Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T03:47:17.321Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of castration age, dietary protein level and lysine/methionine ratio on animal performance, carcass and meat quality of Friesian steers intensively reared

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2014

I. N. Prado
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain Department of Animal Science, State University of Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020–900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
M. M. Campo*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
E. Muela
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
M. V. Valero
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain Department of Animal Science, State University of Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020–900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
O. Catalan
Affiliation:
Industrial Zootécnica Aragonesa (INZAR), Poeta Luís Cernuda sn, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
J. L. Olleta
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
C. Sañudo
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
*
E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The effects of castration age, dietary protein level and the dietary lysine/methionine (lys/met) ratio on animal performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality were studied in 64 intensively reared Friesian steers. Animals underwent castration procedures at 15 days old or at 5 months old. Dietary treatments started at 90 days old, with eight animals from each castration age randomly allocated to each treatment: 14.6% v. 16.8% CP (DM basis), and 3.0 v. 3.4 lys/met, on a 2×2×2 design. The recommended ratio of 3.0 was reached with supplementation of protected methionine. Steers were slaughtered at 443.5±26.2 kg live weight when they reached 12 months old approximately. Average daily gain, cold carcass weight or carcass classification were not affected by any studied effect. Muscle moisture (P=0.024), C18:2n-6 percentage (P=0.047), polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid (P=0.049) and n-6/n-3 (P=0.003) were higher in late castrated animals. Both high levels of dietary protein (P=0.008) and lys/met ratio (P=0.048) increased the percentage of muscle in the carcass. A level of 16.8% of CP in the diet also increased the percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids in the intramuscular fat (P=0.032), whereas a ratio lys/met of 3.4 decreased the percentage of saturated fatty acids (P=0.028). Thus, it is recommended using diets with a high protein level (16.8%) and a high lys/met ratio (3.4) in animals slaughtered at a young age, in order to obtain carcasses with high muscle content without negatively affecting productive traits or intramuscular fat composition.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abril, M, Campo, MM, Önenç, A, Sañudo, C, Albertí, P and Negueruela, AI 2001. Beef color evolution as a function of ultimate pH. Meat Science 58, 6978.Google Scholar
Adams, T, Daley, C, Adams, B and Sakurai, H 1996. Testes function and feedlot performance of bulls actively immunized against gonadotropin-releasing hormone: effect of age at immunization. Journal of Animal Science 74, 950954.Google Scholar
Aricetti, JA, Rotta, PP, Prado, RM, Perotto, D, Moletta, JL, Matsushita, M and Prado, IN 2008. Carcass characteristics, chemical composition and fatty acid profile of Longissimus muscle of bulls and steers finished in a pasture system. Asian Australasian Journal of Animal Science 21, 14411448.Google Scholar
Bagley, CP, Morrison, DG, Feazel, JI and Saxton, AM 1989. Growth and sexual characteristics of suckling beef calves as influenced by age at castration and growth implants. Journal of Animal Science 67, 12581264.Google Scholar
Bligh, EG and Dyer, WJ 1959. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology 37, 911914.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brugiapaglia, A, Lussiana, C and Destefanis, G 2014. Fatty acid profile and cholesterol content of beef at retail of Piemontese, Limousin and Friesian breeds. Meat Science 96, 568573.Google Scholar
Byers, FM and Rompala, RE 1980. Level of energy effects on patterns and energetic efficiency of tissue deposition in small or large mature-size beef cattle. In Energy metabolism. EAAP Publication No. 26. pp. 141146. Butterworth’s, London, UK.Google Scholar
Campo, MM, Santolaria, P, Sañudo, C, Lepetit, J, Olleta, JL, Panea, B and Alberti, P 2000. Assessment of breed type and ageing time effects on beef meat quality using two different texture devices. Meat Science 55, 371378.Google Scholar
Carrilho, MC, Lopez, M and Campo, MM 2009. Effect of the fattening diet in the development of the fatty acid profile in rabbits from weaning. Meat Science 83, 8595.Google Scholar
De Boer, H, Dumont, BL, Pomeroy, RW and Weniger, JH 1974. Manual on EEAP reference methods for the assessment of carcass characteristics in cattle. Livestock Production Science 1, 151164.Google Scholar
EC 2009. Council Directive 2008/119/EC of 18 December 2008 on laying down minimum standards for the protection of calves. Official Journal of the European Union L10, 713.Google Scholar
