Growth performance, and carcass and meat quality traits in progeny of Poll Nellore, Angus and Brahman sires under tropical conditions

Abstract

This study aimed to characterise progeny of sires representing major families in the Poll Nellore breed. Fourteen Poll Nellore sires, two Angus sires and one Brahman sire were mated by AI to~400 multiparous Poll Nellore dams. Calves were raised and stocked on pasture in central Brazil until reaching~18 months of age, then fed a sugarcane bagasse-based diet on an ad libitum basis until reaching market weight and finish (average 23 months). There were 236 Poll Nellore (N), 38 Angus · Poll Nellore (AN) and 31 Brahman · Poll Nellore (BN) calves born in total. The weaning and 423-day weight weights, and growth rates and pre-and post-weaning were greater (P < 0.05) in males than in female calves, and were influenced by breed and by sire within the N animals. The weaning weights were higher (P < 0.05) in AN and BN than in N calves. The 423-day weight weights were greater (P < 0.05) in AN calves, followed by BN, with straightbred N being lightest. Feedlot average daily gain was unaffected (P > 0.05) by sex or by sire within N, but was lowest (P < 0.05) in N cattle, and highest in AN and BN animals, which did not differ (P > 0.05). Heifers reached the end of the study with lower bodyweight (BW) and dressing percentage than steers, resulting in lower carcass weights, smaller longissimus muscle areas (LMA), but greater 12th to 13th rib backfat (BF) and similar marbling score and mean shear force. However, the proportion of carcasses grading Choice or Prime was numerically greater in heifers than in steers (23.6% vs 9.8%). AN cattle reached greater harvest weights than BN, and those were heavier than N cattle (P < 0.001). However, dressing percentages were lowest in AN animals, so that there was no significant difference in carcass weight between AN and BN cattle. AN carcasses also had greater LMA, BF and marbling scores than the N carcasses. The proportion of carcasses grading Choice or Prime was numerically greater in AN cattle than in the BN and N groups (25.9%, 11.8% and 15.9%, respectively). Steaks from AN calves were more tender than N steaks, with the BN steaks being intermediate. There was significant variation among N sires for final BW, dressing percentage, carcass weight, LMA and marbling score, but not for BF or mean shear force. The percentages of carcasses of N cattle grading Choice or Prime ranged from 0% to 61.5%. Three N sires produced progeny with greater than 40% of carcasses grading Choice or above (Berílio OB, Furador OB, and Litoral OB). Likewise, three N sires (Blitz OB, Furador OB and Sossego OB) had progeny with 67%, 62% and 75%, respectively, of steaks classified as tender. This study confirmed that Zebu cattle have inferior carcass and meat quality relative to AN crossbreds under tropical conditions, however there is substantial variation within the N breed for these traits, and several sires have a proportion of their progeny comparable in terms of meat tenderness to those of Angus sires.

Genetic correlation estimates between beef fatty acid profile with meat and carcass traits in Nellore cattle finished in feedlot

“…In our study, the mean percentage of lipids in the Longissimus thoracis muscle was lower than the values reported by Charles and Johnson (1976), Holloway et al (1990), Huerta-Leidenz et al (1996), Newman et al (2002) and Cesar et al (2014) for Bos taurus, Bos indicus and their crossbreds, also finished in feedlot. The mean for BF obtained in this study was lower than the values reported by Silva et al (2003), Rubiano et al (2009) and Pereira et al (2014) for Nelore finished in feedlot as well. The mean SF, IMF and BF values obtained in this study show that the acceptability of the meat is compromised in some international consumer markets, requiring greater juiciness, tenderness and flavour.…”

“…The subcutaneous fat thickness is critical in the postslaughter process because it prevents the shortening of muscle fibres, called cold-shortening; darkening and stiffening of the meat. This process is commonly observed in meat of animals slaughtered with low fat thickness, and a characteristic of the zebu breeds, which have little body fat coverage (Burrow et al 2001;Silva et al 2003;Rubiano et al 2009;Pereira et al 2014). Estimates of genetic correlations between the fatty acid profile and fat thickness varied in magnitude and sign, unlike the results for intramuscular fat level in the Longissimus thoracis, and were mostly low with saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and moderate with monounsaturated fatty acids.…”

Gender status effect on carcass and meat quality traits of feedlot Angus × Nellore cattle

“…In the last decades, Brazilian beef producers have been using increasingly precocious cattle, with greater carcass development to produce beef with desirable traits. In short, Brazilian producers utilize crossbreeding between B. indicus and Taurus breeds to improve lean yield and beef quality (Carvalho et al, ; Gama et al, ; Pereira et al, ).…”

Differences in Beef Quality between Angus (Bos taurus taurus) and Nellore (Bos taurus indicus) Cattle through a Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Approach

“…The majority of the Brazilian herd is composed of Zebu cattle ( Bos taurus indicus ), mainly the Nellore breed. Zebu beef is usually less tender and has less marbling than that of taurine cattle ( Bos taurus taurus ), particularly the Angus breed [2, 3]. This reduces attractiveness of zebu beef, because tenderness and marbling are considered the main palatability characteristics by consumers [4].…”