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Publication Open AccessJournal ArticleAllometric growth of non-carcass components in crossed lambs(Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Centro de Ciencias Rurais, 2014-07) ;Furusho Garcia, Iraides Ferreira ;Rodrigues Costa Alvarenga, Tharcilla Isabella ;Olalquiaga Perez, Juan Ramon; ;Gallo, Sarita Bonagurio ;Pereira, Idalmo Garcia ;Alves, Nadja GomesPereira Alvarenga, Flavio AugustoMachos e fêmeas, Santa Inês puros (SI) e cruzados de matrizes Santa Inês com reprodutores das raças Texel (TxSI), Ile de France (IFxSI) e Bergamácia (BxSI), terminados em confi namento e abatidos aos 15, 25, 35 e 45kg de peso vivo. Após o abate, foram tomados os pesos das vísceras e analisado o crescimento alométrico. O pulmão dos machos BxSI cresceu em taxas mais elevadas que SI e TxSI. A tráqueia/esôfago dos machos SI e TxSI cresceu mais lentamente que dos IFxSI e BxSI. Os rins dos machos BxSI cresceram mais rápido comparado aos dos TxSI e IFxSI. O fígado das fêmeas TxSI cresceu em taxas mais elevadas quando comparadas às fêmeas dos outros grupos genéticos. Os machos e fêmeas do grupo TxSI apresentaram taxas de crescimento maiores para rúmen/retículo, respectivamente, comparado aos grupos SI e BxSI.1043 177 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Thesis DoctoralPublication Assessing the Value and Impact of Environmental Enrichment for Extensively Managed Beef Cattle Welfare(University of New England, 2024-10-02); ; ; ; As the public interest in improving animal welfare increases, industries must align their practices with consumer’s expectations. Environmental enrichment can promote positive welfare, however research regarding pasture-based cattle is limited, likely as is assumed they can perform all desired behaviours as they are housed in ‘naturalistic’ environments. Therefore, Chapter 1 of this thesis introduces the concept of enrichment and its impacts on animal welfare, and identifies potential enrichments for beef cattle housed at pasture.
Chapter 2 examines cattle’s preference for a bare pastured paddock compared to a feedlot environment. The study demonstrates that some cattle were still attracted to the feedlot environment, suggesting enrichment should be explored for extensively managed animals.
Chapter 3 determines enrichment preferences of beef steers when housed at pasture. Overall, enrichments allowing for grooming showed the most promise for inclusion in extensive systems, based on both continued use and a relatively high number of displacements.
Chapter 4 determines the impacts of enrichment during yard-weaning for beef cattle born at pasture. The study shows that enrichment influenced short-term behaviours and affective state, but did not have any long-term impacts on body weight or temperament, although external factors such as increased mud and regrouping may have impacted results.
Chapter 5 examines the impact of enrichment loss on beef cattle. The study demonstrates that welfare was impaired when brush access was blocked, although this varied between individuals according to the degree of initial brush use.
Finally, Chapter 6 provides an overall conclusion which summarises the finding of the thesis and suggests that enrichment could be a valuable tool for improving pasture-based beef cattle welfare, although further work is required before it is readily adopted by industry.
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Thesis DoctoralPublication Assessment of the role of food safety and hygiene to support the improvement of traditional slaughter practice in Indonesia(University of New England, 2025-03-07) ;Astuti, Fuji; ;Noor, Yudi Guntara; ; ; Increased beef output resulting from adoption of on-farm innovations and demand for local beef of high value and hygiene in Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) province, in eastern Indonesia, is a potential opportunity to increase beef traders' livelihood and the safety of local beef products for consumers. Innovative intervention is essential to improving local slaughtering and processing procedures, currently carried out traditionally on the floor, to be more hygienic and to benefit from this new value chain. However, there is a lack of baseline information on the beef quality and hygiene associated with the NTB local traditional beef processing system. Understanding the market needs and local production management and constraints is crucial to determine the best intervention strategies for beef processing improvement.
This study evaluates motivations for consumers to demand more hygienic beef, quality and safety characteristics and willingness to pay for safe premium beef that contributes to adding value to processing (Chapter Three); analyses critical points for beef hygiene in the existing slaughter conditions (Chapter Four); quantifies the microbiological profiles of beef and processing environment (Chapter Five); characterises the management and social constraints around hygienic beef production in NTB (Chapter Six); and identifies knowledge, attitude, practice and aspirations of abattoirs for hygienic production of beef.
A consumer survey (Chapter Three) in Mataram City, the capital of NTB Province, found that a potential segment of consumers (27 % of the sample population) are willing to buy for characteristics of beef hygiene, premium cuts, vacuum packaging, beef freshness, and free-pathogen produce. As these consumers intend to cook safe local premium beef for international dishes using fast-cooking methods, the meat greatly relies on hygienic produce. This preference for safe premium beef could be an opportunity for the local beef production sector to meet this niche consumer demand. This potential target market may lead to improvement of the safety and quality of local beef products, and the implementation of good processing hygiene for local abattoirs. In this regard, assessment of factual conditions of local beef processing is crucial to allow the implementation of effective and affordable interventions for produce safety and quality improvement, which led to the conduct of observational study of abattoirs (Chapter Four) and microbiological profiles of current processing condition and carcass (Chapter Five).
Overall, the current condition of abattoirs (Chapter Four) is critical of hygiene and sanitation aspects involving abattoir structures, facilities, slaughtering and processing procedures and personnel sanitation. Infrastructures are poorly equipped with standard hygiene facilities, clean water sources, food safety control mechanisms, standard sanitary operational procedures (SSOP), cleaning and sterilisation tools, personal hygiene rules, and other technical facets. Amongst all the issues identified, the most crucial aspects that need urgent interventions in the first round include on-the-floor slaughter, water sources, cleanliness and hygiene behaviour of workers, and cleaning and sterilisation of equipment.
