Author
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Cundiff, Larry |
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Submitted to: Integrated Resource Management Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 8/19/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: The livestock and meat industry is under increasing pressure to reduce fat while maintaining tenderness and palatability of its products. In the case of slaughter cattle, considerable variation exits in composition of beef carcasses and tenderness of product, a significant part of which is genetic in origin. In this paper, results from the Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) and Germplasm Utilization (GPU) Programs at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, Nebraska are reviewed to assess how differences among breeds can be utilized to optimize carcass and meat characteristics in beef cattle. Technical Abstract: When it is most economical to finish steers on diets with relatively high energy density in temperate climatic regions (e.g., Nebraska), it is concluded that: Steers representing larger-leaner biological types produce carcasses that excel in percentage of retail product; but possess less than optimum levels of marbling and heavier than optimum carcass weights (e.g., purebreds or crosses among Continental breeds such as Chianina, Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, Gelbvieh, Braunvieh, Salers, and Maine Anjou). Biological types of more moderate size with higher genetic potential for marbling produce carcasses with excessive fat thickness and fat trim and relatively low retail product percentages (e.g., purebreds or crosses among British breeds such as Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn and Red Poll). Genetic potential for retail product percentage, marbling and carcass weight are more nearly optimized in cattle with 50:50 ratios of Continental lto British inheritance. |
