BRAHMAN-BRITISH BEEF CATTLE CROSSES IN CANADA. II. POSTWEANING GROWTH AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. PETERS ◽  
J. A. VESELY

Brahman-British beef cattle crosses in Canada (F1 hybrids) out-gained contemporary Herefords under both winter and summer range conditions. Brahman × Hereford, Brahman × Angus and Brahman × Shorthorn steers marketed off grass at 2.5 yr of age surpassed Herefords by 61 – 64 kg in cold carcass weight, 3.9 – 4.8% in dressed carcass yield, and 4 – 6 cm2 in longissimus dorsi area per 250 kg of carcass. The 1/4-Brahman progenies from matings of Hereford bulls with F1 cows did not differ significantly from Herefords in year-long postweaning gain, either under Alberta range conditions or under summer grazing and limited winter feeding conditions at Ottawa, Ontario. Hereford × (Brahman × Hereford) backcross calves gained less than Herefords but averaged 16 kg heavier in cold carcass weight because of greater initial (weaning) weight and a higher dressing percentage. There was no difference between the crosses (F1 hybrids and back-crosses) and Herefords in carcass grade. The major benefit of the Brahman-British cattle crosses resulted from the superior performance of the F1 hybrids, expressed as a marked superiority in growth rate of the F1 steers and heifers and a greater weight-for-age of the 1/4-Brahman progenies of F1 cows. Key words: Brahman, Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn, crossbreeding

1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-695
Author(s):  
J. E. LAWSON ◽  
D. G. KELLER ◽  
H. F. PETERS

Slaughter and carcass data were obtained from 60 cattalo that averaged 1/7 bison–6/7 domestic (27 bulls, 33 heifers), 19 Hereford (11 bulls, 8 heifers), and 17 1/4 Brahman–3/4 Hereford (12 bulls, 5 heifers) yearlings. At a constant age, 1/4 Brahman and Hereford exceeded cattalo in growth rate, i.e. slaughter weights were: 1/4 Brahman 381 ± 10 kg, Hereford 376 ± 8 kg, and cattalo 353 ±5 kg. At a constant 24-h cold carcass weight, cattalo exceeded Hereford in carcass length (2.3%). Breed groups did not differ in mean fat thickness over, or area of, the longissimus dorsi, dressing percent, or transit shrink. At a constant carcass weight, the weight of the loin section was similar in all breed groups, but Hereford exceeded cattalo in round weight (2.6%), cattalo surpassed 1/4 Brahman in rib weight (4.3%), and 1/4 Brahman exceeded Hereford in shoulder weight (3.2%). Bison and cattalo were reported to have heavier front than rear quarters. This study suggests that the cattalo were not heavier in the shoulder but were lighter in the round than the Hereford and that the difference basically was in the weight of the hind shank.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jivko Nakev ◽  
Teodora Popova ◽  
Maya Ignatova ◽  
Penka Marinova ◽  
Tania Nikolova

The aim of our study was to assess the dynamics of the characteristics in pig carcasses as affected by the season and year of slaughter. A total of 106 027 carcasses of growing-finishing pigs of commercial production, slaughtered in the same abattoir in 2014 and 2015 were included in the study. The carcasses were classified using UltraFOM 200 device, as the characteristics controlled were back-fat thickness at two locations and the depth of m. Longissimus dorsi. These measurements were used to further determine the lean meat percentage. The results of the study showed significant differences in the dynamics of changes of carcass characteristics during the seasons and the years. The highest lean meat percentage was found in summer (56.48%), followed by spring (56.34%), autumn (56.29%) and winter (56.10%). On the other hand, the pigs slaughtered in winter displayed highest carcass weight and back-fat thickness at both locations.