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Publication Open AccessJournal ArticleAssociations of sire estimated breeding values and objective meat quality measurements with sensory scores in Australian lamb(Elsevier BV, 2014) ;Pannier, L ;Gardner, G E ;Pearce, K L ;McDonagh, M ;Ball, Alexander ;Jacob, R HPethick, D WThe impact of selecting for lean meat yield using breeding values for increased eye muscle depth (PEMD) and decreased fat depth (PFAT) on the consumer acceptance of lamb meat was evaluated. Consumer sensory scores (tenderness, juiciness, flavour, odour, overall liking) were obtained for the longissimus lumborum (loin) and semimembranosus (topside) muscles of 1471 lambs. On average loin samples were more acceptable for consumers. Sensory scores increased with higher IMF levels, with lower shear force levels, and when animals were younger and less muscular. Increasing PEMD decreased tenderness, overall liking and flavour scores in both muscles, and decreasing PFAT reduced tenderness within the loin samples only. This negative impact of PEMD and PFAT is not solely driven through the phenotypic impact of IMF and shear force on sensory scores. Our results confirm the growing concerns that selecting for lean meat yield would reduce consumer eating quality, and highlight that careful monitoring of selection programmes is needed to maintain lamb eating quality.812 4 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Barking up the Right Tree: Developing Education Resources that Work in Remote Indigenous ContextsIn remote Aboriginal communities, both professionals and community residents have called for increased knowledge sharing to support dog health initiatives. Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC) is working to find the best ways to meet this need. UNE supports these objectives and, through collaborative research and voluntary activities, staff and students benefit from shared learning and cultural exchange.1218 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Body weight at point of lay and the ultrastructural properties of eggshellsUltrastructural studies have demonstrated that the eggshell is comprised of morphological distinct calcified layers with the mammillary layer being the "foundation" of the eggshell. Studies have identified ultrastructural variations in the mammillary layer that can be used as indicators of eggshell quality (Roberts and Brackpool, 1995). Understanding the ultrastructure of eggshells has reinforced the view that the mechanical properties of the eggshell cannot be defined by a simple thickness measurement (Bain, 2005). Body weight at point of lay is a major factor influencing subsequent egg size, and this applies to both immature and more mature ages (Leeson and Summers 1987). Larger birds consume more feed while producing larger sized eggs with inferior eggshell quality (Leeson and Summers, 1987; Parkinson et al., 2007). The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between body weight at point of lay and ultrastructural properties of the mammillary layer of the eggshell.1419 2 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Body weight, flock uniformity and egg quality of flocks reared in two different rearing shedsBirds from two flocks of commercial caged hens, of the same age but reared in different sheds, were weighed at the ages of 6, 15, 19, 26, 37, 50 and 60 weeks. Body weight increased with increasing hen age for both groups. Eggs were collected from the flocks at the ages of 19, 26, 37, 50 and 60 weeks. Cuticle cover was measured using MST cuticle stain and a hand-held Konica Minolta spectrophotometer. Cuticle cover increased as hens aged and was higher for rearing shed A. There were significant effects of hen age and shed for ΔE*ab which was higher for shed A than shed B indicating better cuticle cover for birds originating from shed A. Traditional egg quality measurements were determined using specialized equipment supplied by TSS UK. A significant effect was recorded for flock age for all egg quality measurements. With advancing hen age, egg weight, shell weight, yolk colour and shell thickness increased, whereas shell breaking strength, shell deformation decreased. Albumen height, Haugh Units and percentage shell decreased then increased at late lay. Egg shell quality and egg internal quality were better, overall, for birds reared in shed A than for birds reared in shed B, an indication that initial rearing conditions may have a persistent effect on bird performance.1419 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
BookPublication Breeding Focus 2014 - Improving Resilience(University of New England, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, 2014); Technology transfer relies on an active engagement of researchers with industry to enable a two-way exchange that keeps researchers up to date with current industry issues and informs industry stake holders of the latest research relevant for their business. The AGBU pig genetics workshops have been conducted since 1991. This has been a unique opportunity for pig industries worldwide to stay up-to-date with current genetic research. The challenges faced by individual breeding operations are similar across species, including livestock and aquaculture, and cross-fostering of ideas as well as sharing discussions between industries are beneficial and desirable. As a result, 'Breeding Focus 2014' was developed to extend this opportunity for exchange between industry and research to livestock and aquaculture species. Genetic improvement of resilience is the topic for Breeding Focus 2014. It is our aim to address other topics of interest as an on-going series of Breeding Focus.2295 2 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
BookPublication Breeding Focus 2016 - Improving WelfareThe inaugural 'Breeding Focus' workshop was held in 2014 to outline and discuss avenues for genetic improvement of resilience. The Breeding Focus workshop was developed to provide a forum for exchange between industry and research across livestock and aquaculture industries. The objective of Breeding Focus is to cross-foster ideas and to encourage discussion between representatives from different industries because the challenges faced by individual breeding organisations are similar across species. This book accompanies the Breeding Focus 2016 workshop. The topic of this workshop is 'Breeding Focus 2016 - Improving welfare'.2329 2 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Carbohydrases improve performance of broilers fed both nutritionally adequate and downspec wheat dietsAlthough the main non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in wheat are arabinoxylans, considerable amounts of β-glucan and cellulose are also present. In soybean meal (SBM) and canola meal, the major polysaccharides are pectins and cellulose. Since more plant ingredients containing different forms of NSPs are being used for diet formulations, an enzyme combination with additional activities each differing in substrate preference may further enhance nutrient utilization. A study was conducted to investigate the use of Rovabio Excel LC (liquid), an enzyme complex containing 19 carbohydrase activities on broilers fed a nutritionally adequate or downspec diet.1364 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication Comparison of repeated measurements of methane production in sheep over 5 years and a range of measurement protocols(American Society of Animal Science, 2015); ; ; Emissions of 710 ewes at pasture were measured for 1 h (between 09:00-16:30 h) in batches of 15 sheep in portable accumulation chambers (PAC) after an overnight fast continuing until 2 h before measurement, when the sheep had access to baled hay for 1 h. The test was used to