Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:37:20.219Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Bovine growth hormone in lambs: effects on carcass composition and tissue distribution in crossbred females

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

B. W. Butler-Hogg
Affiliation:
Ruakura Animal Research Station, Private Bag, Hamilton, New Zealand
I. D. Johnsson
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal and Grassland Research Institute, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
Get access

Abstract

Thirty-two Dorset Down × Finn Dorset female lambs were reared from 8 to 20 weeks on an ad libitum concentrate diet. They comprised four groups of eight lambs, one on each of the following treatments: (1) control, no injections; (2) daily subcutaneous injection of 0-1 mg bovine pituitary growth hormone (bGH) per kg live weight; (3) daily subcutaneous injection of 1 mg bromocriptine mesilate (Br); (4) daily injections of both bGH and Br at the same rates as treatments (2) and (3).

There were no important differences in carcass composition or tissue distribution between the +bGH and +bGH+Br lambs or between the control and +Br lambs. The +bGH lambs (+bGH and +bGH+Br lambs pooled) contained significantly greater proportions of lean and bone compared with the −bGH lambs (control and +Br lambs pooled). Although carcass composition was altered by bGH treatment, the distribution of individual tissues (lean, bone and fat) was not influenced significantly.

Carcass quality was improved markedly by bGH treatment: subcutaneous fat depth was reduced and the area of the m. longissimus lumborum increased. +bGH carcasses would be ranked one fat class less on the Meat and Livestock Commission fatness scale than −bGH carcasses at the same carcass weight.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

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

Bauman, D. E., Eiseman, J. H. and Currie, W. B. 1982. Hormonal effects on partitioning of nutrients for tissue growth: role of growth hormone and prolactin. Federation Proceedings 41: 24382444.Google Scholar
Bennett, L. L., Weinberger, H., Escamilla, R., Morgan, S., Li, C. H. and Evans, H. M. 1950. Failure of hypophyseal growth hormone to produce nitrogen storage in a girl with hypophyseal dwarfism. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology 10: 492495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, A. J. and Williams, D. R. 1979. Sheep carcasses evaluation — measurement of composition using a standardized butchery method. Memorandum, Meat Research Institute, No. 38.Google Scholar
Brumby, P. J. 1959. The influence of growth hormone on growth in young cattle. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 2: 683689.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler-Hogg, B. W. 1984. The growth of Clun and Southdown sheep: body composition and the partitioning of total body fat. Animal Production 39: 405411.Google Scholar
Butler-Hogg, B. W. and Brown, A. J. 1986. Muscle weight distribution in lambs: a comparison of entire male and female. Animal Production 42: 343348.Google Scholar
Butler-Hogg, B. W., Francombe, M. A. and Dransfield, E. 1984. Carcass and meat quality of ram and ewe lambs. Animal Production 39: 107114.Google Scholar
Davis, S. L., Hossner, K. L. and Ohlson, D. L. 1984. Endocrine regulation of growth in ruminants. In Manipulation of Growth in Farm Animals (ed. Roche, J. F. and O'Callaghan, D.), pp. 151178. Martinus Nijhoff, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, S. 1961. Studies on the serial extraction of pituitary proteins. Endocrinology 69: 554570.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, I. C. and Johnsson, I. D. 1986. Growth hormone and growth in meat producing animals In Control and Manipulation of Animal Growth (ed. Buttery, P. J., Haynes, N. B. and Lindsay, D. B.). Butterworths, London. In press.Google Scholar
Johnsson, I. D., Hart, I. C. and Butler-Hogg, B. W. 1985. The effects of exogenous bovine growth hormone and bromocriptine on growth, body development, fleece weight and plasma concentrations of growth hormone, insulin and prolactin in female lambs. Animal Production 41: 207217.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J. 1983. Carcass quality and its measurement in sheep. In Sheep Production (ed. Haresign, W.), pp. 5974. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Cook, G. L. and Grantley-Smith, M. 1986. National estimates of the body composition of British cattle, sheep and pigs with special reference o t trends in fatness. Meat Science 17: 107138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacHlin, L. J. 1972. Effect of porcine growth hormone on growth and carcass composition of the pig. Journal of Animal Science 35: 794–800.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muir, L. A., Wein, S., Duquette, P. F., Rickes, E. L. and Cordes, E. H. 1983. Effects of exogenous growth hormone and diethylstilbestrol on growth and carcass composition of growing lambs. Journal of Animal Science 56: 13151323.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rhind, S. M., Zygoyiannis, D., Doney, J. M., Leslie, I. D. and Hart, I. C. 1984. Effects of Zeranol implants and dietary supplement on growth rate, endocrine status and blood metabolite levels of growing lambs at pasture. Animal Production 39: 269278.Google Scholar
Wagner, J. F. and Veenhuizen, E. L. 1978. Growth performance, carcass composition and plasma hormone levels in wether lambs when treated with growth hormone and thyrotropin. Journal of Animal Science 45: Suppl. 1, p. 397 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., MacFie, H. J. H. and Brown, A. J. 1983. Effects of body weight, breed and sex on killing-out percentage and non-carcass component weights in lambs. Meat Science 9: 8899.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed