Regrouping unfamiliar animals in the weeks prior to slaughter has few effects on physiology and meat quality in Bos taurus feedlot steers

I. G. Colditz; D. M. Ferguson; P. L. Greenwood; V. J. Doogan; J. C. Petherick; R. J. Kilgour

doi:10.1071/EA05114

RESEARCH FRONT (Open Access)

Regrouping unfamiliar animals in the weeks prior to slaughter has few effects on physiology and meat quality in Bos taurus feedlot steers

I. G. Colditz ^A ^B ^G , D. M. Ferguson ^A ^B , P. L. Greenwood ^A ^C , V. J. Doogan ^A ^C , J. C. Petherick ^A ^E and R. J. Kilgour ^A ^F

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef Quality, University of New England, NSW 2351, Australia.

^B CSIRO Livestock Industries, F. D. McMaster Laboratory, Locked Bag 1, Post Office Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.

^C NSW Agriculture, Beef Industry Centre, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

^D Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Locked Bag 4, Moorooka, Qld 4015, Australia.

^E Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, PO Box 6014, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia.

^F NSW Agriculture, Agricultural Research Centre, PMB 19, Trangie, NSW 2832, Australia.

^G Corresponding author. Email: ian.colditz@csiro.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(7) 763-769 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05114
Submitted: 4 April 2005 Accepted: 14 December 2006 Published: 2 July 2007

Abstract

The response of cattle to alterations in social groupings can lead to physiological changes that affect meat quality. Feedlot practices frequently lead to a proportion of cattle in a pen being drafted for slaughter with the balance retained for a further period until they meet market specifications. An ability to regroup such retained cattle for short periods without consequences for meat quality would facilitate efficient use of feedlot pen space. The current experiment examined the impact on physiological variables and meat quality of regrouped British breed steers 4, 2 or 1 week before dispatch for slaughter. There was little effect of regrouping cattle on physiological variables associated with stress responses. Physical assessment of meat quality indicated that regrouping steers 1 week before slaughter led to higher compression and a tendency for higher peak force values in animals from one genotype than in their respective controls (1.89 v. 1.71 ± 0.05 kg, P = 0.017); however, these assessments were not matched by changes in sensory perception of meat quality. Average daily gain during feedlot finishing was negatively related to the temperament measure and flight time. It was also associated with breed, white cell count, plasma cortisol and haemoglobin at the midpoint of the 70-day finishing period. The results confirm the impact of flight time on growth rate during feedlot finishing and that regrouping cattle less than 2 weeks before slaughter may reduce meat quality.

Additional keywords: animal welfare, temperament.

Acknowledgements

The skilled and dedicated assistance of Reid Geddes and his colleagues at ‘Tullimba’ Cattle Research Facility, and David Paull, Brad Hine, Callum Mack, Dominic Niemeyer, Keryn Hutton, Reg Woodgate, Bill Johns, Steve Sinclair, Joe Brunner, Stuart McClelland, Janet Stark and the late Brian Anderson is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Rod Polkinghorne from Meat Standards Australia for coordinating the consumer sensory evaluations.

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