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SUMMARY —Four porcine muscle fiber types were determined on the basis of histochemical tests. Lightweight boars had a significantly higher percentage of β-hydroxybutyric-dehydro-genase-positive fibers in the longissimus dorsi than did gilts. Heavyweight boars had significtanly more esterase-positive fibers in all muscles sampled (except gluteus medius) and significantly more β-hydroxybutyric-dehydrogenase-positive fibers in the longissimus dorsi than either barrows or gilts. The number of esterase-positive fibers in all four muscles from boars tended to be higher in the heavyweight than in the lightweight group, with the difference being significant for the dark biceps femoris. The trend between weight groups was opposite for all muscles from barrows and gilts. The quantity of intramuscular lipid in the longissimus dorsi increased with slaughter weight and tended to be lowest in the boars. It was postulated that the tendency for a greater accumulation of intramuscular lipid in the longissimus dorsi muscle of barrows and gilts than in boars could be attributed partially to the smaller percentage of fibers positive for enzymes (esterase and β-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase) necessary in removing lipid from muscle. Differences were noted between light and dark muscles in the distribution and size of blood vessels.

An experiment was designed using 30 Yorkshire pigs to study the influence of slaughter weight and feed restriction on carcass cut-out data and to relate these physical measurements to the chemically‐determined proximate components. As slaughter weight increased from 79 to 102 kg., the percent of all lean cuts decreased significantly, while that of fat cuts and back-fat thickness increased significantly. Absolute amounts of both fat and lean cuts increased with slaughter weight. Feed restriction significantly increased most of the lean parameters studied and reduced the fat measurements. It increased percent of head and reduced the percent of offal (gastrointestinal tract minus contents, head, respiratory tract and all other internal organs). Correlations between leaf fat and empty body weight and between leaf fat and carcass extractable fat were higher than between back fat and the same parameters. Therefore, leaf fat may be a more satisfactory index of true body fat than is back fat, although the best index still is the carcass extractable fat, for which the correlation with the empty body fat was 0.99. The offal proximate chemical components were highly correlated with those of the carcass and the empty body. A knowledge of the chemical composition of the offal alone is, therefore, a good reflection of the chemical composition of the empty body. Percent of extractable fat in the empty body, carcass, or offal were positively correlated with fat measures and negatively correlated with all lean measures and with the protein and water. Percents of water and protein were positively correlated with the lean parameters and negatively correlated with all fat characteristics. The saturated fatty acids were positively related to all fat measures and to average daily gain and gross energy of the body and negatively correlated with all lean measures and water and protein. The reverse was true for the unsaturated fatty acids. Also, some strong inverse relationships were found between some unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. The chilled dressing percent was poorly correlated with nearly all physical and chemical measures and, therefore, should not be regarded as a satisfactory index of physical or chemical parameters. Copyright © 1966 American Society of Animal Science. Used by permission. R E L A T I O N S H I P S A M O N G S O M E P H Y S I C A L A N D C H E M I C A L P A R A M E T E R S O F F U L L V E R S U S L I M I T E D F E D Y O R K S H I R E P I G S S L A U G H T E R E D A T D I F F E R E N T L I V E W E I G H T S G. M. ]~ABATUNDE, W. G. POI~D, L. D. V A N V L E C K , G. H. K R O E N I N G , 1 J. T. REID, J . R . S T O U F F E R AND G. H. W E L L I N G T O N 2 Cornell University, '~ Ithaca, New York I T is well established that feed restriction, when imposed at the right stage of growth of the pig, tends to increase the proportion of lean cuts in relation to fat. Most reports have dealt primarily with physical factors such as growth rate, feed efficiency, back-fat thickness, loin-eye area, percent lean cuts and carcass length. Only a few reports (McMeekan and Hammond, 1939; McMeekan, 1940; Zobrisky et al., 1958) have included a more detailed analysis. Similarly, only a few reports (Lu et al., 1958; Zobrisky et al., 1954, 1958; Gnaedinger et al., 1963; Doornenbal, 1961) have described relationships between physical and chemical measurements of the pig. The purposes of this investigation were to study (1) influences of slaughter weight and feed restriction on physical characteristics of the pig carcass and (2) relationships between physical carcass measures and chemical components of the body.

