Differences in dry-matter intake and composition of gain between 35 Simmental bulls and 35 Simmental steers were examined. All bulls and 15 steers were slaughtered after 167 days on food and the remaining steers were slaughtered after 224 days. Bulls ate more food daily than steers (P < 0·1) but drymatter intake per unit of metabolic body weight (kg M0·75) was not different between groups (T > 0·1). Bulls had greater estimated rates of protein accretion than steers (P < 0·001) but estimated fat accretion rates were not different. These data suggest that voluntary food intakes do not differ between bulls and steers of equal weight and indicate that bulls are leaner than steers due to greater lean tissue accumulation rather than less fat deposition.

The food conversion and meat quality of 10 Aberdeen Angus and 10 Charolais crossbred heifers, about 18 to 20 months of age, was measured. The animals were finished using diet of hay and concentrates for up to 10 weeks prior to slaughter at either fat class or 4L using the Meat and Livestock Commission scheme. There were no significant breed differences in food conversion. Post slaughter, samples of muscle from the L. dorsi over the 11 to 12th rib from all heifers were used for sensory evaluation using a trained taste panel. The muscle from heifers in fat class 4L showed an increased flavour intensity compared with those in fat class 3 (P < 0·05). No other differences in sensory characteristics were found. The measurement of muscle fibre areas in the L. dorsi revealed no significant differences, suggesting a similarity in the texture of the meat from the breeds when slaughtered at the same age.

An experiment was carried out over successive years (1982 and 1983) to measure the extent to which live-weight advantage as a result of feeding in the dry season was maintained during the subsequent wet season at pasture. Two ages of Brahman steer (weaners and yearlings) were kept on three dry season treatments (molasses, sugar cane or grazing only) from January to May and then turned out to pasture as a single group until November. Although the molasses and sugar cane treatments produced significantly higher live-weight gains during the dry season the resultant weight advantage at turn-out was largely reduced during the wet season due to compensatory growth exhibited by previously restricted animals. Yearlings were less able to compensate than weaners.

Ninety Awassi ewes managed at different levels were used to study the effect of live weight mating on fertility over 3 years in semi-arid north-west Syria. During the 56-day pre-mating period fertile ewes had higher daily live-weight gains than infertile ewes (P < 0·01), frequency of oestrous cycles increased as live weight increased (P < 0·001) and fertile ewes tended to have more frequent oestruses than infertile ewes (P > 0·05). Ewe fertility was related (r = 0·87) to live weight at mating and twinning reached a maximum (four per 100 ewes lambing) in 51· to 56-kg ewes then decreased fP > 0·05). Maximum fertility can be expected in Awassi ewes weighing over 48 kg at mating in north-west Syria.

Six castrated male sheep were used to measure the apparent digestibility of fodder beet roots when included at two concentrations (610 and 490 glkg) in a feeding regimen in which the only other component was a standard complete diet of known digestibility. Mean digestibility coefficients for organic matter and gross energy for the beet were calculated to be 0·962 and 0·953 respectively. Digestible and metabolizable energy values (MJIkg DM) were calculated to be 16·0 and 13·1 respectively.