Effect of feeding forage or concentrate starter diets in early life on life-time growth, carcass traits and meat quality of Wagyu × Friesian cattle
V. T. Burggraaf
A , C. R. Craigie A B , M. A. Khan C , P. D. Muir D , B. C. Thomson D , K. A. Lowe C , S. R. Leath A , K. R. Taukiri A , M. Staincliffe A and S. A. McCoard C E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
B AgResearch Ltd, Lincoln Research Centre, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
C AgResearch Ltd, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.
D On-Farm Research, PO Box 1142, Hastings 4156, New Zealand.
E Corresponding author. Email: sue.mccoard@agresearch.co.nz
Animal Production Science 60(15) 1850-1860 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19486
Submitted: 26 August 2019 Accepted: 31 March 2020 Published: 20 July 2020
Abstract
Context: Nutrition in early life can affect the long-term performance of livestock.
Aims: The present study evaluated the effects of rearing Wagyu × Holstein Friesian heifer calves either on a concentrate pelleted starter (CS; 90% DM, 19.3% crude protein (CP), and 13.8 MJ metabolisable energy (ME) per kilogram DM) or a forage starter (FS, ensiled alfalfa, Medicago sativa; 45% DM, 18.5% CP and 9.7 MJ metabolisable energy per kilogram DM) on lifetime growth, blood metabolites, carcass traits and meat quality.
Methods: Calves (n = 60) were allocated either to CS or FS diets. All calves received their solid feeds ad libitum from Week 1 and were fed milk in group pens (n = 10/pen) at 4 L/calf.day until Week 7, then 2 L/calf.day for 2 weeks. Calves were transferred to pasture 1 week after milk removal, with starter feeds removed by Week 15. All heifers were then managed as one group on a pasture-based diet until slaughter at 26–30 months of age (average of 483 kg liveweight).
Key results: Calves offered the CS diet were 14 kg heavier than were calves on the FS diet at 15 weeks (P < 0.001). However, liveweight was similar between the groups by the time of slaughter (P > 0.1). All blood parameters studied were similar (P > 0.05) between the treatments at 12 months and at slaughter. Depth of eye muscle and subcutaneous fat, measured using ultrasonography before slaughter, carcass weight and meat pH, marbling, shear force, moisture loss during cooking, total fat and fat and meat colour were also similar between the treatments (P > 0.05). Some potential was found for using blood markers to predict carcass traits and meat quality.
Conclusions: Solid feed type during rearing had little effect on liveweight or meat characteristics from 12 months of age to slaughter of Wagyu × Friesian heifers.
Implications: Calves can be reared on FS diets with similar long-term production performance as on CS diets.
Additional keywords: crossbred calves, economics, solid feeds.
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