New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
The effect of short-term grain feeding on liveweight gain and
beef quality
P. D. MUIR
N. B. SMITH
G. J. WALLACE
G. J. CRUICKSHANK
D. R. SMITH
AgResearch
Poukawa Research Station
P.O. Box 8144
Havelock North, New Zealand
Abstract Two serial slaughter experiments were conducted to
compare the liveweight gain and carcass quality of 3-year-old Angus steers
finished on concentrate-based rations with steers finished on high quality
spring pasture in New Zealand. Experiment 1 used a feedlot ration of 70% maize
grain and 30% pasture silage and Experiment 2 used barley instead of maize. In
both experiments, steers were adjusted to the concentrate ration prior to being
fed ad libitum for 12 weeks.
Finishing regime led to a significant difference in carcass weight in
Experiment 1 (363 and 407 kg for pasture and grain, respectively). There was no
significant difference in final carcass weight in Experiment 2. There was no
significant effect of feeding regime on marbling in either experiment. Although
grain-finishing significantly affected pH in Experiment 1, there were no
treatment effects on tenderness in either experiment, and resident New Zealand
panellists were unable to detect sensory differences between beef from the two
feeding regimes when comparisons were made at the same slaughter time. In both
experiments, steers fed the concentrate diet had brighter and redder meat, but
this may have been related to the reduced level of exercise of the feedlot
group rather than diet per se. Diet had no effect on carcass fat colour
in Experiment 1 but steers fed the feedlot ration in Experiment 2 had
significantly whiter fat colour.
In these experiments the effects of short-term grain finishing on meat quality
were minor. It was concluded that, provided a high growth rate and adequate
level of finish could be achieved, beef produced from pasture finishing was
similar in tenderness and taste to beef finished for up to 100 days on a
feedlot.
Keywords Grain; pasture; marbling; meat quality; tenderness;
meat colour; fat colour
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1998, Vol. 41: 517-526
0028-8233/98/4104-0517 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (813K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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