1986 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Lee

The growth and carcass characteristics of first-cross Border Leicester x Merino ram, cryptorchid and wether lambs were compared over a range of slaughter weights (35-55 kg). Lambs were offered feed ad libitum after weaning. The growth rate of wether lambs (221 g/day) was less (P< 0.01) than that of rams and cryptorchids (308 and 280 g/day respectively, P = 0.076). The dressed carcasses of the wether lambs were approximately 2 percentage units heavier than those of the ram and cryptorchids, but this difference was partly due to the weight of the testes. Across all sex groups, dressing percentage increased by 0.46 percentage units per kg increase in carcass weight. The carcasses of rams and cryptorchid lambs tended to be leaner than those of wethers. Fat score distributions, based on export standards, were such that wethers scored higher (fatter) than rams and cryptorchids (P< 0.05). There was a significant sexx carcass weight interaction with GR tissue depths. Above 17 kg carcass weight, tissue depth of wether lambs was greater than those of the other sex types. Of 12 families assessing consumer acceptability (taste, smell, size, fatness and tenderness) of leg roasts, the majority showed no preference for any of the sexes.


1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
LP Thatcher ◽  
B Warren ◽  
PJ Nicholls

Lambs from the Poll Dorset x (Border Leicester x Merino) cross were raised from a late lambing in 1983 (a year when pastures grew unchecked and had high clover content) and 1984 (a year with intermittent dry periods and a low clover content in pastures). Multivariate repeated measures analyses were used to compare growth rates for rams, wethers and ewes within 2 periods of growth in 1983, and 4 in 1984. In all stages rams grew significantly faster than wethers and ewes, whereas wether growth rate exceeded that of ewes in only 3 stages. In general, when pasture availability and quality was high, rams grew faster than wethers by 0.3 kg/week and ewes by 0.5 kg/week. The rams grew 0.16 kg/week faster when pasture availability was limiting for a period in winter but lost significant (P<0.01) body condition, whilst ewes maintained both weight and condition. When good quality feed was again available, rams gained more weight than wethers, as did wethers compared with ewes, while rams and wethers gained more condition than ewes. Carcass weight and fatness, measured either as indicators of fat (GR measurement or fat score) or as total subcutaneous fat, could be predicted from assessments made on live lambs. Full liveweight, sex and year explained 41% of variation in GR, 48% in fat score and 79% in subcutaneous fat. Condition score, sex and year explained 45% of variation in GR, 52% in fat score and 57% in subcutaneous fat. Full liveweight, condition score, sex and year explained 80% of the variation in subcutaneous fat, 47% in GR and 57% in fat score. An interaction of sex with full liveweight in predicting carcass weight and subcutaneous fat indicated that as carcass size increased, the sex of the lamb became an increasingly important consideration when assessing characteristics important in describing lamb carcasses. Dressing percentage decreased by 0.08/kg as liveweight increased. This result was consistent over the 2 years, with opportunities for error being assessed and eliminated in the second year. Notwithstanding that this was an unimportant loss in real terms, published information showed an increase in dressing percentage with liveweight.


1969 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. B. Bailey ◽  
R. Hironaka

The growth rate of bulls, steers castrated at 8 and 26 weeks of age, and steers partially castrated at 8 weeks of age did not differ before weaning in October at an average age of 181 days, or during the ensuing winter. During the subsequent finishing period in the feedlot, the rate and efficiency of growth of the partial castrates exceeded that of the steers but was less than that of the bulls. As a result, partial castrates reached the target slaughter weight of 440 kg 21 days earlier than the steers but 21 days later than the bulls. Varying the level of protein in the rations fed during the first 15 weeks of the feedlot period had no effect on rate or efficiency of gain.The percent fat in the 11th rib-cut and the depth of fat over the longissimus dorsi were less in bulls than in steers or partial castrates, and consequently the carcass grades of the bulls were generally lower. The percent separable muscle, estimated from a prediction equation, was greater in bulls than in steers and partial castrates.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 804
Author(s):  
Felista W. Mwangi ◽  
David J. C. Blignaut ◽  
Edward Charmley ◽  
Christopher P. Gardiner ◽  
Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli ◽  
...  

