OBJECTIVE Fresh sugarcane has been a new roughage source for ruminant's in semiarid regions, a function of the decline of sugar and alcohol industry in recent years. However, there is little data published regarding lambs fed sugarcane associated with spineless cactus. This study evaluated the effect of sugarcane replacement with spineless cactus (0%, 33%, 66%, and 100%) in the diet of Santa In...

Three groups of rabbits from the same genetic type were fed respectively with three experimental diets supplemented with 100 ppm of α-tocopherol and including a 3% of added fat: animal fat (A), sunflower oil (SF) or linseed oil (L). Fifty-two rabbits per group were used. Animals were slaughtered at 63 days of age. Live weight, dressing out percentage and carcass and meat quality traits were mea...

The relationship between ultrasound measurements and empty body and carcass chemical composition was investigated. A 500-V real-time ultrasound with a 7.5-MHz probe combined with image analysis was used to make in vivo measurements to predict the empty body and carcass chemical composition of 31 female lambs of two genotypes, ranging in BW from 18.2 to 48.9 kg. Eleven ultrasound measurements of...

Mature Hereford cows (766) were mated to 97 sires from seven breeds (Jersey, Wagyu, Angus, Hereford, South Devon, Limousin, and Belgian Blue), resulting in 1,215 calves born over 4 yr (1994 to 1997). These cattle comprised Australia's 'Southern Crossbreeding Project." Heifers were slaughtered at an average of 16 mo with hot standard carcass weight of 219 kg and 9 mm fat over the rump. Steers we...

A genomic screening to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting growth, carcass composition and meat quality traits was pursued. Two hundred nineteen microsatellite markers were genotyped on 176 of 620 (28%) progeny from a Brahman x Angus sire mated to mostly MARC III dams. Selective genotyping, based on retail product yield (%) and fat yield (%), was used to select individuals to be geno...

effects of partial docking on feedlot performance and body fat characteristics were studied in a fat-tailed sheep breed. thirty-eight male lambs with an average weight of 4.44 ± 0.48 were randomly divided into two groups. the lambs in one group were partially docked at 3-4 h after birth, using rubber rings, and the lambs in another group remained intact (control). after weaning, 20 male lambs f...

Five hundred thirty-four steers were evaluated over a 2-yr period to develop and validate prediction equations for estimating carcass composition from live animal ultrasound measurements and to compare these equations with those developed from carcass measurements. Within 5 d before slaughter, steers were ultrasonically measured for 12th-rib fat thickness (UFAT), longissimus area (ULMA), rump f...

introduction one of the animal breeding aims is increasing the economic efficiency. therefore, mating among selected animals in order to enhance economic efficiency should also supply variation in population for next generations’ selection. this study was performed to estimate performance in cross breed lambs resulting from crosses of shal, moghani, afshari and varamini rams with varamini ewes,...

Breed differences in adult animals are determined during fetal development. If interventions are to be developed that influence growth of muscle and fat, it is important to know at which time during gestation breed differences appear and are fixed. The objective of this study was to characterize fetal development in cattle of different breeds. Pregnant cows of 4 cattle breeds with different gro...