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Carcass Characteristics of Weanling Calves Grazed at Three Levels of Forage Availability^1,2,

Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Overton 75684

Abstract

Twelve heifers and 12 steer calves born in the fall were slaughtered at weaning at an average age of 259 days. Before weaning, calves grazed a bermudagrass-ryegrass-arrowleaf clover sward at three levels of forage availability (FA). Average daily gains (ADG) of cows and calves on the low, medium and high FA paddocks were –.25 and .67, –.02 and .76, and .47 and .97 kg (P<.05), respectively. The low, medium and high FA paddocks supported stocking rates of 6.27, 4.52 and 2.72 cow-calf units/ha (P<.05) and calf weaning weights of 236, 251 and 289 kg (P<.05), respectively. Carcasses of calves that had grazed high FA paddocks were fatter (P<.05) than carcasses of calves that had grazed low FA paddocks (5.08 vs 1.27 mm over the longissimus muscle) and their longissimus muscle areas were more than 18% larger (P<.05). Marbling scores and quality grades of carcasses from calves on high FA paddocks were 33 and 27% higher (P<.05), respectively, than those of calves on low FA paddocks. There were few significant differences in palatability-related traits of loin steaks from carcasses of calves on the three levels of FA. Also, except for juiciness, steaks from 22 grain-fed steers generally received higher (P<.05) taste panel scores and had lower shear force values than did steaks from carcass of any of the three FA groups of calves. Steer carcasses showed higher (P<.05) ADG and weaning weight and larger longissimus muscle areas than did heifer carcasses, whereas heifer carcasses had greater (P<.05) fat thickness over the longissimus muscle, more (P<.05) kidney, pelvic and heart (KPH) fat and a higher (P<.05) yield grade number (lower curability). There were no differences (P>.05) in other carcass characteristics or in any of the palatability-related traits of loin steaks from steers and heifers.

¹ Journal Paper TA 16453, Texas Agr. Exp. Sta.

² This study was supported in part by King Ranch, Inc., Kingsville, TX.

³ Anim. Sci. Dept., Texas A&M Univ., College Station.