Total insulin specific binding (IB) and the number and affinity of insulin receptors on mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) were used to predict carcass composition of heifers and steers. Dependent variables were kidney fat, body cavity fat, s.c. fat, intermuscular fat, lean and bone. Independent variables were parameters that could be measured on the live animal, including insulin receptor characteri...

To fully characterize properties of the muscles of the beef chuck and round, and to reveal potential opportunities to upgrade the value, 39 different muscles were dissected from 142 beef carcasses differing in carcass weight, yield grade, and quality grade. Numerous physical and chemical properties of the muscles were determined. Muscle effects were observed for all traits (objective color, exp...

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic correlations between calving difficulty score and carcass traits in Charolais and Hereford cattle, treating first and later parity calvings as different traits. Genetic correlations between birth weight and carcass traits were also estimated. Field data on 59,182 Charolais and 27,051 Hereford calvings, and carcass traits of 5,260 Charolais and...

A new carcass EPD has been developed for the American Angus Association’s National Carcass Evaluation Program. A percentage of retail product EPD combines the traditional carcass traits (hot carcass weight, fat thickness, ribeye area and KPH) into a composite EPD. Although the heritabilitty for this trait (.25) is not the highest for the carcass traits, it is high enough for breeders to make si...

The use of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (LM) volume measured in vivo by real-time ultrasonography (RTU) to estimate carcass composition was evaluated in 47 female sheep. Animals were scanned over six sites (7th, 9th, 11th and 13th thoracic vertebrae and 2nd and 4th lumbar vertebrae). After slaughter carcass weight (CW) and composition by dissection were determined. RTU volume measure...

Live animal and carcass data were collected from market barrows and gilts (n = 120) slaughtered at a regional commercial slaughter facility to develop and test prediction equations to estimate carcass composition from live animal and carcass ultrasonic measurements. Data from 60 animals were used to develop these equations. Best results were obtained in predicting weight and percentage of bonel...

Thirty-two Santa Inês male lambs, not castrated, were distributed in a randomized block design to evaluate the effects of different tropical forage cultivars (two Panicum maximum (Syn. Megathyrsus maximus): Aruana and Massai, two Brachiaria brizantha Urochloa brizantha) Marandu Piatã) on carcass characteristics, quality, physical composition, meat chemistry. The data subjected an analysis varia...

Fifty merino wethers (liveweight range from 44 to 81kg, average of 58.6kg) were lot fed for 42d and scanned through a dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as both a live animal and whole carcass (carcass weight range from 15 to 32kg, average of 22.9kg) producing measures of total tissue, lean, fat and bone content. The carcasses were subsequently boned out into saleable cuts and the weights and yiel...

A total of 159 bulls representing seven Spanish beef breeds were fed with concentrates, managed in the same conditions and slaughtered at two commercial weights (veal and young-bull). Carcasses were measured and classified in order to characterise the carcass variation in the Spanish beef market and to assess the relationship among carcass measurements and grading. Principal Component Analysis ...