| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
* Livestock Systems Alliance, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy SA 5371, Australia, and
and
Struan Research Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Naracoorte SA 5271, Australia
2 Correspondence:
(phone: +61 8 83037642; fax: + 61 8 83037972; E-mail:
Wayne.Pitchford{at}adelaide.edu.au).
Mature Hereford cows (766) were mated to 97 sires from seven breeds (Jersey, Wagyu, Angus, Hereford, South Devon, Limousin, and Belgian Blue), resulting in 1,215 calves born over 4 yr (1994 to 1997). These cattle comprised Australia’s "Southern Crossbreeding Project." Heifers were slaughtered at an average of 16 mo with hot standard carcass weight of 219 kg and 9 mm fat over the rump. Steers were slaughtered at an average of 23 mo with carcass weight of 319 kg and 13 mm fat over the rump. Meat and fat samples were taken from the carcass on the day after slaughter for subsequent laboratory analysis of i.m. fat content and fatty acid composition. Data were analyzed using uni- and bivariate animal models containing fixed effects of cohort, management group, birth month, and sire breed. March-born calves had fat with a 0.5°C lower melting point, 0.6% higher total monounsaturated fatty acids, and 0.7% higher fatty acid desaturation index than calves born in April. Steers born in 1997 were the only cohort finished on pasture, and they had much more yellow fat than the other cohorts. Four heavy breed crosses (Angus, South Devon, Limousin, and Belgian Blue) averaged 284 kg carcass weight, followed by purebred Hereford (268 kg), Wagyu (244 kg) and Jersey (236 kg). Angus had the greatest fat depth (14.3 mm), ahead of Hereford and Wagyu (11.9 mm), Jersey (10.7 mm), South Devon and Limousin (9.9 mm) and Belgian Blue (8.0 mm). Jersey, Wagyu, and Angus had the most i.m. fat (4.6%), followed by Hereford and South Devon (3.8%), and Limousin and Belgian Blue (3.1%). The highly marbled Jersey and Wagyu had softer fat (6% lower fat melting point) than the other breeds. Angus were more highly marbled, similar to Jersey and Wagyu, but had harder fat similar to the leaner breeds. Heritabilities for all traits were low to moderate (16 to 36%). Genetic correlations between fatty acid composition and carcass traits were not significant, indicating little evidence of antagonisms between traits that would prevent genetic progress in both production and quality.
Key Words: Beef Cattle • Fatty Acids • Genetic Parameters
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  R. M. Ibrahim, D. E. Goll, J. A. Marchello, G. C. Duff, V. F. Thompson, S. W. Mares, and H. A. Ahmad Effect of two dietary concentrate levels on tenderness, calpain and calpastatin activities, and carcass merit in Waguli and Brahman steers J Anim Sci, June 1, 2008; 86(6): 1426 - 1433. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. K. Esmailizadeh, C. D. K. Bottema, G. S. Sellick, A. P. Verbyla, C. A. Morris, N. G. Cullen, and W. S. Pitchford Effects of the myostatin F94L substitution on beef traits J Anim Sci, May 1, 2008; 86(5): 1038 - 1046. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Noci, P. French, F. J. Monahan, and A. P. Moloney The fatty acid composition of muscle fat and subcutaneous adipose tissue of grazing heifers supplemented with plant oil-enriched concentrates J Anim Sci, April 1, 2007; 85(4): 1062 - 1073. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
X. J. Yang, E. Albrecht, K. Ender, R. Q. Zhao, and J. Wegner Computer image analysis of intramuscular adipocytes and marbling in the longissimus muscle of cattle J Anim Sci, December 1, 2006; 84(12): 3251 - 3258. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Casas and L. V. Cundiff Postweaning growth and carcass traits in crossbred cattle from Hereford, Angus, Norwegian Red, Swedish Red and White, Friesian, and Wagyu maternal grandsires J Anim Sci, February 1, 2006; 84(2): 305 - 310. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Rios-Utrera, L. V. Cundiff, K. E. Gregory, R. M. Koch, M. E. Dikeman, M. Koohmaraie, and L. D. Van Vleck Genetic analysis of carcass traits of steers adjusted to age, weight, or fat thickness slaughter endpoints J Anim Sci, April 1, 2005; 83(4): 764 - 776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. L. Wheeler, L. V. Cundiff, S. D. Shackelford, and M. Koohmaraie Characterization of biological types of cattle (Cycle VI): Carcass, yield, and longissimus palatability traits J Anim Sci, April 1, 2004; 82(4): 1177 - 1189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
