Effects of backgrounding and finishing growth rates on P8 fat and intramuscular fat in Bos taurus steers
M. J. McPhee A B E , S. Harden A C , D. L. Robinson A B , R. W. Dicker A D and V. H. Oddy A BA Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies.
B NSW Department of Primary Industries, Beef Industry Centre of Excellence, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
C NSW Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Crop Improvement, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.
D NSW Department of Primary Industries, Research and Advisory Station, PMB, Glen Innes, NSW 2370, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: malcolm.mcphee@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Animal Production Science 52(5) 354-364 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN11184
Submitted: 24 August 2011 Accepted: 9 February 2012 Published: 10 May 2012
Abstract
The present study investigates the effects of backgrounding and finishing growth rates of Bos taurus steers grown out on three post-weaning growth pathways, across 4 years (1995–1998) on fat deposition. Scanned P8 fat at backgrounding exit (SP8exit), scanned P8 fat before slaughter (SP8sla) and carcass intramuscular fat (IMF, %) were evaluated. Four equations to predict SP8sla and four equations to predict carcass IMF across years were developed. Three post-weaning growth pathways (GPs) generated by different nutritional treatments across years were used in the study. Growth pathways were created by backgrounding steers on pasture with no supplementation (GP1), pasture plus supplementary feeding formulated pellets (GP2) or pasture with access to a forage crop (GP3). The steers were then finished in a feedlot or on pasture to slaughter weights of 520 kg (Korean market specification) or 600 kg (Japanese market specification). Cubic smoothing splines were fitted to the liveweight of all animals from the start of backgrounding until slaughter. Backgrounding growth rates were interpolated off the GP curves and the mean average daily gain (ADG, kg/day) at Day 100 (D100, Days 100–91 before relocation to the finishing phase), and Day 150 (D150, Days 150–141 before relocation to the finishing phase) were calculated. Significant (P < 0.01) differences between SP8exit and backgrounding ADG (BADG) were detected in all years except GP2 v. GP3 in 1997. GP1 steers had the lowest BADG across all years, ranging from 0.39 to 0.88 kg/day. At backgrounding exit, the mean SP8exit for the different GPs was ranked, with GP1 < GP3 for all years, with significant (P < 0.01) differences among GP1, GP2 and GP3 in all years except 1996. At the end of finishing, the mean carcass IMF over all years and finish (pasture and feedlot) (P < 0.05) was 4.71% for GP1 v. 5.09% for GP3 for Korean market steers and the mean SP8sla (P < 0.01) was 14.59 mm for GP1 v. 16.04 mm for GP3 and the mean carcass IMF (P < 0.01) was 5.54% for GP1 v. 6.27% for GP3 for Japanese market steers. The residual correlation of the multivariate response variables, namely, D100, D150 and BADG v. SP8exit (n = 1054), SP8sla (n = 1049) and carcass IMF (n = 1002), indicated that the highest correlations, all significant (P < 0.01), were 0.33, 0.20 and 0.12 for BADG v. SP8exit, SP8sla and carcass IMF, respectively. The residual variances (mm2) of the four SP8sla equations were 6.14, 7.44, 8.72 and 10.73 for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively, and the residual variances (%2) for the four carcass IMF equations were 2.51, 2.26, 1.75 and 0.84, for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively.
Additional keywords: cattle, growth pathways, subcutaneous fat.
References
Allingham PG, Harper GS, Hunter RA (1998) Effect of growth path on the tenderness of the semitendinosus muscle of Brahman-cross steers. Meat Science 48, 65–73.| Effect of growth path on the tenderness of the semitendinosus muscle of Brahman-cross steers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3MbnsFaquw%3D%3D&md5=ccfd62075a0b0acebc63cb20559e854aCAS |
Carstens GE, Johnson DE, Ellenberger MA, Tatum JD (1991) Physical and chemical components of the empty body during compensatory growth in beef steers. Journal of Animal Science 69, 3251–3264.
Dicker RW, Ayres JF, McPhee MJ, Robinson DL, Turner AD, Wolcott ML, Kamphorst PG, Harden S, Oddy VH (2001) Post-weaning growth of cattle in northern New South Wales. 2. Growth pathways of steers. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 971–979.
| Post-weaning growth of cattle in northern New South Wales. 2. Growth pathways of steers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dikeman ME, Dayton AD, Hunt MC, Kastner CL, Axe JB, Ilg HJ (1985) Conventional versus accelerated beef production with carcass electrical stimulation. Journal of Animal Science 61, 573–583.