Fisher, AD, Crowe, MA, Varga, MEA and Enright, WJ 1996. Effect of castration method and the provision of local anaesthesia on plasma cortisol, scrotal circumference, growth, and feed intake of bull calves. Journal of Animal Science 74, 23362343.Google Scholar
INRA 2007. Alimentation des bovins, ovins et caprins – Besoins des animaux – Valeurs des aliments – Tables INRA 2007. Editions Quae, Versailles, France.Google Scholar
ISO 1973. Meat and meat products – determination of total fat content. ISO 1443:1973. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
ISO 1978. Meat and meat products – determination of nitrogen content. ISO 937:1978. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
ISO 1997. Meat and meat products – determination of moisture content. ISO 1442:1997. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
ISO 1998. Meat and meat products – determination of total ash. ISO 936:1998. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
Klemesrud, MJ, Klopfenstein, TJ, Stock, RA, Lewis, AJ and Herold, DW 2000a. Effect of dietary concentration of metabolizable lysine on finishing cattle performance. Journal of Animal Science 78, 10601066.Google Scholar
Klemesrud, MJ, Klopfenstein, TJ and Lewis, AJ 2000b. Metabolizable methionine and lysine requirements of growing cattle. Journal of Animal Science 78, 199206.Google Scholar
Knight, TW, Cosgrove, GP, Death, AF and Anderson, CB 1999. Effect of interval from castration of bulls to slaughter on carcass characteristics and meat quality. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 42, 269277.Google Scholar
Lazzaroni, C and Biagini, D 2008. Effect of pre and post-pubertal castration on Piemontese male cattle. II: Carcass measures and meat yield. Meat Science 80, 442448.Google Scholar
Lunstra, DD, Ford, JJ and Echternkamp, SE 1978. Puberty in beef bulls: hormone concentrations, growth, testicular development, sperm production and sexual aggressiveness in bulls of different breeds. Journal of Animal Science 46, 10541062.Google Scholar
Mach, N, Bach, A, Velarde, A and Devant, M 2008. Association between animal transportation, slaughterhouse practices, and meat pH in beef. Meat Science 78, 232238.Google Scholar
Mach, N, Bach, A, Realini, CE, Font i Furnols, M, Velarde, A and Devant, M 2009. Burdizzo pre-pubertal castration effects on performance, behaviour, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Friesian bulls fed high-concentrate diets. Meat Science 81, 329334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monsón, F, Sañudo, C and Sierra, I 2004. Influence of cattle breed and ageing time on textural meat quality. Meat Science 68, 595602.Google Scholar
NRC 2001. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Oliván, M, Martínez, A, Osoro, K, Sañudo, C, Panea, B, Olleta, JL, Campo, MM, Oliver, MA, Serra, X, Gil, M and Piedrafita, J 2004. Effect of muscular hypertrophy on physico-chemical, biochemical and texture traits of meat from yearling bulls. Meat Science 68, 567575.Google Scholar
Padre, RG, Aricetti, JA, Gomes, STM, Goes, RHTB, Moreira, FB, Prado, IN, Visentainer, JV, Souza, NE and Matsushita, M 2007. Analysis of fatty acids in Longissimus muscle of steers of different genetic breeds finished in pasture systems. Livestock Science 110, 5763.Google Scholar
Partida, A, Olleta, JL, Campo, MM, Sañudo, C and Maria, GA 2007a. Effect of social dominance on the meat quality of young Friesian bulls. Meat Science 76, 266273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Partida, A, Olleta, JL, Sañudo, C, Albertí, P and Campo, MM 2007b. Fatty acid composition and sensory traits of beed fed palm oil supplements. Meat Science 76, 444454.Google Scholar
Robinson, PH 2010. Impacts of manipulating ration metabolizable lysine and methionine levels on the performance of lactating dairy cows: a systematic review of the literature. Livestock Science 127, 115126.Google Scholar
Rotta, PP, Prado, RM, Prado, IN, Valero, MV, Visentainer, JV and Silva, RR 2009. The effects of genetic groups, nutrition, finishing systems and gender of Brazilian cattle on carcass characteristics and beef composition and appearance: a review. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 22, 17181734.Google Scholar
Scollan, N, Hocquette, JF, Nuernberg, K, Dannenberg, D, Richardson, I and Moloney, A 2006. Innovations in beef production systems that enhance the nutritional and health value of beef lipids and their relationship with meat quality. Meat Science 74, 1733.Google Scholar
Sinclair, KD, Garnsworthy, PC, Mann, GE and Sinclair, LA 2014. Reducing dietary protein in dairy cow diets: implications for nitrogen utilization, milk production, welfare and fertility. Animal 8, 262274.Google Scholar
Sindt, MH, Stock, RA, Klopfenstein, TJ and Shain, DH 1993. Effect of protein source and grain type on finishing calf performance and ruminal metabolism. Journal of Animal Science 71, 10471056.Google Scholar
Schroeder, GF and Titgemeyer, EC 2008. Interaction between protein and energy supply on protein utilization in growing cattle: a review. Livestock Science 114, 110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zilio, DM, Vincenti, F, Ballico, S, Ficco, A and Juarez, M 2009. Effect of castration and crossbreeding on meat quality traits of Maremmana beef cattle. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8, 516518.Google Scholar