Effects of differences in level of post-weaning nutrition and in sire expected progeny differences for ribeye area on retail cuts yield in Hereford steers
Daniela Correa A , Mario Lema A , Olga Ravagnolo A , Juan Clariget A , Santiago Luzardo A and Gustavo Brito
A B
A Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Ruta 5 km 386, Tacuarembó, 45000, Uruguay.
B Corresponding author. Email: gbrito@inia.org.uy
Animal Production Science 61(2) 172-178 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19604
Submitted: 25 October 2019 Accepted: 25 September 2020 Published: 15 October 2020
Abstract
Context: Uninterrupted nutrient uptake and the use of bulls with high genetic merit for carcass traits may increase the likelihood of producing high-quality retail cuts for different markets.
Aim: The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the combined effects of level of nutrition during the 104-day post-weaning winter period (WADG; low-L: 0.2 vs high-H: 0.6 kg/calf per day) and level of expected progeny differences (EPD) for ribeye area (REA; high-H or average-Av) on carcass traits and retail cuts of Hereford steers.
Methods: Three crops of calves (n = 317) were selected according to REA (H-REA vs Av-REA), blocked for weaning weight (WW) and randomly allotted to one of the two WADG treatments (L-WADG vs H-WADG) for 104 days. Experimental design was a completely random block and the treatments were the combination of two factors (2 × 2). After winter (L-WADG and H-WADG groups), all calves grazed on improved pastures (herbage allowance: 5% of liveweight (LW) per day). The finishing was done on a feedlot and started when the group average of animals reached a full LW (FLW) of 350 ± 28 kg. Cattle were harvested at a constant final FLW of 525 ± 40 kg.
Key results: No interaction was observed (P > 0.05) between WADG and REA for carcass traits. Animals with H-WADG presented higher (P < 0.05) hot carcass weight (HCW) and dressing-out (%) than L-WADG. High REA and H-WADG steers showed higher weight (kg) in the rump and loin, striploin, sirloin, and lean component in the pistola cut (P < 0.01). Likewise, H-REA and H-WADG presented a greater proportion of rump and loin (P < 0.01) and lean (%) (P < 0.05) than Av-REA and L-WADG, respectively.
Conclusions: The combined effects of greater post-weaning winter gains and high REA EPD allow slaughter of younger steer with greater lean proportion and retail cuts.
Implications: No interaction between the REA and WADG allows producers to plan economic benefits through a higher WADG in the first winter phase as well as using superior bulls for carcass traits to achieve heavier retail cuts.
Keywords: beef cattle, carcass composition, expected progeny differences, genetic merit of ribeye area, growth, meat export, REA.
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