Effect of Restricted Feeding of Concentrate over the Entire Fattening Period on Beef Productivity of Japanese Black Steers

The effects of grazing and supplemental protein concentrations, provided during the grazing period, on subsequent finishing performance and carcass quality were investigated. This experiment was carried out using 15 Japanese Black cattle (Wagyu) steers. The steers were fed as follows: (i) grazing supplemented with moderate protein concentrate (GMP) (18% crude protein (CP); dry matter (DM) basis) before finishing, followed by feeding in a barn until slaughter; (ii) grazing supplemented with low protein concentrate (GLP) (14% CP; DM basis) before finishing, followed by feeding in the barn until slaughter; and (iii) no grazing before finishing (NG). From the end of the grazing season to the end of the growing period, the GMP and GLP steers were managed in the same way as the NG steers. All of the animals were fed the same diet in the finishing period (9 months to 28 months). None of the three treatments affected the average daily gains. For all treatments, chilled carcass weights were more than 450 kg and did not differ significantly among the groups. The longissimus muscle areas in the grazed steers were numerically larger than in those receiving the NG treatment. Fat thickness was significantly greater ( P < 0.05) in the NG steers than in the grazed steers. The intramuscular fat and marbling scores were not affected in the grazed steers. In conclusion, the carcass quality of grazed steers was similar to that of the NG steers at a similar final age, and the quantity of meat in the NG steers would be less than that of the GMP and GLP steers. Therefore, spring-born Wagyu steers should be grazed using the GLP supplement before fattening.

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 63%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of grazing and supplemental protein concentrations during the grazing period on subsequent finishing performance and carcass quality in Japanese Black cattle steers

Sugimoto

Kuzuoka

Yayota

et al. 2004

“…In Japan, beef cattle are generally finished indoors on a concentrate‐based diet throughout the fattening period until slaughter. However, several studies on the different methods of fattening beef cattle have investigated the effects of supplying roughage, such as rice whole‐crop silage (rWCS) (Shibata, Hikino, Imanari, Matsumoto, & Yamamoto, ; Takahira et al., ), grass hay (Muramoto, Aikawa, Shibata, & Nakanishi, ; Shibata, Hikino, & Matsumoto, ), and grazing (Descalzo et al., ; Muramoto, Higashiyama, & Kondo, ; Pavan & Duckett, ), instead of concentrate diets. These previous reports showed that beef cattle can be fattened by feeding roughage or by grazing without necessarily depending on concentrate‐based diet, thereby affecting the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat characteristics of the steers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive evaluation of growth performance and meat characteristics of a fattening system combining grazing with feeding rice whole‐crop silage in Japanese Black steers

Shibata

Hikino

Imanari

et al. 2019

Self Cite

We investigated the effect of a system for fattening steers combining grazing with feeding rice whole‐crop silage (rWCS) on growth performance, meat characteristics, and the expression of genes involved in skeletal muscle growth. Steers were randomly assigned to grazing or concentrate‐fed groups (CT). The grazing group (GZ) was fed rWCS after grazing until 16 months of age. The final body weight was the same in the two groups, but the dressed weight was lower in the GZ than in the CT. The beef color standard was higher in the GZ than in the CT. Although beef marbling did not differ between the two groups, there was less intramuscular fat and subcutaneous fat in the GZ than in the CT. The α‐tocopherol and β‐carotene contents in the muscle were higher in the GZ than in the CT. The GZ showed a lower daily gain (DG) during the grazing period, which may have resulted from decelerating skeletal muscle growth caused by the increased expression of genes encoding myostatin and atrogin‐1. However, the DG and feed efficiency of the GZ increased after grazing. The two groups exhibited a similar level of beef productivity.

“…; Muramoto et al . ). Six cores (1.3 cm in diameter) were removed from each steak parallel to the longitudinal orientation of the muscle fibers (Montgomery et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Another study also found adipose tissue weight and the crude fat content in skeletal muscles were much lower in high‐grass hay‐fed steers than high‐concentrate fed steers (Muramoto et al . ). The α‐tocopherol and β‐carotene contents in muscle of pasture‐fed steers were higher than those of concentrate‐fed steers, and pasture feeding decreased the crude fat content, monounsaturated fatty acid concentration and drip loss in muscle (Muramoto et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Influence of rice whole‐crop silage diet on growth performance, carcass and meat characteristics and muscle‐related gene expression in Japanese Black steers

Shibata

Hikino

Imanari

et al. 2015

Self Cite

The present study investigated the influence of a diet largely comprising rice whole-crop silage (rWCS) on growth performance, carcass and meat characteristics, and expression of genes involved in muscle growth of Japanese Black steers. Steers were randomly separated into rWCS-fed (rWCS ad libitum and restricted feeding of concentrate) and concentrate-fed groups. Total digestible nutrient intake and daily gain (DG) decreased in rWCS-fed steers in comparison with concentrate-fed steers, whereas dressed carcass weight and final body weight did not significantly differ between the groups. Decreases in drip loss in the muscle of rWCS-fed steers may be caused by α-tocopherol and β-carotene in muscle. Feeding large amounts of rWCS to steers may maintain quantitative productivity of beef steers equally to a concentrate-based diet, and improve the qualitative productivity. Results of gene expression suggest that activation of skeletal muscle growth in rWCS-fed steers may occur at the late fattening period owing to a decrease in myostatin and increase in myosin heavy chain gene expression. Preadipocyte factor-1 and myostatin genes may be strongly involved in the control of lipid accumulation. This rearing system would allow beef production to switch to rWCS-based diets from concentrate-based diets.