Lipid metabolism, carcass characteristics and fatty acid (FA) composition of the Longissimus dorsi (loin eye) muscle were evaluated in tropical crossbred steers backgrounded on Desmanthus spp. (desmanthus) with or without feedlot finishing. It was hypothesized that steers backgrounded on isonitrogenous diets augmented with incremental proportions of desmanthus will produce carcasses with similar characteristics and FA composition. Forty-eight Brahman, Charbray and Droughtmaster crossbred beef steers were backgrounded for 140 days on Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay augmented with 0, 15, 30 or 45 percent desmanthus on dry matter basis. Lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay was added to the 0, 15 and 30 percent desmanthus diets to ensure that they were isonitrogenous with the 45 percent desmanthus diet. After backgrounding, the two heaviest steers in each pen were slaughtered and the rest were finished in the feedlot for 95 days before slaughter. Muscle biopsy samples were taken at the beginning and end of the backgrounding phase. Carcasses were sampled at slaughter for intramuscular fat (IMF) content, fat melting point (FMP) and FA composition analyses. Increasing the proportion of desmanthus in the diet led to a linear increase in docosanoic acid (p = 0.04) and omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated FA ratio (n-6/n-3 PUFA; p = 0.01), while docosahexaenoic acid decreased linearly (p = 0.01). Feedlot finishing increased hot carcass weight, subcutaneous fat depth at the P8 site and dressing percentage (p ≤ 0.04). The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was within the recommended < 5 for human diets. IMF was within the consumer-preferred ≥3% level for palatability. The hypothesis that steers backgrounded on isonitrogenous diets augmented with incremental proportions of desmanthus will produce similar carcass characteristics and FA composition was accepted. These findings indicate that a combination of tropical beef cattle backgrounding on desmanthus augmented forage and short-term feedlot finishing produces healthy and highly palatable meat.


2010 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Salinas-Chavira ◽  
Alfredo Lara-Juarez ◽  
Abraham Gil-González ◽  
Jorge Jimenez-Castro ◽  
Ramón Garcia-Castillo ◽  
...  

The effects of supplementing feedlot diets with ionophores and breed type were assessed on growth rate and carcass characteristics in hair lambs. Twenty four intact males, 12 Pelibuey × Dorper (PDo) and 12 Pelibuey × Damara (PDa) lambs, 17.9 ± 3.7 kg initial weight, were housed in individual pens for a 60-d feeding trial. The lambs were assigned randomly into four diets: control without additives (C); 25 µg/g monensin (M); 28 µg/g salinomycin (S); 28 µg/g S for 20 d, and 25 µg/g M for the next 40 d (SM). Each diet was supplied to six lambs. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, with four diets and two breed types of hair lambs (PDo and PDa). All diets were formulated to contain 14% CP and 2.6 Mcal ME/kg dry matter. At the end of the feeding trial carcass images were recorded in the last intercostal space (12th and 13th ribs) using ultrasound equipment to measure the Longissimus dorsi muscle area and subcutaneous fat (SF). The average daily gain (ADG), daily dry matter intake, feed:gain ratio, subcutaneous fat and Longissimus dorsi area were not affected by ionophore supplementation.. The Pelibuey × Dorper group tended to show better average daily gain than Pelibuey × Damara (262 g/d and 235 g/d, respectively). Daily dry matter intake, feed:gain ratio and subcutaneous fat were not affected by breed type. The Pelibuey × Dorper lambs had greater Longissimus dorsi area (16.74 cm²) than the Pelibuey × Damara (14.29 cm²) lambs. The growth rate was not influenced by the inclusion of ionophores. Pelibuey × Dorper lambs showed better average daily gain and carcass characteristics than Pelibuey × Damara lambs.


