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Estimation of Bovine Carcass Composition by the Urea Dilution Technique

University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, So. Africa and Washington State University^,2, Pullman 99164

Abstract

One hundred and thirteen beef type steers of varying live weight and degrees of fatness were used to study the reliability and usefulness of urea space measured at varying times after urea infusion for estimating body composition in the live animal.

Urea space measured 12 min following urea infusion proved to be the best time as judged from correlation coefficients with rib soft tissue composition and carcass specific gravity; overall correlations with rib water, protein and fat, and carcass specific gravity were .84, .73, –.84 and .68, respectively. This was true also when the cattle were divided into groups according to age, cold carcass weight or fatness. Urea space, therefore, appears to be a reliable and practical measure for estimating body composition in the live animal.

When the data were arranged into four almost equal groups on the basis of increasing cold carcass weight, significant relationships between percentage of fat in the rib and urea space at 12 min were obtained in all the weight groups, indicating that urea space provides a valid estimate of carcass composition in all weight groups. Significant relationships between carcass specific gravity and urea space at 12 min were obtained in all but the lightest carcass weight group (mean rib fat content of approximately 14 to 15%). The percentage of fat in the rib was also strongly correlated with carcass specific gravity in all but the lightest carcass weight group. The results, therefore, provide good evidence that light weight carcasses or carcasses with a low degree of fatness do not give very reliable results with the specific gravity technique.

¹ Departments of Animal Science.

² Scientific Paper No. 4972, College of Agriculture Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman.

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