Inhalt Es wird uber das Auftreten von primordialem Zwergwuchs in einer Fleckviehherde berichtet. 28 von 120 von dern Bullen „N.” stammende Kalber wiesen bei vollig proportioniertern Wuchs ein durchschnittliches Geburtsgewicht von 7,6 kg auf. Das durchschnittliche Schlachtgewicht mit 10 Wochen betrug 25,6 kg. Der Erbgang scheint einfach rezessiv zu sein. Es werden zuchthygienische Masnahmen, wie Anzeigepflicht von Fehlern bei Neugeborenen u. a. gefordert. Contents The occurence of primordial dwarfism in a herd of Spotted Mountain Cattle is reported. 28 of 120 calves of bull „N.” showed an average birth weight of only 7,6 kg, but with entirely proportionate growth. The average slaughter weight at 10 weeks was 25,6 kg. The mode of inheritance of the condition appears to be recessive. Breeding measures and compulsory reporting of defects in new born calves and other means are requested for their control.

In a study of youthful slaughter cattle comprising 168 steers, 147 heifers and 259 bulls, minor but statistically significant (P bulls > heifers) and percent kidney and cod or udder fat (heifers > bulls > steers). Bulls dressed approximately 1% higher and heifers 1% lower than steers, these sex differences apparently arising from items not recorded on the killing floor (including blood, lungs, digestive tract and contents and reproductive tract of females). Sex differences, particularly the bull versus steer comparisons, may have been influenced by differences in breed and/or pre-test treatment. Percentage internal fat trim and unrecorded slaughter loss were positively, and percent head, hide, shanks and internal organs negatively, correlated with liveweight at slaughter. However, slaughter weight accounted for less than 5% of the variance in dressing percentage, and age independent of slaughter weight had little influence on any of the traits studied. Total recorded slaughter loss expressed as a proportion of carcass weight decreased 0.1 to 0.4% per 100 kg increase in slaughter weight. The importance of pre-slaughter shrink in determining total slaughter loss was discussed.

Carcass data from 123 pigs slaughtered at either 120 lb., 200 lb. or 260 lb. live-weight have been analysed to study the relative value of four sample joints in predicting tissue composition in the carcass.Percentage fat, muscle or bone in all joints was highly correlated (PSignificance tests of the a and b constants in regression equations relating percentage fat, bone and muscle in the joint to that in the carcass showed that only with the rib joint was it legitimate to combine the data from each slaughter weight into ‘overall’ equations.As pooling the data for the combined loin and ham joint had little effect on the magnitude of the residual standard errors, overall equations relating tissue composition of that joint to the whole are also given. The accuracy of prediction, however, was lower than that obtained with the rib joint.Application of the pooled regression equations relating carcass and rib joint composition to independent data, obtained by identical techniques, gave promising results.

The growth rate of bulls, steers castrated at 8 and 26 weeks of age, and steers partially castrated at 8 weeks of age did not differ before weaning in October at an average age of 181 days, or during the ensuing winter. During the subsequent finishing period in the feedlot, the rate and efficiency of growth of the partial castrates exceeded that of the steers but was less than that of the bulls. As a result, partial castrates reached the target slaughter weight of 440 kg 21 days earlier than the steers but 21 days later than the bulls. Varying the level of protein in the rations fed during the first 15 weeks of the feedlot period had no effect on rate or efficiency of gain.The percent fat in the 11th rib-cut and the depth of fat over the longissimus dorsi were less in bulls than in steers or partial castrates, and consequently the carcass grades of the bulls were generally lower. The percent separable muscle, estimated from a prediction equation, was greater in bulls than in steers and partial castrates.

Rate of gain, carcass measurements and sexual development of 19 males, partially castrated by Baiburtcjan’s method, were compared with those of 39 littermates castrated by the conventional method. The partial castrates reached slaughter weight of about 89 kg at 130 days of age and the complete castrates at 132 days of age. There was no significant difference between the two castration methods with respect to age-at-slaughter, dressing percentage, ham weight, loin-eye area, average backfat thickness and carcass length. The regenerated testes of the partial castrates averaged 34.5 g. Histological examination of these testes revealed that the fraction of the testis volume occupied by intertubular space was about twice that found in normal mature testes. All testes contained all stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium, indicating that sperm were being produced. This observation was substantiated by the presence of sperm in 28 of the 35 epididymides examined. In addition to tubules with normal germ cell populations, there were many tubules that lacked one or more generations of germ cells, or that lacked germ cells entirely. Accessory sex gland development was directly proportional to the weight of the paired testes. Forty-seven percent of the partial castrates were graded as ridglings (cryptorchids) and their average sale value was 19% less than that of the complete castrates.