identify a group of 104 low emitters (I-Low) and a group of 103 high emitters (I-Hi) for methane emissions adjusted for liveweight (CH4awt). The 207 ewes selected at the initial study were remeasured in 5 repeat tests from 2009 through 2014 at another location. The first repeat used the original measurement protocol. Two modified protocols, each used in 2 yr, drafted unfasted sheep on the morning of the test into a yard or holding paddock until measurement. Emissions of the I-Hi sheep were higher (102-112%) than I-Low sheep in all subsequent PAC tests, with statistical significance (P < 0.05) in 3 tests. Tests without overnight fasting were simpler to conduct and had repeatabilities of 51 to 60% compared with 31 and 43% for the initial and first repeat tests, respectively. After habituation to a diet fed at 20 g/kg liveweight, 160 of the 207 sheep were measured in respiration chambers (RC); 10 high (Hi-10) and 10 low (Low-10) sheep were chosen, representing extremes (top and bottom 6.25%) for methane yield (MY; g CH4/kg DMI). The Hi-10 group emitted 14% more methane (adjusted for feed intake) in a follow-up RC test, but Low-10 and Hi-10 sheep differed in only 1 of the 5 PAC tests, when Hi-10 sheep emitted less CH4awt than Low-10 sheep (P = 0.002) and tended to eat less in the feeding opportunity (P = 0.085). Compared with their weight on good pasture, Low-10 sheep were proportionately lighter than Hi-10 sheep in the relatively poor pasture conditions of the initial test. Sheep identified as low emitters by PAC tests using the initial protocol did not produce less CH4 (mg/min) when fed a fixed level of intake in RC. Correlations between estimates of an animal's CH4awt measured in PAC and CH4 adjusted for feed intake in RC were quite low (r = 0-19%) and significant (P < 0.05) in only 1 test of unfasted sheep. With moderate repeatability over the 5 yr, PAC tests of CH4awt could be a viable way to select for reduced emissions of grazing sheep. As well as exploiting any variation in MY, selecting for reduced CH4awt in PAC could result in lower feed intake than expected for the animals' liveweight and might affect the diurnal feeding pattern. Further work is required on these issues.1395 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication A cost-benefit analysis of foot and mouth disease control program for smallholder cattle farmers in Cambodia(Wiley-Blackwell Verlag GmbH) ;Sieng, S; ; Sar, CThe Cambodian government is attempting to mobilise government, donor and private sector funding to implement a coordinated FMD vaccination program (FMDVP). A necessary first step is to convince the farmers of the benefits of participating in and potentially financially supporting this program. Information was collected from 300 farmers in order to estimate the on-farm benefits and costs of their participation in an FMDVP. Implementing a successful vaccination program is difficult, and farmers understand from previous experience that there may be institutional, social, technical and financial constraints which limit its success. A benefit-cost analysis needs to take into account that outbreaks do not occur every year, not all cattle will be successfully vaccinated, not all sick animals successfully treated and sometimes sick animals simply sold. This study sensitises these variables in order to give a realistic estimation of the farmer participation benefits in an FMDVP. A general result is that it is worthwhile for farmers to participate in the FMDVP if there are average annual outbreaks, or at least two major outbreaks, in the ensuing 5 years. However, the results are influenced by the interaction of vaccination success and treatment success and coverage. Ineffective coverage and poor treatment of sick animals reduce the benefits of an FMDVP. It is also important that farmers do not sell sick stock and, if they do, that they are able to breed replacements rather than purchase replacements. There are many factors in the smallholder cattle farming system that will influence the success of an FMDVP; farmers will only choose to participate if they can be convinced of the short and long-term economic benefits.810 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Developing new value chains for small-scale and emerging cattle farmers in South Africa(2016) ;Mmbwengwa, Victor; ;Ngqangweni, Simphiwe ;Spies, David; 401 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationEconomic benefit of additional recording for welfare traits in maternal breeding objectives for pigs(Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics (AAABG), 2021); ; The purpose of this study was to investigate, using selection index calculations, the economic benefits of improving welfare by expanding recording within traditional pig breeding programs to include welfare-related traits. The genetic parameters were adapted from several Australian studies. A basic breeding objective including average daily gain, backfat thickness and number of piglets born alive was extended to include welfare traits and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Welfare traits were: survival of piglets at farrowing (FS) and until weaning (PWS), weaning to conception interval (WCI), sow mature weight (MWT) and sow longevity (LONG). Sow appetite before farrowing (FRBF) and body condition before farrowing (CAL) were considered as additional selection criteria. When welfare traits were absent from the breeding objective and selection criteria, this resulted in reduced LONG, higher MWT, prolonged WCI and overall lower genetic response in the index in comparison with other scenarios. Valuing and recording welfare traits resulted in desirable responses for both production and welfare traits and increased overall economic merit. Including FCR in the breeding objective made it more difficult to improve welfare traits, particularly if FCR was recorded.1016 5 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationEconomic values for farrowing rate to improve seasonal fertilitySeasonal fertility is the variation in reproductive performance of sows across different seasons. A consistent fertility of sows across seasons is desirable. Seasonal fertility is reflected in farrowing rate because a reduction in farrowing rate is often observed during the summer-autumn period. An independent economic model was developed to derive economic values for farrowing rate. Economic values varied from $2.19 to $1.95 per 1% change in farrowing rate for mean farrowing rates of 72 to 85%. The economic value for farrowing rate predominately accounted for the costs of non-productive days of non-pregnant sows. The model and economic values presented in this study for farrowing rate can be used to extend existing maternal breeding objectives in pigs. Further, the variation in economic values for farrowing rates can be used to consider genotype by season interactions for farrowing rate in pig breeding programs.1106 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Effect of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on egg quality, body weight and feed intake in commercial laying hensHyLine Brown layer hens from 19 to 50 weeks of age were used to determine the effects of supplemental 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D₃) on egg internal quality, eggshell quality, amount of cuticle present on the eggshells, body weight, and feed intake. Birds were housed individually in cages and divided into three groups (A, B, and C), 30 birds per group, where group A was control fed with normal commercial layer mash feed, group B was fed with normal layer mash feed plus 0.5 g of 25(OH)D₃ premix (68.9 µg 25(OH)D₃) per kg of feed, and group C fed with normal layer mash feed plus 1 g of 25(OH)D₃ premix (137.8 μg 25(OH)D₃) per kg of feed. Our results