Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T03:33:53.246Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Dietary effects on beef composition: I. Quantitative and qualitative carcass traits*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. R. Garrigus
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097
H. R. Johnson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097
N. W. Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097
N. L. Firth
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097
R. B. Harrington
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097
M. D. Judge
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097

Summary

Suppressed development of edible portion in carcasses from cattle fed hay during the early feeding period (216–340 kg live weight) was followed by compensatory growth during the intermediate (341–409 kg live weight) and final (410–454 kg live weight) periods. However, when silage in the early feeding period was followed by corn concentrate in the intermediate period, no increased ‘edible portion’ development was achieved beyond that produced by continuous silage. The final feeding period (corn concentrate) resulted in a decline in ‘edible portion’ percentage in cattle that previously received concentrate in the intermediate period whereas those that previously received silage remained at about the same percentage.

Cattle fed hay during the early period had less (P > 0·01) carcass weight, less (P > 0·01) fat cover, and more (P > 0·01) reticulo-rumen weight than those fed corn silage for the same period, regardless of slaughter weight.

In the heavy (409 and 454 kg) slaughter groups, cattle fed silage in the early period had higher (P > 0>05) marbling scores than those fed hay. Feeding silage in the intermediate period resulted in lower colour (P > 0·01) and firmness (P > 0·01) scores in the longissimus dorsi muscle than feeding concentrate at that time. The dietary regimes used in these studies resulted in widely varying growth rates among treatments with consequential differences in the average age of the animal groups at slaughter. Therefore, the treatment effects observed seem to be easily explicable on the basis of age differences.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Guenther, J. J., Pope, L. S., Odeli, G. V. & Morrison, R. D. (1962). The growth and development of beef calves from weaning to slaughter weight with reference to the effect of plane of nutrition. Misc. Publs Okla. agric. Exp. Stn. Mp·67.Google Scholar
Hammond, , John, (1955). Progress in the Physiology of Farm Animals, vol. 2. London: Butterworths Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Henrickson, R. L., Pope, L. S. & Hendbickson, R. F. (1965). Effect of rate of gain of fattening beef calves on carcass composition. J. Anim. Sci. 24, 507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, H. R., Garrigus, R. R., Howard, R. D., Firth, N. L., Harrington, R. B. & Judge, M. D. (1969). Dietary effects on beef composition. II. Quantity and distribution of fat. J. agr. Sci., Camb. 72, 297.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthews, , Doyle, J. & Bennett, , James, A. (1962). Effect of pre-slaughter rate of gain upon tenderness and other carcass characteristics of beef. J. Anim. Sci. 21, 738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moulton, C. Robebt, Trowbridge, P. F. & Haigh, L. D. (1922). Studies in animal nutrition. II. Changes in proportions of carcass and offal on different planes of nutrition. Res. Bull. Mo. agric. Exp. Stn.. 54.Google Scholar
Ostle, B. (1963). Statistics in Research, 2nd ed.Ames, Iowa: Iowa State College Press.Google Scholar
Trowbridge, P. F., Moulton, C. R. & Haigh, L. D.(1918). Effect of limited food supply on the growth of young beef animals. Res. Bull. Mo. agric. Exp. Stn. 28.Google Scholar
Trowbbidge, P. F., Moulton, C. R. & Haigh, L. D. (1919). Composition of beef animal and energy cost of fattening. Res. Bull Mo. agric. Exp. Stn., 30.Google Scholar
Wellington, G. H., Reid, J. T., Bratzler, L. J. & Milleb, J. L. (1954). Body composition and carcass changes of young cattle. J. Anim. Sci.(Abstr.) 13, 973.Google Scholar