The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic variation in carcass cuts predicted using digital image analysis in commercial cross-bred cattle. The data set comprised 38,404 steers and 14,318 heifers from commercial Irish herds. The traits investigated included the weights of lower value cuts (LVC), medium value cuts (MVC), high value cuts (HVC), very high value cuts (VHVC) and total ...

Heritabilities of and genetic correlations between additive direct and maternal genetic effects for calf market weight, and additive direct genetic effects for carcass traits, were estimated for Japanese Black cattle by REML procedures under 2-trait animal models. Data were collected from calf and carcass markets in Hyogo and Tottori prefectures and analyzed separately by prefecture. Calf marke...

U consequences fuel the creative mind. The stuff of adventure in literature, their twists and turns wreak havoc in the science laboratory and the art studio alike. Frans Snyders, old master and founder of Baroque still life with animals, understood the unexpected and its power to surprise and used it to animate his work. A thriving arts market in 17th-century Flanders, supported by growing pros...

Progressive growth of the Walker 256 carcinoma produces anorexia and loss of carcass weight (6). Carcass weight loss has been prevented by forcefeeding a high fat diet, but other systemic effects (decreased liver catalase activity, anemia, and adrenal enlargement) still occurred (1). It was suggested that loss of carcass weight is not a neces sary component of the reactions leading to the devel...

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary crude glycerol and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) on growing-finishing pig performance, carcass characteristics, and carcass fat quality. We hypothesized that because dietary crude glycerol has been observed to increase carcass SFA, it might ameliorate the negative effects of DDGS on fat quality. The 97-d study was condu...

The role of bacteria in animal development, ecology and evolution is increasingly well understood, yet little is known of how animal behaviour affects bacterial communities. Animals that benefit from defending a key resource from microbial competitors are likely to evolve behaviours to control or manipulate the animal's associated external microbiota. We describe four possible mechanisms by whi...

The effects of the proportion of concentrates in grass silage-based diets and of restricted dry matter (DM) intake were examined using 156 Simmental cross Friesian steers which were initially 389 kg live weight. The animals were reared on high-forage diets until 14 months of age and were then given grass silage ad libitum and supplemented with rolled barley which constituted (1) 0, (2) 120, (3)...

Weanling crossbred pigs (Sus scrofa; 72 barrows and 72 gilts; BW = 7.4 ± 1.1 kg) were used to evaluate dietary supplemental trace mineral (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) source (inorganic vs. organic) and deletion (0, 2, 4, and 6 wk preharvest) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and pork quality. Pigs were blocked by BW, ancestry, and sex, and randomly allotted to 24 pens, and fed a diet cont...