indicated there was a significant main effect (P≤0.05) of hen age and treatment group on albumen height, Haugh unit, and yolk color score, whereas a significant interaction between these two factors was recorded only for yolk score. Shell quality results indicated that there was a significant main effect of both hen age and treatment group on shell reflectivity, egg weight, shell deformation, shell weight, percentage shell, shell thickness, translucency score, and cuticle single score value. There was a significant effect of hen age on shell breaking strength and shell reflectivity prior to staining. The results showed that the highest shell weight and percentage shell and lowest shell deformation were found in group C. The lowest shell thickness and highest albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk color score, difference in shell reflectivity, translucency score, and cuticle single score value were found in group A. Egg weight was higher in groups A and C than group B. Body weight and feed intake were not significantly different among the groups.1452 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Thesis Masters ResearchPublication Effect of betaine supplementation in broilers provided different nutrient regimes(2015) ;Nguyen, Hong Thi; ; It has been projected that world food consumption will be doubled between 2010 and 2050 and the meat consumption per capita will also be rising due to the improvement in economic status in the developing areas of the world (Godfray et al., 2010). Modern-day broiler chickens are superior to other animals in producing meat from feedstuffs. The broiler industry is expected to expand in the coming decades, at the annual rate of 2.5% per year, to fulfil the increasing demand for a high quality and relatively inexpensive animal protein source, short generation intervals and very low greenhouse gas emissions (Cowieson and Selle, 2011). However, the broiler industry is facing many new challenges to meet society's expectation of having clean and green products without compromising food safety and quality, animal welfare and environmental care. ... The present study aimed to provide an insight into the efficacy of betaine in broiler production through its two roles, by examining its osmolytic capacity in enhancing the efficiency of energy utilisation, digestibility of other nutrients and activities of the gut microbial community, and by evaluating its methyl donor function, which partially replaces dietary methionine and improves carcass quality.2512 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Effect of supplementation with two levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on egg internal and external quality in commercial laying hensHy-Line Brown layer hens were housed in individual cages from 19 to 80 weeks of age to study the effects of dietary supplementation with two levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D3) on egg internal and external quality, and the amount of cuticle present on the eggshells. Ninety birds were divided into group A (control group) fed with normal commercial layer mash feed, and groups B and C (treated groups) fed with normal commercial layer mash feed plus 0.5 g of 25(OH)D3 [premix (68.9 μg 25(OH)D3)] per kg of feed and 1 g of 25(OH)D3 [premix (137.8 μg 25(OH)D3)] per kg of feed, respectively. There was a significant main effect (P<0.05) of hen age and treatment group on albumen height, Haugh unit, and yolk colour score. There was a significant main effect of both hen age and treatment group on most of the eggshell characteristics such as shell reflectivity before and after staining, difference in shell reflectivity, egg weight, shell weight, percentage shell, shell deformation, shell thickness, and cuticle single score value, whereas a significant interaction between these two factors was seen for yolk colour score and percentage shell. There was a significant effect only of hen age on shell breaking strength and translucency score. The results indicated that the highest albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk colour score, difference in shell reflectivity, and cuticle single score value and lowest shell reflectivity before and after staining were found in group A. In addition, the highest shell weight, percentage shell, and shell thickness and lowest shell deformation were for group C (which is the higher supplemental Hy-D group). Group B was lower than group C for shell weight and percentage shell and higher for shell deformation with group A intermediate, whereas group B was lower than the other groups for egg weight. Shell breaking strength and translucency score were affected only by hen age and there was no significant difference between the three treatment groups for these variables.1391 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication The effects of the myostatin g+6723G>A mutation on carcass and meat quality of lamb(Elsevier BV, 2013) ;Hope, Mitchell; ; ;Koohmaraie, Mohammad ;Al-Owaimer, AbdullahThis study evaluated the effects of the myostatin g + 6723G > A mutation on carcass and meat quality traits of lamb (AA: n = 5; AG: n = 8; GG: n = 9). Dressing percentage was positively affected by the mutation with homozygotes for the mutation having the highest yield. Regarding carcass composition, there was a significant increase in the proportional weights of the loin and hindquarter muscles. Objective meat quality traits of the 'M. longissimus lumborum' (LL) and 'M. semimembranosus' (SM) were not significantly affected. For the SM, toughness (shear force and compression) tended to be lowest for homozygotes for the mutation. The myostatin g + 6723G > A mutation did not affect sensory meat quality traits of grilled steaks for the LL, but resulted in a significant improvement in eating quality for the SM. Given the number of animals in this study, the robustness of the outcome of this study with regard to the effects on meat quality and its causes requires further investigation.1295 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationEffects of truncation and false positives in selection of markers for genomic predictionAssociation studies are often used to select genetic markers for genomic prediction, requiring truncation with a balance between power and false positives. Using simulation, the aim for this study is to test the effects of truncation on prediction accuracy and particularly the impact of false positives in SNP selection. Bonferroni and Benjamini-Hochberg False Discovery Rate methods were tested. Our study suggested that except for polygenic traits, truncation with a more lenient threshold such as the Benjamini-Hochberg False Discovery Rate increases the genomic prediction accuracy. In an inbred population, false positives could contribute positively to the accuracy especially for a oligogenic trait, although further study would be needed to generalize this result. Our study suggested that for a polygenic trait, all markers should be included in genomic prediction, and if SNP selection were to be applied a lenient threshold for truncation would be desirable.522 3 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Egg QualityEgg shell quality and egg internal quality are of major importance to the egg industry worldwide and may be measured in a range of ways both commercially and in research facilities. Egg quality is influenced by a range of factors including strain of bird, age of bird, nutrition, moult status, water quality, general stress, heat stress, disease, housing, production system, environmental contaminants and use of proprietary products designed to improve egg quality. Improved understanding of the way in which the egg and egg shell are formed, including knowledge of the proteins comprising the organic