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Characterization of Cattle of a Five - Breed Diallel. IV. Slaughter and Carcass Characters of Serially Slaughtered Bulls

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station 77843

Abstract

Weights for defined body components were obtained from the serial slaughter of 197 bulls produced in a five-breed diallel involving Angus, Brahman, Hereford, Holstein and Jersey. Bulls representing each breedtype (reciprocals combined) were slaughtered at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months of age. Before analysis, the data were adjusted to mean slaughter age within slaughter group. Characters included in the analyses were slaughter and empty body weights, weights of the hard drop and soft drop, weights of chilled carcass hindquarter and forequarter and weights of closely trimmed lean, bone trim, fat trim and specified aggregates of these components. Weight of all characters increased with age of slaughter. The proportion of hard drop and soft drop in relation to empty body weight was greatest for cattle slaughtered at 6 months and smallest for the 30-month slaughter group. The proportion of chilled carcass relative to empty body weight was smallest for cattle slaughtered at 6 months and largest for those slaughtered at 30 months. Expression of secondary sex characteristics apparently increased weight of forequarter closely trimmed lean. Rank changes of breed -types across time were noted for most body components, including chilled carcass weight and empty body weight. These changes reflected differences in yield of hard drop and soft drop among the breedtypes. Brahman and Brahman crosses tended to rank highest in hard drop, while the greatest yield of soft drop was exhibited by Holstein and Holstein crosses. Holstein and Holstein crosses exhibited the most divergent developmentalpattern for weight of bone. Fat trim deposition appeared to contrast beef-type breeds and crosses versus dairy breeds and crosses. Angus, Hereford, and Angus X Hereford tended to yield more fat trim than other breedtypes (except Hereford X Jersey) at ages greater than 12 months.

¹ Present address: Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE 6893 3.