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Characterization of Cattle of a Five Breed Diallel. V. Breed and Heterosis Effects on Carcass Merit

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station 77843

Abstract

Carcass data from bulls of five breeds: Angus, Brahman, Hereford, Holstein and Jersey, and their crosses (reciprocals pooled) were analyzed for this study. Data were from 107 individually fed and 206 group-fed bulls that ranged from 12 to 24 mo of age at slaughter. Breedtype means and average heterosis estimates are reported for thoracic depth, round thickness, chuck thickness, carcass length, longissimus muscle area, fat thickness, kidney, pelvic and heart fat weight (KPH), carcass weight, conformation score, marbling score, final grade and estimated percentage boneless retail cuts. The proportion of estimated respective breedtype mature size at slaughter was used as a covariate, to compare breedtypes at similar physiological end points. The Holsteins were longest and deepest bodied among the straightbreds, while Brahmans were thickest in the round and Herefords were thickest in the chuck. Herefords ranked last for length and depth of carcass, although few significant differences among straightbreds were found. The Jerseys had significantly less longissimus muscle area than all other breedtypes. Holsteins and Jerseys had less (P<.05) external fat than the other straightbreds, but no differences were detected for KPH fat. The dairy breeds had intermediate amounts of KPH fat. Herefords and Angus ranked high for conformation score, marbling score and final grade; Holsteins and Jerseys ranked low in these characters. Brahmans, Holsteins and Angus ranked above Jerseys and Herefords for estimated cutability, but none of the five straightbreds was significantly different from any other. Estimates of heterosis for the linear carcass measurements, longissimus muscle area and weight were positive and indicated an advantage for the crossbreds. Estimates for KPH fat and marbling indicated that the crossbreds were fatter, but the estimate of heterosis for fat thickness was negative. Heterosis estimates for the quality factors were all small in magnitude and suggest little difference between straightbreds and crossbreds in this study. A single breedtype was not superior in more than a few characters and for many characters very few significant differences were observed.

¹ Present address: Texas A&M Univ. Agr. Res. and Ext. Center at Overton, TX.

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