Duckett SK, Neel JPS, Sonon RN, Fontenot JP, Clapham WM, Scaglia G (2007) Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: II. Ninth tenth eleventh-rib composition, muscle color, and palatability. Journal of Animal Science 85, 2691–2698.
| Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: II. Ninth tenth eleventh-rib composition, muscle color, and palatability.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhtFSjtrnJ&md5=771d3ef1a5951cf23b40b23285392a47CAS |
Gilmour AR, Gogel GB, Cullis BR, Thompson R (2009) ‘ASReml user guide release 3.0.’ (VSN International Ltd: Hemel Hempstead, UK)
Harper GS, Allingham PG, Le Feuvre RP (1999) Changes in connective tissue of M. semitendinosus as a response to different growth paths in steers. Meat Science 53, 107–114.
| Changes in connective tissue of M. semitendinosus as a response to different growth paths in steers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXksVaqtL4%3D&md5=b9a9dbd584cfe7e4a396bf55747d4869CAS |
Hedrick HB, Paterson JA, Matches AG, Thomas JD, Morrow RE, Stringer WG, Lipsey RJ (1983) Carcass and palatability characteristics of beef produced on pasture, corn silage and corn grain. Journal of Animal Science 57, 791–801.
Herd RM, Oddy VH (1997) Concluding remarks. In ‘Growth and development of cattle’. (Eds DW Hennessy, SR McLennan, VH Oddy) pp. 129–132. (Cattle and Beef Industry Co-operative Research Centre (Meat Quality), University of New England: Armidale, NSW)
Keele JW, Williams CB, Bennett GL (1992) A computer model to predict the effects of level of nutrition on composition of empty body gain in beef cattle: I. Theory and development. Journal of Animal Science 70, 841–857.
McPhee MJ, Oltjen JW, Fadel JG, Sainz RD (2007a) Simulation model of fat deposition and distribution in beef steers: 3. Model description and development. Journal of Animal Science 85, 609
McPhee MJ, Oltjen JW, Fadel JG, Sainz RD (2007b) Simulation model of fat deposition and distribution in beef steers: 4. Model evaluation. Journal of Animal Science 85, 609
Muir PD, Smith NB, Dobbie PM, Smith DR, Bown MD (2001) Effects of growth pathway on beef quality in 18-month-old Angus and South Devon × Angus pasture-fed steers. Animal Science (Penicuik, Scotland) 72, 297–308.
Oltjen JW, Garrett WN (1988) Effects of body weight, frame size and rate of gain on the composition of gain of beef steers. Journal of Animal Science 66, 1732–1738.
Owens FN, Dubeski P, Hanson CF (1993) Factors that alter the growth and development of ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 71, 3138–3150.
Owens FN, Gill DR, Secrist DS, Coleman SW (1995) A review of some aspects of growth and development of feedlot cattle. Journal of Animal Science 73, 3152–3172.
Perry D, Shorthose WR, Ferguson DM, Thompson JM (2001) Methods used in the CRC program for the determination of carcass yield and beef quality. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 953–957.
| Methods used in the CRC program for the determination of carcass yield and beef quality.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pinheiro J, Bates D, DebRoy S, Sarkar D, the R Core team (2008) ‘nlme: linear and nonlinear mixed effects models. R package version 3.’Available at http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/nlme/nlme.pdf [Verified 12 April 2012]
Pleasants AB, Barton RA, Ball AJ, Oddy VH (1998) Growth and carcass composition of Angus steers raised together from birth and managed on two post-weaning nutritional treatments. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 58, 252–255.
R Development Core Team (2009) ‘R: a language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna). Available at http://www.R-project.org [Verified 4 August 2009].
Robinson DL (2009) Experimental design for integrated research projects to estimate genetic and numerous treatment effects. Livestock Science 121, 300–307.
| Experimental design for integrated research projects to estimate genetic and numerous treatment effects.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Robinson DL, Oddy VH, Dicker RW, McPhee MJ (2001) Post-weaning growth of cattle in northern New South Wales. 3. Carry-over effects on finishing, carcass characteristics and intramuscular fat. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 1041–1050.
| Post-weaning growth of cattle in northern New South Wales. 3. Carry-over effects on finishing, carcass characteristics and intramuscular fat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ryan WJ (1990) Compensatory growth in cattle and sheep. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews 60, 653–664. [Series B]
Sainz RD, Vernazza Paganini RF (2004) Effects of different grazing and feeding periods on performance and carcass traits of beef steers. Journal of Animal Science 82, 292–297.
Simpfendorfer S (1974) Relationship of body type, size, sex, and energy intake to the body composition of cattle. PhD thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Slack-Smith A, Griffith G, Thompson J (2009) The cost of non-compliance to beef market specifications. Australasian Agribusiness Review 17, 178–190.
Upton W, Burrow HM, Dundon A, Robinson DL, Farrell EB (2001) CRC breeding program design, measurements and database: methods that underpin CRC research results. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 943–952.
| CRC breeding program design, measurements and database: methods that underpin CRC research results.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Verbyla AP, Cullis BR, Kenward MG, Welham SJ (1999) The analysis of designed experiments and longitudinal data by using smoothing splines. Applied Statistics 48, 269–311.
| The analysis of designed experiments and longitudinal data by using smoothing splines.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