matrix of the shell has assisted with diagnosis of the causes of egg shell quality problems and with genetic selection for good quality. Ongoing technological advances have led to improved in-line monitoring of egg shell quality. Egg quality is also important for food safety as eggs are periodically implicated in cases of food-borne illness.1297 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication The eggshell cuticle of the laying henThe cuticle is the outermost layer, deposited on the palisade layer of the eggshell during the last 1.5-2 hr of eggshell formation in 'utero'. It is a non-calcified, thin, water-insoluble layer composed mainly of glycoproteins with some carbohydrate and fat constituents. The cuticle functions as a protective layer which regulates gaseous exchange across the shell, acts as a first line of defence against microbial penetration across the eggshell and is associated with termination of calcite crystal growth during shell formation. The extent of cuticle deposition is influenced by hen age and strain. The physiological and microbiological characteristics of the hen eggshell cuticle are reviewed in relation to its protective functions.882 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication Eggshell penetration by 'Salmonella' Typhimurium in table eggs: Examination of underlying eggshell structures by micr-computed tomography and scanning electron microscopyHorizontal infection of table eggs by food borne, human infection causative agents such as 'Salmonella' is a serious concern for consumers and industry. In this study, we investigated the relationship between eggshell translucency, mammillary layer abnormalities and pore structure using Computed Tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy. The effects of eggshell pore structure, size and number on 'Salmonella' Typhimurium penetration was also investigated. The eggs were infected with S. Typhimurium and were incubated at 37 °C for 3 or 6 days. Micro CT results comparing shell features to shell translucency found that there was a significantly increased incidence of externally branching pores found in the high translucency score eggshell group, and more straight pores found in the low translucency score group. Different pore structures, the total number of pores and the shell thickness do not appear to play a role in the horizontal infection of eggs by the S. Typhimurium strain used in this study. While it is likely that the presence of shell pores is responsible for shell penetration, other unknown shell factors must also play a role, and eggshells with a higher incidence of shell pores are not penetrated at a higher rate.1096 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Eggshell uniformity and the relationship between shell structures and shell translucency, examined by Computated Tomography (CT) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)While it has been determined that eggshell translucency is caused by the accumulation of moisture within the structures of the shell, it is still unclear precisely which shell structures are related to translucency. As part of a larger study, initial work aimed to determine how many shell samples from a single egg were required to adequately identify any features or abnormalities of that shell. SEM and CT analysis of shell samples is a time consuming process so avoiding unnecessary replication would allow for more eggs to be examined.1427 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication Energy requirements for growth in male and female Saanen goats(American Society of Animal Science, 2015-08-01); ;Resende, K T ;St-Pierre, N ;Silva, S P ;Soares, D C ;Fernandes, M H M R ;Souza, A P ;Silva, N C D ;Lima, A R CTeixeira, I A M AThe aim of this study was to investigate the energy requirements of female and intact and castrated male Saanen goats. Animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experiments designed to investigate the energy requirements for maintenance and gain. To determine the maintenance requirements, 85 goats were used (26 intact males, 30 castrated males, and 29 females) with an initial BW of 30.3 ± 0.87 kg. Thirty goats (8 intact males, 9 castrated males, and 13 females) were slaughtered to be used as the baseline group. The remaining goats were assigned in a split-plot design using a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement (3 sexes - intact males, castrated males, and females - and 3 DMI levels - ad libitum and restricted fed to 75 or 50% of the ad libitum intake). The NEg was obtained using 65 goats (20 intact males, 22 castrated males, and 23 females) fed ad libitum in a completely randomized design. Eight intact males, 9 castrated males, and 13 females were slaughtered at 30.5 ± 1.53 kg BW. Seventeen goats (6 intact males, 6 castrated males, and 5 females) were slaughtered at 38.1 ± 0.49 kg BW. The remaining goats were slaughtered at 44.0 ± 0.50 kg BW. The NEm did not differ between the sexes (P = 0.59; 258.5 kJ/kg0.75 BW), resulting in a ME for maintenance of 412.4 kJ/kg0.75 BW. The estimated energy use efficiency for maintenance was 0.627. During the growth phase, NEg differed between the sexes (P < 0.001); intact males, castrated males, and females showed an average NEg equal to 15.2, 18.6, and 22.7 MJ/kg of empty weight gain, respectively. The energy requirements for growth differed between the sexes. The difference was found to be due to distinct NEg and partial efficiency of ME utilization for growth in intact and castrated males and females during the late growth phase. This study may contribute to adjustments in feeding system energy recommendations regarding the NEm and NEg found for goats during the late growth phase.1022 4 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Energy requirements for maintenance of growing Saanen goats considering degree of maturity(Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2019) ;Souza, A P ;St-Pierre, N R ;Fernandes, M H M R; ;Vargas, J A C ;Resende, K TTeixeira, I A M AThe aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis for predicting net energy requirements for maintenance in intact male, castrated male and female dairy goats, considering the degree of maturity. A database of 206 goat kids weighing from 4.3 to 51 kg body weight (BW), from seven comparative slaughter studies was used. The experimental design of each study provided different levels of metabolizable energy intake (MEI) and empty BW (EBW). The inclusion of the degree of maturity in the model was evaluated applying the relative EBW. Non-linear regression equations were developed to predict heat production (HP; kcal/kg relative EBW; dependent variable) from MEI (kcal/kg relative EBW; independent variable) using NLMIXED. The net energy requirement for maintenance (NEM) was calculated as the value of HP at MEI equal to zero. The requirements were similar between sexes at five degree of maturity. The lack of differences in energy requirements for maintenance of males and females considering the mature weight is likely a response to similar body fat and protein amounts in goats at the same degree of maturity.1682 4 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessJournal ArticleEnergy Requirements in Early Life Are Similar for Male and Female Goat Kids(Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies, 2014-12) ;Bompadre, T F V ;Boaventura Neto, O ;Mendonca, A N ;Souza, S F ;Oliveira, D ;Fernandes, M H M R ;Harter, C J; ;Resende, K TTeixeira, I A M ALittle is known about the gender differences in energetic requirements of goats in early life. In this study, we determined the energy requirements for maintenance and gain in intact male, castrated male and female Saanen goat kids using the comparative slaughter technique and provide new data