Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:20:05.143Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tick susceptibility and its effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on natural pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2008

V. Muchenje ,
K. Dzama ,
M. Chimonyo ,
J. G. Raats  and
P. E. Strydom
V. Muchenje
Affiliation:
Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, Republic of South Africa Department of Agriculture Management, Zimbabwe Open University, Bulawayo Region, PO Box 3550, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
K. Dzama
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, Republic of South Africa
M. Chimonyo*
Affiliation:
Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, Republic of South Africa
J. G. Raats
Affiliation:
Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, Republic of South Africa
P. E. Strydom
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Agricultural Research Council, Private Bag X2, Irene 0062, Republic of South Africa
*
E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to compare tick loads, growth and carcass characteristics of dipped and non-dipped Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on natural pasture. One hundred 7-month-old castrated weaners were kept at the University of Fort Hare Farm for 12 months. There were 30 weaners each of Angus and Bonsmara, and 40 weaners of the Nguni breed. Half the Bonsmara, Angus and 14 Nguni weaners were dipped every fortnight. The rest were not dipped. Monthly weights and tick counts under the tail, on scrotum, belly, sternum and ears of the steers were recorded. The dipped Nguni steers had lowest (P < 0.05) tick counts, and the non-dipped Angus steers had the highest (P < 0.05) tick counts. There were more ticks (P < 0.05) during the warm wet season than during the cool dry season. Ears had the highest (P < 0.05) tick infestation. Average daily gain (ADG) was similar (P > 0.05) among the three breeds. The non-dipped Bonsmara steers had the heaviest (P < 0.05) carcasses (142 ± 5.4) while the non-dipped Nguni steers had the lightest (P < 0.05) carcasses (111 ± 4.5 kg). The non-dipped Bonsmara had the highest (P < 0.05) eye muscle area (3996 ± 120.8 mm2) while the non-dipped Angus had the smallest (P < 0.05) eye muscle area (3291 ± 210.6 mm2). The non-dipped Bonsmara also had the highest (P < 0.05) dressing percentage (53.8 ± 1.01) while the non-dipped Nguni had the lowest (P < 0.05) dressing percentage (50.3 ± 0.84). The current study has shown that while the non-dipped steers had higher (P < 0.05) tick loads than the dipped steers, their growth and carcass characteristics were similar (P > 0.05). The study has also shown that, despite being a small-framed breed, the Nguni steers had similar (P > 0.05) ADG to the large-framed Bonsmara and Angus steers. Therefore, the Nguni cattle have the potential to produce organic beef. However, a reasonable assessment of organic beef production potential of the Nguni requires an evaluation of its meat quality traits under natural pasture.

Keywords

carcassgrowthNguni cattleorganic beefticks
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , February 2008 , pp. 298 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

