Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers
The increasing demand for natural products is currently transforming the meat industry, making grass-fed and finished beef a valuable option for improving profits. However, the transformation of conventional operations to grass-fed systems comprises many modifications, such as logistical, technologi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Animal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175173112100224X |
| _version_ | 1818719273749577728 |
|---|---|
| author | J.A. Carrillo Y. Bai Y. He Y. Li W. Cai D.M. Bickhart G. Liu S.M. Barao T. Sonstegard J. Song |
| author_facet | J.A. Carrillo Y. Bai Y. He Y. Li W. Cai D.M. Bickhart G. Liu S.M. Barao T. Sonstegard J. Song |
| author_sort | J.A. Carrillo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing demand for natural products is currently transforming the meat industry, making grass-fed and finished beef a valuable option for improving profits. However, the transformation of conventional operations to grass-fed systems comprises many modifications, such as logistical, technological, and financial that could be very complex and expensive, involving economic risk. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the growth curve, critical economic traits, and carcass quality and finished characteristics over several consecutive years in closely related grass-fed and finished Angus steers, to reduce the genetic effect on the results. We found that grass-fed steers require around 188 additional days to reach the market weight (approx. 470 kg) and had approximately 70% less average daily gain compared to the grain-fed and finished steers. Regression analysis demonstrated an interaction between feed and age (P < 0.01); thus, individual regressions were fitted for each regimen style, obtaining almost perfect linear curves for both treatments, which could be straightforwardly used in practical situations due to its simplicity. Six of eight carcass traits were different between grain-fed and grass-fed and finished steers. Hot-carcass weight, dressing, back fat, and quality grade were superior in grain-fed individuals, contrarily to yield grade and ribeye area/carcass ratio, which were better in grass-fed and finished steers (P < 0.05).Interestingly, the meat tenderness was certainly low and similar in both treatments (P = 0.25), indicating the feasibility of producing tender meat with animals under a grass-fed diet. Nevertheless, according to the quality grade analysis, grain-fed carcasses were greater ranked compared to grass-fed bodies (P < 0.01), regardless of their same tenderness. The results will provide valuable information for better understanding beef cattle in grass-feeding finishing systems, especially from weaning to harvest. Additionally, the study will expand the knowledge about the quality of meat obtained from animals that received grass exclusively, becoming relevant information for economic evaluation and management decisions for grass-based cattle operations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:04:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ba01574222d435f8c661932c35f9944 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-7311 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:04:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ba01574222d435f8c661932c35f99442022-12-21T21:34:23ZengElsevierAnimal1751-73112021-11-011511100381Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steersJ.A. Carrillo0Y. Bai1Y. He2Y. Li3W. Cai4D.M. Bickhart5G. Liu6S.M. Barao7T. Sonstegard8J. Song9Department of Animal & Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USACollege of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056021, PR ChinaDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USACollege of Animal Science and Technology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR ChinaDepartment of Animal & Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USAAnimal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USAAnimal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USAHedgeapple Farm & Market, 3735 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown, MD 21717, USARecombinetics, 3388 Mike Collins Drive, Eagan, MN 55121, USADepartment of Animal & Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Corresponding author.The increasing demand for natural products is currently transforming the meat industry, making grass-fed and finished beef a valuable option for improving profits. However, the transformation of conventional operations to grass-fed systems comprises many modifications, such as logistical, technological, and financial that could be very complex and expensive, involving economic risk. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the growth curve, critical economic traits, and carcass quality and finished characteristics over several consecutive years in closely related grass-fed and finished Angus steers, to reduce the genetic effect on the results. We found that grass-fed steers require around 188 additional days to reach the market weight (approx. 470 kg) and had approximately 70% less average daily gain compared to the grain-fed and finished steers. Regression analysis demonstrated an interaction between feed and age (P < 0.01); thus, individual regressions were fitted for each regimen style, obtaining almost perfect linear curves for both treatments, which could be straightforwardly used in practical situations due to its simplicity. Six of eight carcass traits were different between grain-fed and grass-fed and finished steers. Hot-carcass weight, dressing, back fat, and quality grade were superior in grain-fed individuals, contrarily to yield grade and ribeye area/carcass ratio, which were better in grass-fed and finished steers (P < 0.05).Interestingly, the meat tenderness was certainly low and similar in both treatments (P = 0.25), indicating the feasibility of producing tender meat with animals under a grass-fed diet. Nevertheless, according to the quality grade analysis, grain-fed carcasses were greater ranked compared to grass-fed bodies (P < 0.01), regardless of their same tenderness. The results will provide valuable information for better understanding beef cattle in grass-feeding finishing systems, especially from weaning to harvest. Additionally, the study will expand the knowledge about the quality of meat obtained from animals that received grass exclusively, becoming relevant information for economic evaluation and management decisions for grass-based cattle operations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175173112100224XAnimal welfareBeef qualityGenomicsGrass-fed and finished beefGrowth development |
| spellingShingle | J.A. Carrillo Y. Bai Y. He Y. Li W. Cai D.M. Bickhart G. Liu S.M. Barao T. Sonstegard J. Song Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers Animal Animal welfare Beef quality Genomics Grass-fed and finished beef Growth development |
| title | Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers |
| title_full | Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers |
| title_fullStr | Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers |
| title_short | Growth curve, blood parameters and carcass traits of grass-fed Angus steers |
| title_sort | growth curve blood parameters and carcass traits of grass fed angus steers |
| topic | Animal welfare Beef quality Genomics Grass-fed and finished beef Growth development |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175173112100224X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacarrillo growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT ybai growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT yhe growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT yli growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT wcai growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT dmbickhart growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT gliu growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT smbarao growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT tsonstegard growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers AT jsong growthcurvebloodparametersandcarcasstraitsofgrassfedangussteers |