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Meat Yields from Holstein Veal Calves

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York²

Abstract

A total of 51 Holstein calves were slaughtered within three liveweight groups as follows: I. initial weight, bob calves with a mean weight of 44.3 kg., II. calves reared to a mean weight of 89.5 kg. and III. calves reared to a mean weight of 131.2 kilograms. The two heavier weight groups were raised on commercial milk replacer rations which contained 20 to 24% protein and 16 to 25% fat. Mean dressing percents and standard errors for the calves in order of increasing weight groups were 58.3°0.7, 60.9°0.4 and 63.2°0.7, respectively. Livers expressed as percent of liveweight were significantly heavier (2.7°0.1) from Group I calves than from Group II calves (2.2°0.1) and Group III calves (2.1°0.1). The initial weight calves had a significantly larger proportion of carcass weight in foresaddle and in wholesale legs. Conversely, the initial weight, bob calves were significantly lower in percent of carcass weight as hindsaddle and lower in percent of carcass weight as back. The percent of boneless meat from the carcass and from all selected wholesale cuts significantly increased with increasing carcass weight. Yields of boneless meat from the carcasses were 16.8 kg.°0.5, 39.7 kg.°0.5 and 62.7 kg.°0.9, respectively, in the three slaughter weight groups. Expressed as percents of carcass weights, the yields of boneless meat were 64.4°0.4, 74.2°0.2 and 76.0°0.4. A significant decrease in the water content of the boneless tissue with increasing carcass weight was compensated by a significant increase in percent of ether extract. The percent of protein decreased significantly then increased nonsignificantly with increasing live-weight. Differences in percent ash were essentially negligible although the tissue of Group I calves contained a significantly lower percent of ash.

¹ Present address: Meat and Animal Science Department, University of Wisconsin. This paper represents part of a thesis submitted to the Graduate School, Cornell University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the M.S. degree. The research reported was supported by funds from Hatch Project No. 104.

² Department of Animal Science.