diet of grass silage without concentrate supplementation during the winter period. The medium level of finish animals were slaughtered 24 days after commencement of the breeding programme for parity 0 or at the end of lactation for the remaining parities, except for parity 1 animals which had a short finishing period. For the high level of finish treatment, parity 0 heifers had a longer finishing period, while all bred animals had a post-weaning finishing period. The high finish animals were finished on a diet of grass silage and concentrates. Birth weights of calves increased until the fourth parity, while weaning weights increased linearly until the fifth parity. Mean daily milk yield increased until the third lactation. Live weight, carcass weight and weights of saleable beef, separable lean and separable fat all followed asymptotic patterns of rapid initial increase and then tended to plateau with increase in parity. The asymptote values for live weight and carcass weight were 723·0 and 383·2 kg respectively. Statistically significant asymptotic relationships with parity number were obtained for live weight and various tissue weights. Nominal mature weight was assumed to be 0·99 of the asymptote and nominal mature weights for live weight, carcass weight, saleable beef, separable lean and separable fat were attained at parity (age, years) 4/5 (6·1), 3/4 (5·3), 4/5 (6·2), 3/4 (4·7) and 1/2 (2·7) respectively. The proportion of high-priced joints declined with increase in parity (linear trend P 0·01) thus indicating a reduction in relative growth of the main muscle groups of the hind limb. Shear value measurements on cooked muscle from the maiden and first parity animals indicated very tender meat, but tenderness declined with increase in parity (asymptotic trend P 0·001). Taking animals to the higher level of finish effected increases in carcass weight and separable fat in the carcass of 55·1 kg (P 0·001) and 72 g/kg (P 0·001) respectively, while separable lean declined by 53 g/kg (P 0·001). Cooked muscle from the high finish animals was less tender than from the medium finish animals (P 0·05). It was concluded that slaughtering cows at the third parity would enable a self replacing closed herd to be operated, while obtaining 0·97 of the potential maximum output of saleable beef from the cow, but there may be some compromise in the tenderness of the meat for some consumers by the third parity.


1999 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. KIRKPATRICK ◽  
R. W. J. STEEN

An experiment was carried out in Northern Ireland in 1994 to examine the effects of ensiling grass on the partitioning of nutrients between lean and fat deposition in lambs using the comparative slaughter technique. The six treatments consisted of: (1) unsupplemented grass silage; (2) grass silage supplemented with concentrates, concentrates constituting 250 g/kg total dry matter intake (DMI); (3) grass silage supplemented with concentrates, concentrates constituting 500 g/kg total DMI; (4) unsupplemented grass which had been conserved by freezing; (5) pre-frozen grass supplemented with concentrates, concentrates constituting 250 g/kg total DMI, and (6) pre-frozen grass supplemented with concentrates, concentrates constituting 500 g/kg total DMI. A total of 84 Dutch Texel×Greyface (Border Leicester×Blackface) lambs, consisting of 42 males which were initially 35 (s.d. 4·8) kg liveweight and 42 females which were 33 (S.D. 2·6) kg liveweight, were used. The silage was well preserved as indicated by its low pH (3·8), low concentration of ammonia (60 g/kg total nitrogen) and high concentration of lactic acid (129 g/kg DM). The grass had a higher pH (5·2) and higher WSC concentration (129 g/kg DM) and lower concentrations of lactic (33 g/kg DM) and acetic acids (6 g/kg DM). Ensiling had no significant effect (P>0·05) on empty body and carcass weight gains. Animals offered unsupplemented silage had significantly lower protein (P<0·001) concentration in the carcass gain and significantly higher lipid and energy (P<0·001) concentrations than animals offered unsupplemented frozen grass. However, there was no effect of forage type on chemical composition of carcass gains when 50% forage was offered. It is concluded that ensiling had no effect on empty body or carcass weight gains, but did increase carcass fatness when unsupplemented forages were offered.


