New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
A comparison of growth, carcass, and meat characteristics of Jersey- and
Friesian-cross heifers in a once-bred heifer system
of beef production
J. L. BURKE
R. W. PURCHAS
S. T. MORRIS
Department of Animal Science
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract This two-year study compared growth, carcass, and
meat quality characteristics of 57 Hereford x Friesian (H x F) and 45 Hereford
x Jersey (H x J) heifers in a Once-Bred Heifer (OBH) beef production system.
Liveweights for the H x J group at mating, pre-calving, weaning, and final
weighing were 26.5 kg, 22 kg, 35 kg, and 37 kg lighter, respectively, than the
H x F group. Birth weights of calves from H x J heifer dams were significantly
lighter than for H x F dams.
Hereford x Jersey heifers had significantly lighter carcass weights, but
similar weight-adjusted dressing-out percentages. At a common carcass weight, H
x J carcasses had significantly heavier kidney and pelvic fat, greater fat
depths over the eye muscle between ribs 12 and 13, and lower carcass
weight-adjusted femur bone weights. At the same carcass weight, the weights of
three major hindquarter cuts were heavier for the H x F group, but the ratio of
the combined weight of these cuts to femur bone weight was significantly lower
for that group. Meat quality characteristics did not differ significantly
between the breed-cross groups, although fat of the H x J group was slightly
more yellow and Warner-Bratzler shear values were slightly lower.
In terms of the total systems, it was estimated that H x F heifers were 7.0%
more efficient than H x J heifers in terms of carcass weight production per
unit of feed dry matter consumed. It is concluded that Jersey-cross heifers
could be used in OBH systems to increase beef production, but that no
significant advantages in animal performance, carcass and meat quality traits,
or efficiency will result from using this heifer genotype relative to
comparable Friesian crosses.
Keywords cattle; Friesian; Jersey; growth; carcass
characteristics; meat quality
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1998, Vol. 41: 91-99
0028-8233/98/4101-0091 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (684K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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