The value of incorporating carcass trait phenotypes in terminal sire selection indexes to improve carcass weight and quality of heavy lambs

SUMMARYIn order to obtain a wide range of live weights, two Oxford Down, two Southdown, and two Soay rams of recent feral origin, were used to sire lambs from 169 crossbred ewes. These ewes had been bred from Blackface ewes mated to Border Leicester, Dorset Hora, Clun Forest, Finnish Landrace and Tasmanian Merino rams. Of the 282 lambs weaned by the crossbred ewes, 61 were singles, 166 twins, 51 triplets and 4 quadruplets. Carcass data were obtained from all but three of them.Oxford Down cross lambs were, in terms of fitted values, 10 kg heavier and 4 days younger than Soay cross lambs and 6 kg heavier and 2 days younger than Southdown cross lambs when slaughtered. Twins and triplets were 1·4 and 2·1 kg, respectively, lighter than singles and were 37 and 58 days older than singles. Ewes of the heaviest groups produced heavier lambs in a shorter time than ewes of the lightest groups.The Soay cross lambs showed a higher killing-out percentage, less tail fat, and more kidney fat, than the Southdown and Oxford Down cross lambs.Carcass characters made little if any difference to the price paid for the lambs which depended mainly on weight. Receipts from lambs were highest when the most fertile ewes were mated to the largest rams.

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An evaluation of beef carcass quality 2. Influence of variation in grazing intensity and the level of barley supplementation with silage on the carcass and meat quality of Friesian steers

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s000335610001148x ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 229-237

Author(s):

C. E. Hinks ◽

J. H. D. Prescott

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Compensatory Growth ◽

Live Weight ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Carcass Weight ◽

Eating Quality ◽

Winter Period ◽

Carcass Quality

SUMMARYTwo experiments concerning the effects, on the carcass and meat characteristics of 18-months-old Friesian steers, of variation in grazing intensity and the level of barley feeding with silage are reported.Groups of 12 steers were grazed at different intensities over 5-month grazing periods, such that live-weight differences of 38 kg and 16 kg were recorded at housing. No compensatory growth was recorded during the subsequent winter feeding period.Whilst the grazing treatments had little effect on carcass or meat quality, higher levels of barley feeding with silage over the winter period (710 v. 410 kg/steer) had significant effects on live-weight gain, and increased carcass weight by 21 kg at slaughter. The higher yield of carcass weight was reflected in significant differences in carcass composition, joint proportions and retail cut-out value. Sixty per cent of the carcass weight difference was removed as trim fat. Differences in carcass fatness were not associated with any differences in eating quality.

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Characteristics of the carcass and quality of meat of male and female calves with different high-grain diets in confinement

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2018v39n2p667 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 667

Author(s):

Jonatas Cattelam ◽

Flânia Mônego Argenta ◽

Dari Celestino Alves Filho ◽

Ivan Luiz Brondani ◽

Paulo Santana Pacheco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Source ◽

Experimental Design ◽

Meat Products ◽

Carcass Weight ◽

Initial Weight ◽

Male And Female ◽

Diet Treatment ◽

Arm Circumference ◽

Carcass Cuts

The goal of the present study was to evaluatecharacteristics of the carcass and meat of steers and heifers, finished in feedlots and fed different high-grain diets. Forty-five bovines were used: 21 heifers, with an initial age of 32 months and initial weight of 359.9 kg, and 24 steers, with an initial age of 20 months and initial weight of 337.6 kg, from a Charolais × Nelore crossbreed. The animals were divided among the treatments, which were defined by the energy source used in the diet: rice, white oats, or corn; seven heifers and eight steers were used per diet treatment. The animals remained confined until reaching an estimated warm carcass weight of 220 kg. The experimental design was completely randomized, with a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. Weights at slaughter were higher for animals fed white oats (449.3 kg) or corn (430.4 kg) than for animals fed rice (401.8 kg). Higher carcass yields were found in corn-fed animals. Animals that received rice had lower coverfat thickness. The yields of the rib and hind-quarter commercial cuts were higher for cattle that received white oats or corn. Animals that received corn diets had greater arm circumference than animals that received white oatsand both were larger than animals that were fed rice. The tenderness (5.15 points) and palatability (5.46 points) of rice-fed animals werelower than those of animals fed white oats (5.73 and 6.40 points, respectively) or corn (6.04 and 6.45 points, respectively). Slaughter weights were similar between categories - 424.1 kg and 430.2 kg for steers and heifers, respectively. Steers had higher fore-quarter yield (38.0% vs.37.4%), whereas heifers had a greater carcass length (126.0 cm vs. 123.1 cm). The finishing of cattle with corn- or white oat-based high grain-diets yielded heavier carcasses, with adequate deposition of fat, andbetter performance of principal carcass cuts. Feeding with rice in high-grain diets produced leaner meats, but reduced carcass weight, with greater losses upon cooling and less tender meat. The production of confined heifers or steers ensures similar meat products.