1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
O. Mahgoub

Thirty two Omani sheep including eight intact males. 16 castrated males and eight intact females were fed ad libitum a concentrate diet (l6% CP) plus chopped Rhodesgrass hay (8% CP) from weaning until slaughter at an average weight of 26 kg. Correlation and regression analyses were carried out to evaluate relationships between live body and carcass measurements with major body components. Generally there were positive correlations between slaughter weight, empty body weight (EBW) and hot carcass weight with total carcass muscle (r2 =0.57, 0.59, 0.59). fat (r2= 0.47, 0.48, 0.68) and bone (r2 = 0.51, 0.44, 0.31) contents respectively. There were also positive correlations (r2 = 0.44- 0.59) between linear live body and carcass measurements with carcass muscle content. The depth of tissue over the 11th rib (GR) had a high positive correlation (r2= 0.67) with total carcass fat content. The weight of most individual bones and muscles had positive correlations (r2=0.39 - 0.85) with carcass muscle and bone content. There was a positive correlation between weight chuck (r2 = 0.62), brisket and shank (r2< 0.38), leg (r2 = 0.79) and loin (r2 = 0.45) carcass cuts with total carcass muscle content. Muscle content in all carcass cuts had a positive correlation (r2 = 0.46-0.86) with total carcass muscle content. Bone content in all carcass cuts had a high positive correlation (r2 = 0.46-0.90) with the total carcass bone content. A 3-variahle (body length,  chest depth and leg length) and a 4-variable (hot carcass weight , hook width,  rib width and GR) models were generated which accounted for 84% and 70% of the variation in the total muscle content, respectively. This study showed that live body and carcass measurements have significant relationships with carcass components in Omani sheep. These relationships may be utilized for prediction of carcass composition in live animals as well as for carcass quality assessment.


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen

AbstractTwo randomized-block experiments were carried out to examine the relative value of wheat and barley as supplements to grass silage for finishing beef cattle. In each experiment unwilted, formic acid-treated silage was offered ad libitum and supplemented with 500 g soya-bean meal and 50 g minerals and vitamins to 44 12-month-old bulls for 157 and 172 days in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. Twelve of the animals also received 2·5 kg rolled spring barley (LB), 12 received 4·0 kg barley (HB) and 20 received 3·25 kg rolled wheat (W). For experiments 1 and 2 respectively the barley contained 796 and 787 g dry matter (DM) per kg; 118 and 105 g crude protein (CP) per kg DM; 47 and 57 g crude fibre per kg DM; the wheat contained 845 and 800 g DM per kg; 112 and 116 g CP per kg DM; 23 and 25 g crude fibre per kg DM; and the silages contained 190 and 177 g DM per kg; 153 and 176 g CP per kg DM; 80 and 104 g ammonia-nitrogen per kg total nitrogen. On average over the two experiments, for treatments LB, HB and W respectively, silage DM intakes were 5·4, 4·7 (s.e. 0·14) and 4·9 (s.e. 0·11) kg/day; total DM intakes 7·9, 8·3 (s.e. 0·14) and 8·1 (s.e. 0·11) kg/day; metabolizable energy intakes 91·4, 97·8 and 94·2 MJ/day; live-weight gains 1·04,1·19 (s.e. 0·029) and 1·10 (s.e. 0·023) kg/day and carcass gams 0·65, 0·77 (s.e. 0·017) and 0·70 (s.e. 0·013) kg/day. It is concluded that the feeding value of wheat was proportionately 0·98 of that of barley for finishing beef cattle when given as a supplement to grass silage, and that the type of cereal offered did not affect silage intake or carcass composition.


1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1207 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Thompson ◽  
KD Atkins ◽  
AR Gilmour

Half-carcasses of 108 wether and ewe lambs from six genotypes, slaughtered at 34, 44 and 54 kg liveweight, were dissected into subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, muscle, bone and connective tissue. The six genotypes were the progeny of Dorset Horn and Border Leicester rams mated to Merino, Corriedale and Border Leicester x Merino first-cross ewes. As carcass weight increased, the proportion of subcutaneous and intermuscular fat increased (b > 1 ; P < 0.05) and the proportion of muscle and bone decreased (b < 1; P < 0.05). Lambs sired by Border Leicester rams had more subcutaneous fat (12.7%), more intermuscular fat (7.6%) and more bone (5.7%) than lambs sired by Dorset Horn rams at the same carcass weight (P< 0.05). Similarly, lambs sired by Dorset Horn rams had more muscle (7.2%) than lambs sired by Border Leicester rams at the same carcass weight (P < 0.05). Breed of dam had no effect on carcass composition. Wether lambs had a greater proportion of bone (5.7%) than ewe lambs at the same carcass weight (P < 0.05). The breed of sire effect and the lack of a breed of dam effect on carcass composition, in conjunction with estimated mature weights for the breeds, suggest possible differences between sire and dam breeds in the partitioning of fat between the carcass and non-carcass depots. ____________________ *Part I, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 30: 1197 (1979).


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