on their body composition and energy efficiency. To determine the energy requirements for maintenance, we studied 21 intact males, 15 castrated males and 18 females (5.0±0.1 kg initial body weight (BW) and 23±5 d of age) using a split-plot design with the following main factors: three genders (intact males, castrated males, and females) and three dry matter intake levels (ad libitum, 75% and 50% of ad libitum intake). A slaughter group included three kids, one for each nutritional plane, of each gender, and all three animals within a group were slaughtered when the ad libitum kid reached 15 kg in BW. Net energy requirements for gain were obtained for 17 intact males, eight castrated males and 15 females (5.1±0.4 kg BW and 23±13 d of age). Animals were fed ad libitum and slaughtered when they reached 5, 10, and 15 kg in BW. A digestion trial was performed with nine kids of each gender to determine digestible energy, metabolizable energy and energy metabolizability of the diet. Our results show no effect of gender on the energy requirements for maintenance and gain, and overall net energy for maintenance was 205.6 kJ/kg0.75 empty body weight gain (EBW) (170.3 kJ/kg0.75 BW) from 5 to 15 kg BW. Metabolizable energy for maintenance was calculated by iteration, assuming heat production equal to metabolizable energy intake at maintenance, and the result was 294.34 kJ/kg0.75 EBW and km of 0.70. As BW increased from 5 to 15 kg for all genders, the net energy required for gain increased from 9.5 to 12.0 kJ/g EBW gain (EWG), and assuming kg = 0.47, metabolizable energy for gain ranged from 20.2 to 25.5 kJ/g EWG. Our results indicate that it is not necessary to formulate diets with different energetic content for intact male, castrated male and female Saanen goat kids weighing from 5 to 15 kg.1082 96 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationEstimates of Effective Population Size and Inbreeding Level for Three Australian Pig Breeds(Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics (AAABG), 2017) ;D'Augustin, O; Selective breeding may result in higher inbreeding levels which can lead to inbreeding depression and limit future genetic gain. This study quantified inbreeding levels and evaluated effective population sizes for Large White (LW), Landrace (LR) and Duroc (DU) populations in Australia. Pedigree data from 1994 to 2015 representing about 12 generations on average were explored with the software package PopRep by Groeneveld et al. (2009) which provides multiple population parameters. Pedigree completeness was highest in 2004 and 2005 when it reached about 95% and 80% in the third and sixth generation. Average inbreeding levels were highest for these years with averages of 0.031, 0.034 and 0.050 in LW, LR and DU, respectively. Two herds joined the across-herd genetic evaluations at that time and pedigree completeness varied from 80 to 90% and from 60 to 70% in the third and sixth generation in subsequent years leading to lower estimates of inbreeding levels. Estimates of effective population size varied from 64 to 98 in LW, from 52 to 108 in LR and from 42 to 61 in DU over time. These estimates of effective population size are imprecise and an underestimate of true effective population sizes given the limited time period considered and the extent of missing pedigree.2286 1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Estimating intramuscular fat content from CT scan imagesIntramuscular fat (IMF) content is an important attribute determining meat quality, with higher contents of IMF resulting in the improved palatability of beef. Currently, IMF content is subjectively determined by visual appraisal of intramuscular fat deposits within the longissimus dorsi (i.e. marbling score). Chemical analysis (ether extraction) provides an objective determination of IMF content. However, this method is destructive and incurs significant financial and diuturnal costs. A number of automated image analysis systems for determining tissue composition from CT scan images have previously been proposed (Thompson and Kinghorn 1992; Alston et al. 2005), but as yet none are capable of estimating IMF content. This abstract outlines a framework for the quantification of IMF from CT scan images of deboned beef primal cuts.1860 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationEstimation of variance components for female longevity in Australian Angus cattle using random regression modelsCow longevity is an economically important trait for beef cattle breeding. In this study, random regression models were used to estimate genetic parameters for female longevity in Australian Angus cattle. Longevity was defined using 10 binary records (0 for ‘not in the breeding herd’ and 1 for ‘active in the breeding herd’) between age 2 to 11. A Bayesian random regression model was fitted separately to 5 different groups of disposal reasons supplied by breeders. The heritability estimates were generally low with peaks ranging from 0.03 to 0.12. The highest and lowest heritability estimates were obtained for performance and fertility datasets, respectively. Genetic correlations were high between ages 3 to 5 and age 6 for all groups except for the structural problems group in which age 3 showed a low genetic correlation. This illustrates that selection for longevity could be undertaken early in cow’s life.423 8 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessJournal ArticleEvaluation of partial body weight for predicting body weight and average daily gain in growing beef cattle(Oxford University Press, 2021-07) ;MacNeil, Michael D ;Berry, Donagh P; ;Crowley, John JScholtz, Michiel MInformation on body weight and average daily gain (ADG) of growing animals is key not only to monitoring performance, but also for use in genetic evaluations in the pursuit of achieving sustainable genetic gain. Accurate calculation of ADG, however, requires serial measures of body weight over at least 70 days. This can be resource intensive and thus alternative approaches to predicting individual animal ADG warrant investigation. One such approach is the use of continuously collected individual animal partial body weights. The objective of the present study was to determine the utility of partial body weights in predicting both body weight and ADG; a secondary objective was to deduce the appropriate length of test to determine ADG from partial body weight records. The dataset used consisted of partial body weights, predicted body weights and recorded body weights recorded for 8,972 growing cattle from a range of different breed types in 35 contemporary groups. The relationships among partial body weight, predicted body weight and recorded body weight at the beginning and end of the performance test were determined and calculated ADG per animal from each body weight measure were also compared. On average, partial body weight explained 90.7 ± 2.0% of the variation in recorded body weight at the beginning of the post-weaning gain test and 87.9 ± 2.9% of the variation in recorded body weight at its end. The GrowSafe proprietary algorithm to predict body weight from the partial body weight strengthened these coefficients of determination to 95.1 ± 0.9% and 94.9 ± 0.8%, respectively. The ADG calculated from the partial body weight or from the predicted body weight were very strongly correlated (r = 0.95); correlations between these ADG values with those calculated from the recorded body weights were weaker at 0.81 and 0.78, respectively. For some applications, ADG may be measured with sufficient accuracy with a test period of 50 days using partial body weights. The intended inference space is to individual trials which have been represented in this study by contemporary groups of growing cattle from different genotypes.
