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A comparison of growth, food efficiency and carcass characteristics of single and twin beef calves derived by embryo transfer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. C. Patterson ,
R. W. J. Steen  and
D. J. Kilpatrick
D. C. Patterson
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
R. W. J. Steen
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
D. J. Kilpatrick
Affiliation:
Biometrics Division, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX
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Abstract

An experiment was designed to examine the interaction between birth status and plane of nutrition of calves in relation to postnatal and lifetime performance. The experiment was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of birth status (single and twin), plane of nutrition from birth to 16 weeks (period 1) and plane of nutrition from 16 weeks to slaughter at a mean live weight of 530·4 (s.e. 0·13) kg (period 2). The planes of nutrition were control and low with metabolizable energy (ME) intakes of 32·1 and 21·4 (s.e. 0·46) MJ/day from birth to 16 weeks, and 73·9 and 64·1 (s.e. 0·95) from 16 weeks until slaughter. The birth weights of the single and twin-born calves were 47·2 and 39·7 (s.e. 0·90) kg respectively. There was no interaction between birth status and plane of nutrition in either main period and by 40 weeks of age the live weights of the twin calves were similar to those of the single-born calves. For period 1 plus period 2 the live-weight gains per unit of ME intake were 12·4 and 13·1 (s.e. 0·28) g/Mf for single and twin-born calves respectively. Although twins had slightly poorer carcass conformation and higher proportion of bone in the carcass, the concentrations of saleable meat and high-priced joints in the carcass were similar. Birth status had no effect on the ultimate pH of muscle. It is concluded that viable twins have similar beef producing potential to single-born calves.

The control and low planes of nutrition imposed during the periods from birth to 16 weeks and 16 weeks to slaughter produced live-weight gains of 822 and 573 (s.e. 31·0) g/day, and 857 and 690 (s.e. 12·6) g/day respectively. Calves which had been on the low plane during the initial period had a compensation index of 0·30 by 64 weeks of age. Carcass measurements were not affected by the plane of nutrition during either period. Steers grew faster than heifers, had lower area o/m. longissimus dorsi but less separable fat and more bone in the forerib joint than heifers at equal carcass weight.

Keywords

calvescarcass compositiongrowth ratetwins
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 57 , Issue 1 , August 1993 , pp. 81 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

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