Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T12:51:38.340Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Fat distribution in steer carcasses of different breeds and crosses. 1. Distribution between depots

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. J. Kempster
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, P.O. Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EF
A. Cuthbertson
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, P.O. Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EF
G. Harrington
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, P.O. Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EF
Get access

Summary

Dissection data from 643 carcasses of castrated male cattle (steers) of 15 breed-type × feeding system groups were used to examine the distribution of total fat (TF) between subcutaneous (SF), intermuscular (IF), kidney knob and channel (KKCF) and cod fat depots. The breed-type groups, which were from cereal or grass/cereal feeding systems, included Ayrshire, Simmental × Ayrshire, British Friesian and Friesian crosses with Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Limousin, Charolais, South Devon and Simmental. Means for percentage TF in side ranged from 21·4 to 36·2 with a pooled within group SD of 3·87.

The growth of each depot relative to TF was examined using the allometric equation. Significant but not large differences existed between groups for the growth coefficients of SF and IF while the coefficients for KKCF differed widely among groups. The coefficient for SF was greater than that for IF in every group (pooled within-group b values±SE were 1·20±·02 and 0·87±0·01 respectively).

At constant TF weight, carcasses from Ayrshire and Ayrshire crosses tended to contain less SF and more IF+KKC F than those from Friesian and beef breed × Friesian. Important differences in distribution were recorded between the various beef breed × Friesian groups. The proportion of SF was lower for cattle fed on grass/cereal diets than for cattle of the same breed type fed on cereal diets.

The differences in fat distribution led to substantial bias for some groups when the percentages of IF and TF in the side were predicted from percentage SF. The bias was less when both KKCF and SF were used as predictors.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adams, N. J., Garrett, W. N. and Elings, J. T. 1973. Performance and carcass characteristics of crosses from imported breeds. J. Anim. Sci. 37: 623628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butterfield, R. M. 1965. The relationship of carcase measurements and dissection data to beef carcase composition. Res. vet. Sci. 6: 2432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Callow, E. H. 1948. Comparative studies of meat. II. The changes in the carcass during growth and fattening, and their relation to the chemical composition of the fatty and muscular tissues. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 38: 174199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callow, E. H. 1962. Comparative studies of meat. VIII. The percentage of fat in the fatty and muscular tissues of steers and the iodine number of the extracted fat, as affected by breed and level of nutrition. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 58: 295307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cuthbertson, A., Harrington, G. and Smith, R. J. 1972. Tissue separation—to assess beef and lamb variation. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. (New Series) 1: 113122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, E. R., Butterfield, R. M. and Pryor, W. J. 1972. Studies of fat distribution i n the bovine carcass. I. The partition of fatty tissues between depots. Aust. J. agric. Res. 23: 381388CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, A. H., Fredeen, H. T., Weiss, G. M. and Newman, J. A. 1970. Prediction of lean yield of beef carcasses. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 50: 3141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1975. Progress on Beef Carcass Classification. Marketing and Meat Trade Technical Bulletin No. 22. Meat and Livestock Commission, Bletchley, Bucks.Google Scholar
Pomeroy, R. W. and Williams, D. R. 1974. The partition of fat in the bovine carcass. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. (New Series) 3: 85 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Royal Smithfield Club. 1966. A Comparison of the Growth of Different Types of Cattle for Beef Production. Report of Major Beef Research Project. Royal Smithfield Club, London.Google Scholar