Radiographs obtained on 3460 Lacombe and Yorkshire baby pigs were examined to determine the association between vertebral size and number and carcass length. Carcass length increased approximately 1.3 cm per unit increase in vertebral number. Consideration of birth weight, slaughter weight, age at slaughter, and linear measurements of vertebrae at birth were not of value in improving the precision of prediction.A subgroup comprising 615 Lacombe pigs at slaughter weight were X-rayed immediately prior to slaughter in order to assess the predictive value of X-ray measurements of the vertebrae and backfat at slaughter weight. Multiple regression utilizing vertebral number and vertebral length at slaughter explained some 34% of the variation in carcass length. X-ray measurements of backfat thickness on the live animal were not found to be superior to the live probe in predicting percentage yield of lean cuts, and it was concluded that the radiographic technique was not superior to the simpler probe method for predicting cutout yield from measurements made on the live animal.

Rib-joints from Hereford-Friesian steers from five selected Hereford bulls have been compared by taste panel and laboratory analysis. The steers were raised at two farms. Significant differences were found between sire groups in tenderness, flavour and juiciness. There was also a farm influence on tenderness. Two sire groups were identified as receiving higher valuations for flavour, juiciness and tenderness than one of the other three sire groups. The preferred groups were from the smallest sires and had more marbling fat at the preselected arbitrary slaughter weight. The quality difference due to farms was not associated with marbling fat. Rate of growth was slower on the farm yielding the more tender meat. The iodine values for fat samples showed statistically significant differences between some sire groups, but not between the two farms.

Data were taken on 396 lambs born to crossbred ewes to compare New Zealand-type Southdown (NZS), American-type Southdown (AS), and Suffolk (SU) rams as sires of light and heavy market lambs (20 and 40 kg liveweight respectively). Ewes mated to AS rams had 7% (P > 0.05) higher lambing rate than those mated to SU or NZS rams. Preweaning mortality rate of NZS sired lambs was 3.7 (P 0.05) and 11.8% (P

Two large-scale feeding trials have been carried out with the object of testing the validity of findings from pig digestion trials in respect of the nutritive value of horse-chestnut residue (a by-product of the manufacture of saponin and glucose from horse-chestnuts); and of alcohol-extracted and water-extracted horse-chestnut meals.Trial I. The horse-chestnut residue was fed in two separate periods, the first from 50 to 100 lb. live weight, when the residue constituted 20 % of the total ration, and the second from 190 lb. to slaughter weight, when the allowance was increased to 30%. In both periods the residue replaced an equal percentage of ground oats in the control ration.

1. A co-ordinated trial has been carried out at eight centres to compare the performance of group-fed pigs slaughtered at about 200 lb. live weight (bacon weight) with that of litter-mates slaughtered at 260 lb. (heavy pigs).2. The bacon pigs were fed either ad lib. or restricted according to live weight, while the heavy pigs were all fed ad lib. with one group having the protein supplement withdrawn from the ration after the pigs had reached 140 lb. live weight.3. Growth rate, efficiency of food conversion and carcass quality (based on dissection) data are summarized in Table 5.4. In general, the results indicated that under the conditions that prevailed, and when the leanness of the carcass is the major consideration, the slaughter weight around 200 lb. was preferable to the heavier weight (about 260 lb.) both from the production and economic aspect.

SUMMARY1. Seventy-two Blackface ewes with 96 Greyface (Border Leicester ♂ × Blackface ♀) lambs were allocated to three groups. Twenty-four ewes with 32 suckling lambs were set-stocked on 2·4 hectares (ha) of grass (A); 32 lambs were weaned and set-stocked on 2·4 ha of grass (B) and 32 lambs were weaned, housed and given concentrates (C). Beef cows with calves were used to control the grass in the two grazing groups.2. The average initial live weight of the lambs was 18 kg. Treatments had a significant effect on performance, the live-weight gains per lamb over the initial 35 days being 11·2, 9·1 and 5·9 kg for groups A, B and C respectively. The total gains over 70 days, when the suckled lambs (A) were weaned, were 17·6, 15·5 and 14·3 kg.3. The total live-weight gain per ha from lambs and calves over 88 days was higher on treatment B than on treatment A. The lambs weaned on to grass took 9 days longer than the suckled lambs to reach a slaughter weight of 42 kg and had significantly poorer killing-out percentages.4.The lambs given concentrates had an overall food conversion efficiency of 4·89 kg concentrates per kg live-weight gain.