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Publication Open AccessThesis Masters ResearchEvaluation of the Effect of a New Novel Stretching Technology on the Quality of Hot Boned Sheep and Beef Meat(2012) ;Toohey, Edwina Skye; ;Hopkins, DavidGeesink, GeertThe quest for accelerated processing efficiency of meat has been limited by the impact on important meat quality traits, such as tenderness. Many studies have shown that the prevention of muscle shortening prior to rigor mortis will result in benefits in meat quality by improving tenderness. Based on this research, various techniques have been developed to prevent muscle shortening including, Tenderstretch (pelvic suspension), Tendercut (skeletal separation), and the Pi-Vac Elasto-Pack system®. Both Tenderstretch and Tendercut are applied to whole carcases and are not suitable for accelerated processing of hot-boned meat. By contrast the Pi-Vac Elasto Pack System® is suitable for hot boned meat, but has had limited adoption commercially and has not been tested or shown to be applicable to sheep meat. More recently, a novel technology, SmartStretch™ has been developed, to stretch and constrict hotboned meat. The objective of the work described in this thesis was to determine the impact of SmartStretch™ technology on meat quality attributes of both sheep and beef under commercial processing conditions. Initial research showed that the tenderness of hot-boned sheep M. semimembranosus could be significantly improved by use of the SmartStretch™ technology and this effect was confirmed in subsequent experiments with hot-boned sheep hindlegs which examined tenderness in both Mm. semimembranosus and biceps femoris. It was later shown that the use of medium voltage electrical stimulation did not reduce the effectiveness SmartStretch™ technology in sheep M. semimembranosus. This indicates that despite the accelerated path to rigor the application of SmartStretch™ was still achieved pre-rigor under commercial conditions. In contrast when the technology was examined under beef hot boning conditions, despite significant increases in muscle length, there was little impact on meat quality of M. semimembranosus taken from cull cows. However experimentation on young prime cattle showed that stretching hot-boned rostbiffs could reduce shear force in the M. gluteus medius, verifying the value of the technology. Irrespective of species it appears that SmartStretch™ technology had no detrimental affects on meat colour or overall water holding capacity. Based on these results it can be concluded that SmartStretch™ technology could be a useful tool in aged sheep and younger cattle to increase processing efficiency through greater application of hot boning without compromising key meat quality traits.3375 663 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication An examination of eggshell pore structure and penetration by 'Salmonella' typhimuriumThe horizontal infection of table eggs by food-poisoning causative agents such as 'Salmonella' is a serious concern for consumers and industry. While there are some factors that are associated with increased rates of infection the mechanism of bacterial entry remains unknown. The use of Computed Tomography (CT) enables the production of transverse images of the shell's interior. This imaging has allowed for identification of alternative pore structures, branching pores have been found, and both internally and externally branching pores are present in egg shells of laying hens. Using the agar egg penetration method first described by Board and Board (1967), the contents of 208 eggs were removed and the shells filled with molten XLD agar.1482 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Journal ArticlePublication Exogenous Proteases for Meat Tenderization(Taylor & Francis Inc, 2014) ;Bekhit, Alaa A ;Hopkins, David L; ;Bekhit, Adnan AFranks, PhilipThe use of exogenous proteases to improve meat tenderness has attracted much interest recently, with a view to consistent production of tender meat and added value to lower grade meat cuts. This review discusses the sources, characteristics, and use of exogenous proteases in meat tenderization to highlight the specificity of the proteases toward meat proteins and their impact on meat quality. Plant enzymes (such as papain, bromelain, and ficin) have been extensively investigated as meat tenderizers. New plant proteases (actinidin and zingibain) and microbial enzyme preparations have been of recent interest due to controlled meat tenderization and other advantages. Successful use of these enzymes in fresh meat requires their enzymatic kinetics and characteristics to be determined, together with an understanding of the impact of the surrounding environmental conditions of the meat (pH, temperature) on enzyme function. This enables the optimal conditions for tenderizing fresh meat to be established, and the elimination or reduction of any negative impacts on other quality attributes.1170 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Conference PublicationPublication Explaining the Variation in Shear Force of Lamb 'Longissimus' Muscle using Indicators of Protein Degradation, Muscle Contraction and Connective Tissue Characteristics(International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 2013) ;Starkey, Colin; ; Hopkins, David LMeat tenderness is known to be affected by sarcomere length (SL), proteolysis and collagen content (CC). 60 lambs were slaughtered and the 'Longissimus' muscle was sampled. Shear force (SF), SL, proteolysis (desmin, PSA) and CC samples were taken after the allotted aging periods (1, 7, and 14 days). Proteolysis explained a large part of the variation in tenderness (approximately 35%). Other factors (CC, SL) combined with proteolysis (PSA, desmin) explained just under 40% of the variation of meat tenderness. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that ageing response i.e. post-mortem proteolysis is the dominant factor determining lamb loin tenderness.1206 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Thesis DoctoralPublication Genetic Improvement of Carcase Value in Livestock(University of New England, 2022-03-22); ; Carcase value is predominantly based on hot carcase weight and fat depth without considering price variation in different primal cuts. This research aimed to develop selection strategies to improve carcase value by including valuable primal cuts into existing breeding objectives of pigs and beef. Therefore, this thesis focused on the fundamental requirements, i.e. estimation of genetic parameters for primal cuts and linear or area measurements of live pigs as selection criteria for primal cuts. Further economic values for different primal cuts were derived and predicted genetic responses to evaluate different selection strategies in breeding objectives. Primal cuts were expressed as both weight and percentage traits. Significant exploitable genetic variability in individual primal cuts or groups of primal cuts at a fixed carcass weight was evident for pigs and beef. Heritabilities for primal cuts of pigs were low to moderate. The strongest negative genetic correlation was found between leg and belly primal cuts. Linear and area measurements of pigs were lowly to moderately heritable. Genetic correlations between linear or area measurements and primal cuts indicated that the area measurements were significant selection criteria for all primal cuts in pigs. Beef primal cuts were moderate to highly heritable. Two different primal groups were also derived in beef including high-valued cuts (HVC) and low-valued cuts (LVC), where HVC was highly heritable. Primal cut traits were included in the breeding objectives as a percentage trait rather than weight trait to keep the traits independent of carcase weight. An approach was derived to estimate economic values directly for primal cut traits based on an independent model relevant for primal cuts. In pig breeding objectives, primal cuts were included based on two approaches, either as loin and belly primals separately or as a middle primal. Inclusion of middle primal only was considered better because of the higher response than the inclusion of loin and belly separately in breeding objective. In beef breeding objectives, HVC was included as a breeding objective trait based on two different production systems representing the domestic and Japanese markets. There was a higher response to selection for the Japanese index than the domestic market as the production system for the Japanese market was based on higher carcase values and feed prices. Additional responses were generated for both pig and beef breeding objectives by including valued primal cuts as breeding objective traits. Therefore, expanding knowledge of primal cut traits and including them in breeding programs for both pigs and beef offers new opportunities to improve carcase value in the livestock industry.
