Multiple linear regression equations predicting total skeletal muscle (TM) and total skeletal fat-free muscle (TFFM) weight were developed from data of 33 beef cows. Animals varied in weight (385 to 749 kg), age (3 to 10 yr), and fatness (.13 to 2.54 cm). A four-terminal impedance meter/plethysmograph measured resistance and reactance on the live animals, exsanguinated (bled) animals, and on th...

Mass selection for an index of increased postweaning average daily gain and decreased backfat thickness was practiced for five generations. Litter size and weight for 221 gilt litters, birth weight and nipple number for 2,242 piglets and weaning weight at 42 d of age for 2,111 pigs were recorded. Carcass measurements were taken on 331 pigs. Differences between means of the lines (select control...

In a population of 268 yearling bulls, those carcasses graded as U-, U0 or U+ for beef carcass conformation (n = 240) and those graded as 2-, 20 or 2+ for beef carcass fatness (n = 213) were selected to study the efficiency of carcass weight, carcass dimensions and instrumental colour of latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis and subcutaneous fat, to discriminate among these carcass grades, in a po...

Live measurements of weight, height, length, girth, fat depth, stifleand hip-width were obtained prior to slaughter to develop prediction equations for carcass traits. The animals were boned out after slaughter and comprised 182 steers from the Southern Crossbreeding Program (progeny from Hereford cows crossed with seven sire breeds: Angus, Belgian Blue, Hereford, Jersey, Limousin, South Devon ...

The objective of this study was to characterize breeds representing diverse biological types for postweaning growth and carcass composition traits in terminal crossbred cattle. Postweaning growth and carcass traits were analyzed on 434 steers and 373 heifers obtained by mating F1 cows to Charolais sires. Maternal grandsires represented Hereford, Angus, and MARC III (1⁄4 Hereford, 1⁄4 Angus, 1⁄4...

The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic associations between a range of carcass-related traits including wholesale cut weights predicted from video image analysis (VIA) technology, and a range of pre-slaughter performance traits in commercial Irish cattle. Predicted carcass cut weights comprised of cut weights based on retail value: lower value cuts (LVC), medium value cuts (MVC...

We present estimates of heritability for carcass traits of cattle published in the scientific literature. Seventy-two papers published from 1962 to 2004, which reported estimates of heritability for carcass traits, were reviewed. The unweighted means of estimates of heritability for 14 carcass traits by slaughter end point (age, weight, and fat depth) were calculated. Among the three end points...

Data from the first four cycles of the Germplasm Evaluation Program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) were used to investigate genetic relationships between mature weight (MW, n = 37,710), mature weight adjusted for body condition score (AMW, n = 37,676), mature height (HT, n = 37,123), and BCS (n = 37,676) from 4- to 8-yr old cows (n = 1,800) and carcass traits (n = 4,027) measu...

The objectives were to study the relationship between in vivo ultrasound measurements and cold carcass measurements at 4 anatomical points along the backbone of lambs and to determine appropriate regression equations to estimate carcass composition by using ultrasonic measurements at each anatomical point. The lambs (n = 114) used were suckling lambs (BW = 11.09 kg), light lambs (BW = 22.43 kg)...

Study was carried out to find out the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on carcass characteristics in Venncobb broiler chicks fed with diet containing animal fat. Eighty day old commercial broiler chicks were randomly allotted to two treatment groups (T1 and T2) with four replicates of ten chicks each. The birds were fed with standard broiler chicken ration (BIS, 1992) containing 5% animal ...