SUMMARYTwo groups of five lambs were removed from their dams within 48 hr of birth and artificially reared to a slaughter weight of approximately 32 kg on a milk replacer given cold, hay and concentrates. Voluntary intake of the feeds was recorded together with growth rates and carcass composition of the lambs.The two groups of lambs were slaughtered at 58 or 67 days of age with growth rates of 459 and 433 g/day, respectively. The mean milk replacer dry matter consumed per lamb was 34·9 kg and 39·3 kg and concentrate dry matter intakes were 3·1 kg and 4·1 kg. Intakes of hay were negligible. Food conversion efficiencies were 0·70 and 0·67 kg of live-weight gain per kg of dry matter consumed. The mean carcass weights were 18·1 kg and 19·5 kg with mean muscle, bone and fat contents of 48·7%, 16·2% and 35·1 % for lambs slaughtered at 58 days and 48·0%, 14·7% and 37·2% for those slaughtered at 67 days.

Vertebrae counts made on 504 Large White and 550 (Wessex × Large White) pigs showed an association with carcass length but not with other carcass traits. For each additional vertebra there was an increase in length of approximately 15 mm.Another group of 313 piglets from 36 litters were X-rayed at around 9 days of age in order to predict their ultimate carcass length. After correction for sex and variations in weight at slaughter it was found that the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae together accounted for 14% of the remaining variation in carcass length. Improved accuracy of prediction, accounting for 29% of the variation was obtained with a multiple regression equation using as independent variables: the skeletal length of the young pig as measured on its radiograph, its weight at birth and X-raying and the number of lumbar vertebrae. From measurements made on the carcass it i s suggested that X-raying of the bacon pig to measure the length of the first four lumbar vertebrae, would, in conjunction with an earlier determination of vertebrae number, enable a much improved prediction of carcass length to be made.The incidence of various vertebral variations is noted and in particular the occurrence of one pig with only six cervical vertebrae.

SUMMARYIn two experiments involving a total of 48 individually-fed pigs on experiment from 20 to 90 kg live weight, the addition per kg of diet of 250 mg Cu, provided either by copper sulphate or by cuprous chloride, similarly and significantly improved daily gain and feed: gain ratio. Neither of the supplements had any significant effect on carcass measurements but both markedly and similarly increased the copper content of the liver at slaughter weight.

Santoso U, Sutarno. 2009. Slaughter weight and carcass of male New Zealand White rabbits after rationing with koro bean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis). Nusantara Bioscience 1: 117-122. The objectives of the research were to know the effects of koro bean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis) present on slaughter weight and carcass of rabbits and to know the optimum dosage that resulted the best slaughter weight and carcass. The research used Randomized Block Design whereas 25 heads of six weeks old rabbits with 450-1270 g of body weight were devided into five groups according to the body weight. Each group were treated with different treatment. The treatment were unpresent of M. pruriens as a control (R0) and various percentage of M. pruriens as much as 21.5%, in the ration with treatment as follows: R1 (raw), R2 (heating), R3 (boiling), and R4 (fermentation). The parameters observed were slaughter weight, carcass weight, meat weight, bone weight, and adipose tissue weigth. The data analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The present of processed M. pruriens could increase production of slaughter weight better than the present of unprocessed M. pruriens. The additional of 21.5% of fermented M. pruriens resulted in the best production of slaughter weight and carcass of rabbits. Key words: koro bean, Mucuna pruriens, ration, rabbits, New Zealand white.

Brahman x Friesian and Friesian bulls were compared in terms of birthweight, growth rate and feed conversion ratio up to 11 weeks of age, then in terms of growth rate only when in yards and under grazing conditions up to a final slaughter weight of 272 kg. There were no significant differences between the two genotypes. Comparisons of the carcases showed that Brahman x Friesians were fatter, but the meat was tougher than that of Friesians.

In a flock of 229 three-year-old Border Leicester x Merino ewes it was found that ewes without lambs produced significantly more wool than ewes rearing single lambs, which in turn produced significantly more wool than ewes rearing twins. For all lamb-bearing ewes, the partial regression of fleece weight on slaughter weight of the lamb was -0.012 � 0.004 lb of fleece per 1 lb increase in slaughter weight. The fleece weight of the ewe was also related to the joining weight of the ewe and the breed of ram to which the ewe was mated. It is suggested that, unless it is carried out before their first mating, selection of ewes on a fleece weight basis will mitigate against the bearing of twins.

Les auteurs etudiant les possibili1tes de croit et d'engraissement offertes par 10 boeufs metis demi-sang Jersey X N'Dama produits en Cote d'Ivoire, entretenus, en embouche intensive, en stabulation libre pendant une duree de 82 jours constatent un gain de poids journalier, apres 2 mois, par animal de 750 g et de 593 g en moyenne, pour toute la duree de l'observation. La rentabilite qui est maximale apres deux mois d'embouche tend a devenir nulle apres le 3e mois. (Resume d'auteur)