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Heterosis and Breed Maternal and Transmitted Effects in Beef Cattle IV. Carcass Traits of Steers^1,2,3,6,7,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933 and University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 68583

Abstract

Data were analyzed on slaughter weight (SW, kg), hot carcass weight (CW, kg), USDA quality grade (QG), adjusted fat thickness at 12th rib (AFT, cm), estimated kidney and pelvic fat (KPF%), longissimus area (LA, cm²), estimated cutability (EC%), percent estimated retail product (ERP%), estimated retail product weight (ERP, kg), estimated fat trim (EFT, kg), and estimated bone (EB, kg) adjusted to an age constant basis of 453.2 days on 537 carcasses from steers produced in 1973 and 1974 in a four-breed diallel crossing design including the Red Poll, Brown Swiss (European and domestic), Hereford and Angus breeds to estimate heterosis and breed maternal and transmitted effects on major economic traits of beef cattle.

Heterosis effects for the mean of the six crosses were significant for SW, CW, AFT, ERP weight, EFT and EB. Differences in breed mean heterosis (
) were not generally important.

Reciprocal differences were significant in favor of Red Poll and Brown Swiss dams for SW, CW, ERP weight, EFT and EB in crosses with Hereford and Angus breeds, except (P>.05) for ERP weight in the Red Poll-Hereford reciprocal cross. Breed maternal effects (
) were greatest in Red Poll and Brown Swiss breeds for carcass traits associated with weight.

The Brown Swiss breed ranked first and the Red Poll breed last in breed transmitted effects (
) for carcass traits associated with weight. The Angus breed1 ranked first in
for carcass QG and for other carcass traits associated with carcass fatness.

The Brown Swiss breed in crosses (_i) had significantly higher SW, CW, EC, ERP %, ERP weight, greater LA and lower AFT than the three other breeds in crosses. Differences between the Red Poll and Hereford breeds in crosses (_i) were not generally important for major carcass traits on an age constant basis. The Angus breed in crosses exhibited a higher level of fatness than the Hereford and Red Poll breeds in crosses.

When carcass traits were adjusted to a constant carcass weight of 270.9 kg, heterosis effects and reciprocal differences were not important. Thus, the heterosis and reciprocal effects observed on an age constant basis were related to growth rate. The
were important for the traits associated with carcass composition after adjustments were made for the effects of weight; these results reflect important breed differences in additive effects of genes on carcass traits independent of carcass weight. The
were not important after carcass traits were adjusted for the effects of weight. The _i on a carcass weight constant basis were similar to differences in
.

¹ Published as Paper No. 5462 Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Lincoln.

² This paper was prepared while the senior author was in residence as a Visiting Professor on the faculty of the Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843, through an assignment of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act.

³ The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful suggestions of G. E. Dickerson in the analysis of the data and in the presentation of results.

⁶ Contribution from Regional Project NC-1, Improvement of Beef Cattle Through Breeding Methods.

⁷ The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of personnel from the Department of Animal Science, Kansas State University and from the Livestock Division, Agricultural Marketing Service in the collection of carcass data.

⁴ U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Science and Education Administration, Clay Center, NE 68933.

⁵ Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE 68933.

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