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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Genetics and Animal Breeding » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #141265
Title: EVALUATION OF POSTWEANING GROWTH AND CARCASS TRAITS IN CROSSBRED CATTLE FROM THE GERMPLASM EVALUATION PROJECT, CYCLE V-3

Author
item Casas, Eduardo
item Cundiff, Larry

Submitted to: World Congress of Genetics Applied in Livestock Production
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2002
Publication Date: 8/15/2002
Citation: CASAS, E., CUNDIFF, L.V. EVALUATION OF POSTWEANING GROWTH AND CARCASS TRAITS IN CROSSBRED CATTLE FROM THE GERMPLASM EVALUATION PROJECT, CYCLE V-3. WORLD CONGRESS OF GENETICS APPLIED IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION. Montpellier, France. CD-ROM Communication n° 02-74. 2002.

Interpretive Summary: The beef industry is under increasing pressure to improve the consistency of beef by reducing fat while improving palatability of beef products. One way to accomplish this is to utilize breeds of cattle that will more closely meet product targets. This project was designed to determine differences among beef breeds for carcass traits by evaluating carcasses of steers and heifers produced by mating F1 cows to Belgian Blue F1 or Charolais sires. F1 cows were obtained from mating Hereford, Angus and MARC III dams to Hereford or Angus, Tuli, Boran, Brahman or Belgian Blue sires. Differences were observed among grandsire breeds. Belgian Blue steers produced the leanest, heaviest muscled carcasses. British type cross carcasses were the fattest and least muscular. Marbling scores were highest for British type cattle and lowest for Brahman and Belgian Blue cross carcasses. Differences for most traits were observed for sire breed. Because of the large variation within and among breeds for most traits, sire and grandsire breed effects can be optimized by selection or use of appropriate crossbreeding system.

Technical Abstract: Sire and grandsire breed effects were evaluated for postweaning growth and carcass traits of 1422 animals obtained by mating F1 cows to Belgian Blue F1 or Charolais sires. F1 cows were obtained from mating Hereford, Angus and MARC III dams to Hereford or Angus, Tuli, Boran, Brahman or Belgian Blue sires. Grandsire breed was significant (P<.0008) for postweaning average daily gain (kg/d), live weight (kg), hot carcass weight (kg), fat depth (cm), longissimus muscle area (cm2), estimated kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (%), percent choice, marbling, USDA yield grade, retail product yield (%), retail product weight (kg), fat yield (%), fat weight (kg), bone yield (%), and bone weight (kg), were analyzed in this population. Sire breed was significant (P<.05) for all traits but estimated kidney, pelvic, and heart fat, retail product weight, and fat yield. Sire and grandsire breed effects can be optimized by selection and use of appropriate crossbreeding systems.