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Publication Open AccessConference PublicationGenetic parameters for fatty acid traits of beef in Australian AngusPreliminary genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated for fatty acid traits in feedlot finished Australian Angus cattle. This included the relationships between saturated fatty acids (SAT), monounsaturated fatty acids (MONO) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), with carcase weight (CWT), carcase rump fat (CP8) and carcase intramuscular fat (CIMF). All fatty acid traits showed phenotypic variation, with a considerable portion attributed to genetics as shown by heritabilities for SAT, MONO and PUFA of 0.64±0.11, 0.67±0.12 and 0.25±0.09 respectively. SAT had moderate negative genetic correlation with CWT, CP8 and CIMF (-0.30±0.16, -0.21±0.17 and -0.38±0.14 respectively), while MONO and PUFA have moderate positive genetic correlation with CWT, CP8 and CIMF ranging from 0.14±0.17 to 0.46±0.22. The results show that the proportion of MONO and PUFA can be increased, and SAT decreased, in intramuscular fat through selection. Importantly, this can be achieved without being detrimental to carcase weight, carcase rump fat or total intramuscular fat.523 6 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationGenetic parameters for urinalysis traits recorded on gestating sows(Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics (AAABG), 2021); ; Urinalysis can be used to detect sows that typically remain unidentified with health conditions such as urinary tract infection, and also provides data on physiological variables reflecting metabolic status (e.g. glucose, ketones). The urine was collected from gilts and sows (N=694) after animals were transferred to the farrowing shed. The traits were defined from the urinalysis test strip results, with additional subjective measurements of odour, colour and turbidity. Subsequently, a trait representing urinary tract infection was defined. Heritability estimates were in a range 0.08 to 0.36, except for the presence of blood (0.03). Strong genetic correlations were estimated between bilirubin and urobilinogen (0.78), but not other trait combinations. The study demonstrated that several urinalysis traits could be considered as selection criteria for increasing the health status of sows. However, alternative procedures to collect phenotypes are required to improve ease of data collection. The associations of urinalysis parameters with breeding objective traits requires further investigation.1005 4 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessJournal ArticleGenomic analysis reveals selection for Asian genes in European pigs following human-mediated introgression(Nature Publishing Group, 2014) ;Bosse, Mirte ;Megens, Hendrik-Jan ;Groenen, Martien A M ;Frantz, Laurent A F ;Madsen, Ole ;Larson, Greger ;Paudel, Yogesh; ;Harlizius, Barbara ;Hagemeijer, YanickCrooijmans, Richard P M AThe independent domestication of local wild boar populations in Asia and Europe about 10,000 years ago led to distinct European and Asian pig breeds, each with very different phenotypic characteristics. During the Industrial Revolution, Chinese breeds were imported to Europe to improve commercial traits in European breeds. Here we demonstrate the presence of introgressed Asian haplotypes in European domestic pigs and selection signatures on some loci in these regions, using whole genome sequence data. The introgression signatures are widespread and the Asian haplotypes are rarely fixed. The Asian introgressed haplotypes are associated with regions harbouring genes involved in meat quality, development and fertility. We identify Asian-derived non-synonymous mutations in the AHR gene that associate with increased litter size in multiple European commercial lines. These findings demonstrate that increased fertility was an important breeding goal for early nineteenth century pig farmers, and that Asian variants of genes related to this trait were preferentially selected during the development of modern European pig breeds.1189 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Open AccessConference PublicationGrowth Potential of Nguni, Bonsmara and Bonsmara Crosses Cattle to Meet Free Range Branded Beef Specifications(2017) ;Nengovhela, N B ;Nephawe, K A ;Mohlapo, T D ;Sebei, J ;Mashiloane, M L ;van der Westhuizen, H C; ;Strydom, P E ;Jordaan, F ;Maiwashe, A ;Selepe, M N ;Mahlath, YMokholoane, T BRetailers in South Africa brand beef based on breeds or production systems. Recently, a retailer branded free range beef (FR) that is mainly grass fed. The product is very popular among wealthy South Africans. The success and growth of a branded product depends on many animals meeting the specification. Abattoirs penalise farmers for carcasses that dress to under 180kg and pay very high premium for those that dress at 240kg. The challenge for the farmers interested in supplying this market is to predict the possibilities of reaching these weights on pasture only. The specifications do not fit current animal performance schemes thus there are no readily available records that maps growth in males and females in relation to these specifications.
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