CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF THREE-WAY CROSS PROGENY FROM CHAROLAIS-, SIMMENTAL- AND LIMOUSIN-SIRED F1 DAMS VS. HEREFORD × ANGUS DAMS
Authors: RAHNEFELD G. W. , FREDEEN H. T. , WEISS G. M. , NEWMAN J. A. , LAWSON J. E. 
Published: March 2010

Carcass characteristics of 3673 steers and heifers born over a 6-yr period from 1973 to 1978 at Brandon, Manitoba (farm conditions) and Manyberries, Alberta (range conditions) were compared. Calves weaned at Manyberries were fed and evaluated at Lacombe, Alberta. The progeny produced were out of 10 specific F1 crosses of dam mated to bulls of the Charolais (C), Simmental (S), Limousin (L) and Chianina (Chi) breeds. Dam crosses included the Hereford × Angus (HA) and crosses sired by C, S and L sires out of H, A and Shorthorn (N) dams. The progeny from SN dams (Brandon) and the three S-cross dams (Lacombe) had the highest carcass weight per day of age and the progeny from LH dams (Brandon) and L dams (Lacombe) the lowest and equal to progeny from HA dams. The progeny from LN dams (Brandon) and the three L-cross dams (Lacombe) had the highest dressing percentage and the progeny from the SH dams the lowest and equal to the HA progeny. The progeny from HA dams at both locations had greater levels of average rib fat than progeny from the exotic-cross dams. At both locations, the largest rib eye area/wt (cm2/kg) was recorded by progeny from the LA dams and the smallest by progeny from the SN and CN dams and they did not differ from the HA progeny. The progeny from all exotic-cross dams at both locations recorded a higher proportion of round than progeny from the HA dams with the highest proportions being recorded by the progeny from LH dams (Brandon) and progeny from CH, CN and SN dams (Lacombe). The progeny from HA dams (Lacombe) exceeded the progeny from all exotic-cross dams in the proportion of long loin while the progeny from HA dams (Brandon) exceeded the progeny from CA, CN and SN dams. In percentage of lean in the round, the progeny from CN, SH and SN dams (Brandon) and SN dams (Lacombe) were the lowest and equal to progeny from the HA dams. The progeny from HA dams at both locations generally had the lowest percentage of bone in the long loin with progeny from the SN dams (Brandon) and progeny from CH dams (Lacombe) recording the highest percentage. The progeny from the SN and CH dams (Brandon) and the progeny from the SH and SN dams (Lacombe) recorded the highest percentage bone in the round with the progeny from CA, CN and LN dams (Brandon) and progeny from CA, SA, LH and LN dams (Lacombe) the lowest and equal to the progeny from HA dams. The progeny from exotic cross dams at both locations exceeded the progeny from HA dams in percentage lean per day of age for the combined trait long loin and round. The progeny from L-cross dams (Lacombe) had the highest lean-to-bone ratio of the combined trait long loin and round with the progeny from HA dams intermediate and equal to the progeny from the other dam crosses. At Brandon, the progeny from the LA dams had the highest lean-to-bone ratio with the progeny from the CH, CA, CN, SA and LH the lowest and equal to the HA progeny. Dam by year, dam by sex, year by sex and the genetic interaction involving breed of sire and breed of dam were not statistically significant. Key words: Cattle, breeds, carcass, cuts, composition