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Abstract. The present study is a component of a multi-site experiment, using Bos taurus cattle generated at four locations across southern Australia, designed to examine postweaning growth pathways for progeny whose sires were extreme in retail beef yield and intramuscular fat. Treatment and interaction effects on beef production and meat quality were examined within and across sites. The present paper describes the effect of postweaning growth and sire carcass type on liveweight and carcass traits at the Hamilton site. Angus sires selected on estimated breeding values for extremes in retail beef yield (RBY%), intramuscular fat (IMF%) (estimated breeding values for IMF% are derived by using live-animal ultrasound scanning) or both and sire breed types considered to be more extreme in those traits (Limousin, and Belgian Blue for yield, and Wagyu for intramuscular fat) were joined to crossbred and straight-bred cows. After weaning, the resultant 645 steer and heifer progeny were grown on a fast and slow growth path to~550 kg and slaughtered, averaging 0.68 kg/day and 22.2 months, and 0.49 kg/day and 27.8 months for growth rate and age at slaughter, respectively. Growth path, sire carcass type and sex affected carcass traits; however, there were no sire carcass type by growth treatment interactions. The fast growth-path cattle were fatter, had more intramuscular fat (measured chemically), a higher Meat Standards of Australia (MSA) USA and AUS marble score, and a higher predicted MSA eating-quality score. Progeny of Wagyu sires were lighter at weaning and slaughter and had a lower hot standard carcass weight than the other sire carcass types. The Belgian Blue and Limousin progeny had a higher dressing percentage, a higher RBY% and a lower P8 and rib-fat depth and lower IMF% than the other sire breed types. Progeny of the high RBY% Angus had a lower rib-fat depth, a lower IMF% and higher RBY% than those selected for high IMF%. There was no difference in IMF% between the Wagyu or the high IMF% Angus. Progeny from the Belgian Blue, Limousin and Wagyu had a larger eye muscle area than the other sire breeds. The results indicate that simultaneous selection for supposedly antagonistic traits of IMF% and RBY% would result in carcass having high values of both measurements. Females were lighter than steers at slaughter, had a lower hot standard carcass weight, were fatter at the P8 and rib, and had a higher marble score and IMF%, a lower yield and a lower MSA-predicted eating-quality score than did steers. There was no interaction between postweaning growth and sire carcass type. These results indicate that with the use of appropriate sire carcass types and BREEDPLAN, and post-weaning nutrition, beef producers can confidently change carcass parameters to suit market specifications.Additional keywords: sire breed type.

During February–April, Coopworth ewe lambs grazing a pasture dominated by naturalised perennial ryegrass (PRG) exhibited slight signs of ill-thrift and heat stress. PRG represented 85% of the herbage; 90% of the PRG population was infected with Neotyphodium endophyte. Concentrations of ergovaline and lolitrem B in perennial ryegrass were each within the range 0.5–1.0 mg/kg DM during this period. Two groups of 30 lambs rotated weekly between two paddocks that offered 6 t DM/ha of mature, low-quality pasture. They received an allowance of crushed barley and peas (80 : 20) at 100 g/head per day. One group was treated with a mycotoxin deactivator, Mycofix® Plus, mixed into their mash during processing (5 g/100 g). No sign of ‘staggers’ was observed in the lambs at any time. Lambs with access to Mycofix Plus made great use of shade; their occupancy of shade increased steeply with ambient temperature over the range 18−38°C (P < 0.001). For the control group, occupancy of shade was low (P < 0.001) and independent of temperature (P < 0.001). Instead of using shade on hot days, the control lambs whose respiration rate was higher than treated ewes (P < 0.001) commonly stood by the wire fence, huddled in the open. Over the first 56 days of treatment, while pasture remained dry, weight change in control and treated lambs was –13 and +16 g/day, respectively (P < 0.010). The need for greater investigation of the effects of endophyte alkaloids on livestock is discussed.

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Each year from 1975 to 1977, three groups of six beef steers, 9 months old, were stocked at 2.6 ha-l and managed under one of the following treatments: (1 ) Pasture only (PO), no supplementary feeding, (2) Winter feeding (WF) ; pasture hay was cut from 33% of the grazed area, stored and fed back the following winter while the steers were at pasture. (3) Autumn deferment (AD) ; 33% of the grazed area was cut for hay and rolled using an Econ fodder roller. For 8-11 weeks after the opening rains, the steers were fed a complete hay ration of fodder rolls while confined to a tenth of the grazed area. Thereafter the steers grazed the whole area. The AD and WF hay averaged 11% crude protein, and 56% digestible organic matter. The growth rate of all groups during autumn was similar and averaged 0.1 5 kg day-1. During winter, the average growth rates of the PO, WF and AD groups were 0.26, 0.44 and 0.61 kg day-1, respectively. In spring the respective growth rates were 1.09, 0.81 and 0.77 kg day1 and the overall growth rates were 0.40, 0.37 and 0.42 kg day-1. The results show that when using average quality hay produced within the grazing system, AD is more effective than WF in increasing the winter liveweight gains of steers. However, the yearly beef production from each system was similar due mainly to compensatory growth by the PO steers in spring.

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An experiment was conducted to examine the relative postweaning growth and carcass characteristics of Hereford and first-cross Angus x Hereford steers at 21 months of age. Twenty steers of each type were bred from Hereford cows calving in autumn (March) and weaned in December 1981 at9 months of age. Thereafter, the 2 groups were grazed separately and set-stocked at 1.64 or 2.73 steers/ha until t he following January, at 21 months of age. The experiment was repeated using the same design for the982 calves but with groups interchanging paddocks at the start.The breed types did not differ significantly in liveweight gain (for 1982 and 1983, respectively, Herefords gained 138 and 202 kg, and Angus x Herefords 139 and 217 kg) or in carcass characteristics in either year. Herbage mass was very similar in the paddocks grazed by the 2 groups (e.g. at the end of the first and second years grazing, respectively, pasture mass was 1.7 and 3.2 t/ha for Herefords, and 1.7 and 2.8 t/ha for Angus x Herefords). There were no differences between the breed types for digestibility and intake of pasture, or in body composition. 1 These results show that no penalty is incurred in the growth and carcass composition of steer progeny if Hereford cows are crossed with Angus bulls.