Growth, carcass and meat quality characteristics of beef cattle with 0, 50 and 75 percent Wagyu genetic influence

• Published in: Canadian journal of animal science Vol. 79; no. 2; pp. 129 - 137
• Main Authors: Mir, P.S, Bailey, D.R.C, Mir, Z, Entz, T, Jones, S.D.M, Robertson, W.M, Weselake, R.J, Lozeman, F.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.1999
• Subjects: age; beef breeds; beef cattle; beef quality; body fat; carcass quality; carcass weight; crossbreds; growth rate; shear; slaughter
• ISSN: 0008-3984; 1918-1825
• DOI: 10.4141/A98-114

Feeding trials were conducted in two years to compare growth performance, carcass characteristics and quality of meat from beef cattle with 0, 50 or 75% Wagyu genetic influence. The cattle types used in the two years of the study were Continental crossbred steers (0% Wagyu), cattle with 50% Wagyu influence (Wagyu/Angus crossbreds) and 75% Wagyu influence (containing 25% from other European breeds). Cattle were housed in individual pens in the first year and in group pens in the second year. Cattle were fed a backgrounding diet containing 35% barley grain and 65% barley silage with protein, mineral and vitamin supplements until they weighed more than 380 kg, after which they were adapted to a finishing diet consisting of 80% barley and 20% barley silage with mineral and vitamin supplements. Cattle were weighed every 4 wk and at the end of the finishing period they were processed and carcass information was obtained. A three-rib section (10-12) was removed from 41 (year 1) and 44 (year 2) carcasses selected randomly from each group, and Warner-Bratzler shear force was determined. The year-by-cattle type interaction was significant for most parameters; thus all the data were also analysed by year using weight of cattle at initiation of the feeding trial as a covariate for the backgrounding and finishing phases of growth and using carcass weight and back fat depth as covariates for carcass and meat-quality parameters. Weight at the start of the trial influenced most growth parameters and age at slaughter. Continental crossbred steers had higher (P < 0.05) ADG than Wagyu crossbred cattle during the finishing phase (1.47 vs. 0.82 kg d(-1)) in year 1, but not in year 2. Carcass weights of 75% Wagyu crossbred cattle were lower (P < 0.05) than those of Continental crossbred steers in both years. Warner-Bratzler shear force values were less than 5.3 kg to shear cores of 19 mm diameter. However, 92% in year 1 and 71% in year 2 of the carcasses from Wagyu crossbred cattle graded Canada AAA, and contained more than a "small" amount of intramuscular fat. Thirty percent of the carcasses from Wagyu crossbred cattle in year 1 graded Canada Prime. Only 30% of Continental crossbred steers in year 1 and 10% in year 2 graded Canada AAA. Wagyu genetic influence enhanced marbling in beef cattle without loss in carcass size for the 50% Wagyu steers.