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Fat partitioning in British Friesian cows: the influence of physiological state on dissected body composition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

B. W. Butler-Hogg ,
J. D. Wood  and
J. A. Bines
B. W. Butler-Hogg
Affiliation:
Carcass and Abattoir Division Agricultural and Food Research Council, Meat Research InstituteLangford, Bristol, BS18 1DY
J. D. Wood
Affiliation:
Carcass and Abattoir Division Agricultural and Food Research Council, Meat Research InstituteLangford, Bristol, BS18 1DY
J. A. Bines
Affiliation:
Carcass and Abattoir Division Agricultural and Food Research Council, Meat Research InstituteLangford, Bristol, BS18 1DY
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Summary

The influence of physiological state (pregnant, lactating, dry) on body composition and fat partitioning in Friesian cows has been examined. A total of 20 cows, four per physiological state, were slaughtered and their left half carcasses dissected into individual muscles, bones and fat depots. All body parts, including the internal organs and fat depots, were weighed at slaughter.

Muscle tissue and the internal organs showed some weight changes, consistent with a redistribution of tissue towards the udder and gut, and mobilization of muscle, but the major changes in weight associated with changing physiological state occurred in total body fat.

Intermuscular fat made the greatest absolute contribution to changing fat weight, but subcutaneous fat showed the greatest proportional change with changing physiological state. The order of depletion of fat depots during fat loss was approximately the reverse of the order of development found during developmental growth.

The distribution of subcutaneous fat between seven defined regions of the carcass was not affected by differences in total fatness in different physiological states. This, and the high correlation found between fat depth and total body fatness, confirms the view that measures of subcutaneous fat depth, e.g. by ultrasonics, should be useful predictors of the energy status of cows in varying physiological states.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 104 , Issue 3 , June 1985 , pp. 519 - 528
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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