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Characterizing Pork Quality of Carcasses with an Average Weight of 119 Kg

Meat and Muscle Biology ◽

10.22175/mmb.10671 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

H. Price ◽

A. B. Lerner ◽

E. A. Rice ◽

J. E. Lowell ◽

B. N. Harsh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iodine Value ◽

Total Population ◽

Fiber Type ◽

Carcass Weight ◽

Average Weight ◽

Pork Quality ◽

Quality Traits ◽

Quality Measurements

ObjectivesBetween 1995 and 2018, average hot carcass weight of U.S. pork carcasses increased from 82 kg to 96 kg, which is an increase of approximately 17%. At current rates, pork carcasses in the U.S. will weigh on average, 105 kg by the year 2030 and over 118 kg by 2050. Although this represents an increase in throughput efficiency due to increases in economy of scale, projecting continued increases in the future raises some concerns. Therefore, the objective was to characterize pork quality of carcasses ranging from 78 to 145 kg with a mean weight of 119 kg.Materials and MethodsCarcass composition, such as hot carcass weight (HCW), back fat depth and loin depth were measured on 666 carcasses. Additionally, loin quality measurements, such as pH, loin instrumental and visual color, and iodine value of clear plate fat were measured on approximately 90% of the total population. Ham quality, 14 d aged loin and chop quality measurements, and loin chop slice shear force (SSF) were evaluated on approximately 30% of the total population. Finally, myosin heavy chain fiber type determination was completed on approximately 50 carcasses selected from carcasses ranging from 97 to 133 kg. The slope of regression lines and coefficients of determination between hot carcass weights and quality traits were calculated using the REG procedure in SAS and considered significantly different from 0 at P ≤ 0.05.ResultsAs HCW increased loin depth (b1 = 0.2496, P < 0.0001), back fat depth (b1 = 0.1374, P < 0.0001), loin weight (b1 = 0.0345, P < 0.0001), chop weight (b1 = 1.6626, P < 0.0001), and ham weight (b1 = 0.1044, P < 0.0001) increased. There was a decrease in estimated lean (b1 = –0.0751, P < 0.0001) and iodine value (b1 = –0.0923, P < 0.0001) as carcass weight increased, however, HCW only accounted for ≤ 24% (R2 = 0.24) of the variation in estimated lean and iodine value. Additionally, there were no significant differences in gluteus medius pH (b1 = 0.0009, P = 0.30) or instrumental lightness (b1 = 0.0301, P = 0.15), redness (b1 = –0.0036, P = 0.73) or yellowness (b1 = 0.0058, P = 0.57) of the ham as carcass weight increased. As carcass weight increased, 1 d loin instrumental yellowness (b*) increased (b1 = 0.0092 P < 0.01), however HCW only explained 1% of the variation in b*. Heavier carcasses were more tender (decreased SSF of chops cooked to 71°C, (b1 = –0.0674, P < 0.0001), although HCW only explained 9% of the variation in SSF. Total cook loss of chops used for SSF determination decreased as HCW increased (b1 = –0.0512, P < 0.0001), and HCW explained 15% (R2 = 0.15) of the variation in total cook loss. There were no significant differences in fiber type percentage, type 1 (b1 = –0.0170, P = 0.81), 2a (b1 = –0.0786, P = 0.23), 2x (b1 = –0.0201, P = 0.80), or 2b (b1 = 0.1224, P = 0.37), or fiber type area, type 1 (b1 = –26.6331, P = 0.22), 2a (b1 = –40.7257, P = 0.07), 2x (b1 = –46.9459, P = 0.25), or 2b (b1 = –26.2537, P = 0.38) as HCW increased.ConclusionDue to the lack of variation explained by HCW (≤ 15%), pork quality traits are not expected to be compromised as HCW continues to increase. The results suggest that increasing HCW to 119 kg did not have detrimental effects on pork quality attributes.

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Effects of Sarcocystis miescheriana infection on carcass weight and meat quality of halothane-tested fattening pigs

Veterinary Parasitology ◽

10.1016/0304-4017(87)90061-6 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 19-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

A. Daugschies ◽

M. Rommel ◽

T. Schnieder ◽

M. Henning ◽

E. Kallweit

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Carcass Weight ◽

Fattening Pigs

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Eating quality evaluation of meat from the crossbred lamb progeny of three terminal sire breeds

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) ◽

10.1017/s030822960002287x ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 1992 ◽

pp. 177-177

Author(s):

M. Ellis ◽

G.M. Webster ◽

I. Brown ◽

B.G. Merrell

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Quality Evaluation ◽

Eating Quality ◽

Consumer Acceptability ◽

Carcass Quality ◽

Terminal Sire

Consumer acceptability of lamb is ultimately determined by the eating quality of the meat. This paper reports on the eating quality evaluation of lean samples obtained from carcasses of crossbred lambs sired by Suffolk, Texel and Charollais rams.The lambs used in this study were part of a larger experiment to compare the growth performance and carcass quality of lambs sired by rams of the Suffolk, Texel and Charollais breeds (Merrell, Webster and Ellis, 1990: BSAP Occasional Publication No. 14, pp. 169-172).An upland flock of approximately 350 Mule (Bluefaced Leicester ♂ x Scottish Blackface ♀) was used to produce the lambs. Eight unrelated rams of each of the three sire breeds were mated to the ewes over two years (4 rams per breed per year). Their crossbred progeny were selected for slaughter when it was estimated that they would produce carcasses of Meat and Livestock Commission fat class 2 to 3L. All lambs had been multiple-born and reared as twins.

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