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

Africa’s Farms Certified Organic 2001. Africa’s Farms Certified Organic (AFRISCO) for the South African market, or Ecocert certification for export to Europe, North America or Japan. Retrieved June 14, 2007, from http://www.afrisco.net.Google Scholar
Alberti, P, Ripolli, G, Goyache, F, Lahoz, F, Olleta, JL, Panea, B, Sanudo, C 2005. Carcass characterization of seven Spanish beef breeds slaughtered at two commercial weights. Meat Science 71, 514–521.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andersen, HA, Oksbjerg, N, Young, JF, Therkildsen, M 2005. Feeding and meat quality – a future approach. Meat Science 70, 543–554.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bester J, Matjuda LE, Rust JM and Fourie HJ 2001. The Nguni: a case study. Proceedings of the Workshop on Community-based Management of Animal Genetic Resources, 7–11 May 2001, Mbabane, Swaziland, pp. 45–58.Google Scholar
Byford, RL, Craig, ME, Crosby, BL 1992. A review of ectoparasites and their effect on cattle production. Journal of Animal Science 70, 597–602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chambaz, A, Scheeder, MRL, Kreuzer, M, Dufey, PA 2003. Meat quality of Angus, Simmental, Charolais and Limousin steers compared at the same intramuscular fat content. Meat Science 63, 491–500.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collins-Luswet, E 2000. Performance of Nguni, Afrikander and Bonsmara cattle under drought conditions in North West province of Southern Africa. South African Journal of Animal Science 30, 33–41.Google Scholar
Das, G, Ghosh, S, Ray, DD 2005. Reduction of Theileria annulata infection in ticks fed on calves immunized with purified larval antigens of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum. Tropical Animal Health and Production 37, 345–361.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dean, WRJ, McDonald, IAW 1994. Historical changes in stocking rates of domestic livestock as a measure of semi-arid and arid rangeland degradation in the Cape Province, South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 26, 281–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frisch, JE 1999. Towards a permanent solution for controlling cattle ticks. International Journal for Parasitology 29, 57–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gertenbach, WD, van Henning, PWH 1995. Energy supplementation of yearling steers at different stocking rates on Nile grass pasture. South African Journal of Animal Science 25, 105–108.Google Scholar
Hobbs, P 2005. Foreword. In Nguni (ed. GJ Oousthuizen and P Hobbs), pp. 3–5. Nguni Cattle Breeders Society, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa.Google Scholar
Hoving-Bolink, AH, Hanekamp, WJA, Wastra, P 1999. Effects of sire breed and husbandry system on carcass, meat and eating quality of Piemontese and Limousin crossbred bulls and heifers. Livestock Production Science 57, 273–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jonsson, NN 2006. The productivity effects of cattle tick (Boophilus microplus) infestation on cattle, with particular reference to Bos indicus cattle and their crosses. Veterinary Parasitology 137, 1–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kamidi, RE, Kamidi, MK 2005. Effects of a novel pesticide resistance management strategy on tick control in a smallholding exotic-breed dairy herd in Kenya. Tropical Animal Health and Production 37, 469–478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keane, MG, More O’Ferrall, GJ, Conolly, J, Allen, P 1990. Carcass composition of serially slaughtered Friesian, Hereford × Friesian and Charolais × Friesian steers finished at two dietary levels. Animal Production 50, 231–243.Google Scholar
Kempster, AJ, Chawick, JP, Charles, DD 1982. Estimation of the carcass composition of different cattle breeds and crosses from fatness measurements and visual assessments. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 106, 223–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, DA, Morgan, WW, Miller, RK, Sanders, JO, Lunt, DK, Taylor, JF, Gill, CA, Savell, JW 2006. Carcass merit between and among family groups of Bos indicus crossbred steers and heifers. Meat Science 72, 496–502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kivaria, FM 2006. Estimated direct economic costs associated with tick-borne diseases on cattle in Tanzania. Tropical Animal Health and Production 38, 291–299.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattioli, RC, Pandey, VS, Murray, M, Fitzpatrick, JL 2000. Immunogenetic influences on tick resistance in African cattle with particular reference to trypanotolerant N’Dama (Bos taurus) and trypanosusceptible Gobra zebu (Bos indicus) cattle. Acta Tropica 75, 263–277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meltzer, MI 1996. A possible explanation of the apparent breed-related resistance in cattle to Bont tick (Amblyomma hebraeum) infestations. Veterinary Parasitology 67, 275–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muchenje V, Dzama K, Chimonyo M, Raats JG and Strydom PE 2007. Meat quality of Nguni, Bonsmara and Aberdeen Angus steers raised on natural pasture in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Meat Science, in press. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.07.026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mugisha, A, McLeod, A, Percy, R, Kyewalabye, E 2005. Strategies, effectiveness and rationale of vector-borne disease control in the pastoralist system of south-western Uganda. Tropical Animal Health and Production 37, 479–489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ndlovu T 2007. Prevalence of internal parasites and levels of nutritionally-related blood metabolites in Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on veld. MSc thesis, University of Fort Hare, South Africa.Google Scholar
Ndlovu T, Chimonyo M, Okoh AI, Muchenje V, Dzama K, Dube S and Raats JG 2007. A comparison of nutritionally-related blood metabolites among Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on sweetveld. The Veterinary Journal, in press. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2007.09.007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norval, RAI, Sutherst, RW, Kurki, J, Gibson, JD, Kerr, JD 1988. The effects of the brow tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, on the growth of Sanga and European breed cattle. Veterinary Parasitology 30, 149–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porter, V 1991. Cattle, a handbook to the breeds of the world. Facts on File Inc., New York, USA.Google Scholar
Purchas, RW, Banton, RA, Hunt, IR 1992. Growth and carcass characteristics of crossbred steers. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 35, 393–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schoeman, SJ 1989. Review: Recent research into the production potential of indigenous cattle with specific reference to Sanga. South African Journal of Animal Science 19, 55–61.Google Scholar
Scholtz, MM, Spickett, AM, Lombard, PE, Enslin, CB 1991. The effect of tick infestation on the productivity of cows of three breeds of cattle. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 58, 71–74.Google ScholarPubMed
Schwalbach, LMJ, Greyling, JPC, David, M 2003. The efficacy of a 10% aqueous Neem (Azadirachta indica) seed extract for tick control in Small East African and Toggenburg female goat kids in Tanzania. South African Journal of Animal Science 33, 83–87.Google Scholar
Short, RE, Grings, EE, MacNeil, MD, Heithschimdt, RK, Williams, CB, Bennett, GL 1999. Effects of sire growth potential, growing-finishing strategy, and time on feed on performance, composition and efficiency of steers. Journal of Animal Science 77, 2406–2417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
South African Meat Industry Company 2006. Classification of South Africa beef – a key to consumer satisfaction. South African Meat Industry Company, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.Google Scholar
Spickett, AM, De Klerk, D, Enslin, CB, Scholtz, MM 1989. Resistance of Nguni, Bonsmara and Hereford cattle to ticks in a Bushveld region of South Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 56, 245–250.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute 2000. SAS user’s guide: statistics, version 6. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Strydom, PE, Naude, RT, Smith, MF, Scholtz, MM, Van Wyk, JB 2000. Characterisation of indigenous African cattle breeds in relation to meat quality traits. Meat Science 55, 79–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strydom, PE, Naude, RT, Smith, MF, Kotze, A, Scholtz, MM, Van Wyk, JB 2001. Relationships between production and product traits in subpopulations of Bonsmara and Nguni cattle. South African Journal of Animal Science 31, 181–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vieira, C, Cerdeño, A, Serrano, E, Lavín, P, mantecón, AR 2006. Breed and ageing extent on carcass and meat quality of beef from adult steers (oxen). Livestock Science 107, 62–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, E, David, M 2002. The efficacy of Neem seed extract (Azadirachta indica) to control tick infestation in Tswana, Simmental and Brahman cattle. South African Journal of Animal Science 32, 1–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wesonga, FD, Orinda, GO, Ngae, GN, Grootenhuis, J 2006. Comparative tick counts on game, cattle and sheep on a working game ranch in Kenya. Tropical Animal Health and Production 38, 35–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed