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Effect of plane of nutrition and slaughter weight on carcase characteristics of friesian steers slaughtered at 500, 550 or 600 kg liveweight

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

K J McCracken
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, N. Ireland The Queen's University of Belfast
C A Moore
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, N. Ireland
E F Unsworth
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, N. Ireland The Queen's University of Belfast
F J Gordon
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, N. Ireland The Queen's University of Belfast
R W J Steen
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, N. Ireland The Queen's University of Belfast
D J Kilpatrick
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, N. Ireland The Queen's University of Belfast
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Extract

The Agricultural Research Council Working Party (ARC, 1980) summarised the predicted energy requirements for cattle growing at different rates of gain. These predictions suggest that feed conversion efficiency will improve with increased energy intake. McCracken and Unsworth (1989) developed an empirical model for growth and carcase composition based on ARC (1980) and concluded that the model over-predicted body fat and did not accord with the effects of plane of nutrition on feed efficiency and body composition observed by Andersen, Ingvartsen and Klastrup (1984). Two problem areas were identified (a) the efficiency of utilisation of energy for growth, (b) the relationship between plane of nutrition and energy content of gain. The study described below was undertaken to provide definitive information on the effects of slaughter weight and plane of nutrition on the body composition and energy retention of Friesian steers as being representative of a medium breed type within the ARC (1980) classification.

Type
Ruminant Nutrition
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1991

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References

Andersen, H R, Ingvartsen, K L and Klastrup, S. (1984). Influence of energy level, weight at slaughter and castration on carcass quality in cattle. Livestock Production Science 11: 571586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ARC (1980). Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock: Technical Review, ARC Working Party:CAB, Slough.Google Scholar
Keane, M G and Drennan, M J (1980). Effects of diet type and feeding level on performance, carcase composition and efficiency of Friesian steers serially slaughtered. Irish J. Agr. Res. 19: 5366.Google Scholar
McCracken, K J and Unsworth, E F (1989). Limitations of an empirical model for growth and carcase composition of Friesian steers. Proc. 11th Symp. Energy Metabolism. EAAP Publ. No. 43: 203206.Google Scholar