1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 791-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. RAHNEFELD ◽  
H. T. FREDEEN ◽  
G. M. WEISS ◽  
J. A. NEWMAN ◽  
J. E. LAWSON

Carcass characteristics of 3673 steers and heifers born over a 6-yr period 1973–1978 at Brandon, Manitoba (farm conditions) and Manyberries, Alberta (range conditions) were compared. Calves weaned at Manyberries were fed and evaluated at Lacombe. The progeny were out of 10 specific F1 crosses of dams mated to bulls of the Charolais (C), Simmental (S), Limousin (L) and Chianina (Chi) breeds. Dam crosses included the Hereford × Angus (HA) and crosses sired by C, S and L sires out of H, A and Shorthorn (N) dams. Breed of sire of dam effects indicated that progeny from S cross cows generally had the heaviest carcasses S = C > L, the greatest carcass weight per day of age S = C > L, the highest percentage of dissected bone of the round S > C > L and rib S > C = L, the highest proportions of brisket S > L > C and flank S > L = C, and carried more kidney fat (percent liveweight) S > C = L and average rib fat S > C = L. Progeny from Limousin and Charolais cross cows had the highest dressing percentage [Formula: see text] and rib eye area/100 kg carcass wieght L > C > S while those from Limousin cross cows had the highest proportion of long loin and the combined lean cuts (rib, round and long loin) a higher percentage of dissected lean in the round L > C > S and the highest lean-to-bone ratio L > C > S. Progeny from dams of Shorthorn breeding generally had the heaviest carcasses, the greatest carcass weight per day of age, the highest percentage kidney fat and at Brandon the greatest proportions of plate and brisket. Hereford cross dams consistently produced progeny with the highest percentage head H = A > N, hide [Formula: see text], feet H > A = N, percentage bone in the long loin [Formula: see text], round [Formula: see text], and rib [Formula: see text], and the highest percentage lean in the long loin H > N (Brandon) and chuck H > N (Brandon). The progeny from Angus cross dams carried the greatest average rib fat [Formula: see text], had the greatest rib eye area/100 kg carcass weight [Formula: see text], the highest percentage lean in the round [Formula: see text], and the highest lean to bone ratio A > H = N. Key words: Cattle, breeds, carcass, cuts, composition


1959 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. MacDonald ◽  
S. B. Slen ◽  
H. J. Hargrave

Bulls of Charbray breeding and Hereford bulls were turned out with a commercial herd of Hereford cows in southwestern Saskatchewan in 1956. It was assumed the cows were bred at random. At weaning in 1957, 25 Charbray × Hereford (crossbred) steers and 25 Hereford steers were selected at random, weighed and removed to a commercial feed lot where they were fed in two groups to a desirable slaughter finish.Crossbred steers were heavier at weaning, gained more per day on feed and returned a higher hot carcass weight with a greater eye of lean area than Hereford steers. There was no significant difference between groups in dressing percentage, average thickness of rib fat, TDN consumption per pound of liveweight gain, or average muscle fibre diameters of samples taken from m. longissimus dorsi. The Hereford group produced a higher proportion of choice carcasses than the Charbray × Hereford group.


Author(s):  
B. E. Ditle ◽  
J. W. Ng’ambi ◽  
D. Norris ◽  
O. J. Alabi

A study was conducted to determine the growth performance and carcass characteristics of indigenous Venda chickens fed a grower’s diet supplemented with varying levels of garlic meal. The study was based on four diets containing similar energy but different garlic meal supplementation levels of 0, 10, 15 and 25 g/kg DM. At 50 to 91 days, all the growth and carcass parameters measured were improved (P less than 0.05) by garlic meal supplementation. Feed intake, growth rate, feed conversion ratio, live weight, carcass weight, dressing percent, breast meat, thigh, drumstick, gizzard and fat pad weights of Venda chickens were optimized at different garlic meal supplementation levels of 14.7, 15.8, 8.0, 16.4, 14.2, 12.7, 11.2, 12.7, 8.2, 10.5 and 15.1, respectively. These findings have implications on ration formulation for indigenous Venda chickens. Thus, it was concluded that garlic meal supplementation improved feed intake, growth rate, live weight and carcass weight of Venda chickens.


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