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A note on performance traits of crossbred beef × dairy steers finished on fast- and slow-gaining feeding regimes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Gaspard Lalande  and
M. H. Fahmy
Gaspard Lalande
Affiliation:
Canada Agriculture Research Station, Lennoxville, Quebec, J1M 1Z3, Canada
M. H. Fahmy
Affiliation:
Canada Agriculture Research Station, Lennoxville, Quebec, J1M 1Z3, Canada
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Summary

A total of 178 castrated male cattle (steers), the progeny of Charolais, Hereford and Limousin bulls mated to Holstein-Friesian and Ayrshire cows, were raised from 8 months of age to 545 kg (slaughter weight) on fast- or slow-gaining regimes. The steers on the fast gaining regime were fed a grain mixture with little hay, while those on the slow-gaining regime grazed all summer and were wintered on hay supplemented with a little grain.

The steers on the fast-gaining regime were more efficient in feed conversion ratio, had 0·42 kg per day higher live-weight gain, reached slaughter weight 306 days earlier, and had 2% higher dressing-out percentage, 5·7 mm thicker fat and 5 mm2 larger area of m.longissimus thoracis than those on the slow-gaining regime.

Charolais-sired steers on both regimes had the fastest gain and were the first to reach slaughter weight. Limousin-sired steers raised on the fast-gaining regime had the highest dressing-out percentage, and the largest area of m. longissimus thoracis on both regimes. Hereford-sired steers had the thickest fat cover and the smallest area of m. longissimus thoracis. Little difference was found between the steers from Holstein and Ayrshire cows.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , August 1975 , pp. 81 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1975

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References

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