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...

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...

This research was conducted to find out the effect of peppermint and basil as natural feed additives on broiler performance. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of the peppermint (Mentha pipreitae) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) as a feed additive on live body weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass weight, abdomina...

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 ...

In genetic improvement programmes for beef cattle, the effect of selecting for a given trait or index on other economically important traits, or their predictors, must be quantified to ensure no deleterious consequential effects go unnoticed. The objective was to compare live animal measurements, carcass composition and plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations of male progeny of sires selec...