Heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated from feedlot and carcass data collected from Brahman calves (n = 504) in central Florida from 1996 to 2000. Data were analyzed using animal models in MTDFREML. Models included contemporary group (n = 44; groups of calves of the same sex, fed in the same pen, slaughtered on the same day) as a fixed effect and calf age in days ...

Abdominal and subcutaneous fat are regarded as the main sources of waste in the slaughterhouse. Fat stored intramuscularly is regarded a favorite trait related to meat quality. The objective of current study was to estimate genetic parameters for fat deposition in the 3 different parts of body and their relationships with other carcass traits. Traits were recorded for 1,752 females and 1,526 ma...

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...

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding legume hay (alfalfa; Medicago sativa L.) or mixed-grass hay on ADG and carcass characteristics of growing goats. In Experiment 1, 24 Spanish kids, equally representing female, intact male and wether goats, were pen-fed ad libitum either chopped alfalfa (16.8 percent CP) or mixed grass hay (9.4 percent CP) (3 pens/diet) and a corn/...

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of soy isoflavones on growth, meat quality, and carcass traits of growing-finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 36 barrows (initial and final BW, 26 and 113 kg, respectively) were used and each treatment was replicated four times with three pigs each. The dietary treatments were 1) corn-soybean meal (C-SBM), 2) corn-soy protein concentrate (low isofla...

1. A study was conducted to evaluate the carcass composition of 1083 live birds using ultrasonic and morphological measurements and to estimate the genetic relationship between predicted and dissected carcass composition in Japanese quail. 2. Birds were reared for 35 d, and morphological measurements consisting of the length and width of breast muscle were recorded for all birds using a digital...

The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of 2 different breeds (BR), Boer and Kiko, and 4 post-weaning harvest ages (HA; Days 0, 29, 56, and 85) on growth, carcass traits, blood metabolites, and lipogenic gene expression. Forty-eight goat (Capra hircus) kids (BW = 23.9 ± 1.50 kg; 3 to 4 mo) were used in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments. Goats were stratified by...

The yield of carcass parts as well as levels of carcass fat, moisture, and ash were measured in the 1957 Athens-Canadian Randombred Control (ACRBC) and in the Ross 308 commercial broiler, when fed diets that were representative of those being fed during 1957 and 2001. The Ross 308 was used to represent 2001 commercial broilers. Comparisons of carcass weights of the Ross 308 on the 2001 diet ver...

This study was conducted to model the growth of carcass, viscera, and empty body components and component composition of pigs. Quantitative tissue and chemical composition of 319 swine, representative of barrows and gilts from five commercial genetic populations, was determined at eight stages of growth between 25 and 152 kg. After whole body grinding and carcass dissection, proximate analyses ...

The most widely used system to predict percentage of retail product from the four primal cuts of beef is USDA yield grade. The purpose of this study was to determine whether routine ultrasound measurements and additional rump measurements could be used in place of the carcass measurements used in the USDA yield grade equation to more accurately predict the percentage of saleable product from th...