ORCID
https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-0294-3796
Department
Biological Sciences
Year of Study
2
Full-time or Part-time Study
Full-time
Level
Postgraduate
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Supervisor
Dr Deirdre Purfield
Supervisor
Dr Nicky Byrne
Supervisor
Dr Craig Murphy
Abstract
Background
Reducing slaughter age, while maintaining carcass output, will improve the sustainability of beef production systems. This will result in lower lifetime emissions from cattle, while also reducing the carbon equivalent per kilogram of beef carcass. The objective of this study was to investigate the strategic use of concentrate feed within pasture-based dairy-beef steer production systems, to establish its effectiveness in reducing slaughter age in differing animal genotypes.
Methods
Three contrasting supplementation strategies were implemented: 1) grass only (GO), pasture only diet in the first and second grazing season, 2) intermediate (INTER), concentrate supplementation throughout the first grazing season, pasture only thereafter, and 3) high concentrate supplementation (HIGH), concentrate supplementation throughout the first grazing season, and from July until slaughter/housing of the second grazing season. Two genotypes were assigned to each supplementation treatment, Holstein Friesian (HF; n = 80 animals) and Angus X Holstein Friesian (AAX; n = 160 animals).
Results
The slaughter age of AAX steers was 80 days earlier than HF across concentrate treatments. HIGH treatment AAX steers were slaughtered 43 days earlier and with a carcass weight proportionately 0.96 that of GO and INTER AAX steers. Irrespective of concentrate treatment, slaughter age did not differ for HF steers. HIGH HF steers produced a heavier carcass than GO and INTER HF steers, however, they consumed significantly more concentrate.
Conclusion
Slaughter age of AAX steers can be reduced by strategic concentrate use during the second grazing season, producing a carcass meeting market specifications. However, the slaughter age of HF steers remained unchanged, emphasising the importance of substituting low carcass merit HF male calves for high carcass merit beef x dairy animals.
Keywords:
Dairy-beef, age at slaughter, grass-based, sustainability
Start Date
2-11-2023 10:45 AM
End Date
2-11-2023 11:00 AM
Recommended Citation
O'Driscoll, Jamie, "Grass-based supplementation to reduce slaughter age in dairy-beef steers" (2023). ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting). 3.
https://sword.cit.ie/orbiom/2023/oral1/3
Included in
Grass-based supplementation to reduce slaughter age in dairy-beef steers
Background
Reducing slaughter age, while maintaining carcass output, will improve the sustainability of beef production systems. This will result in lower lifetime emissions from cattle, while also reducing the carbon equivalent per kilogram of beef carcass. The objective of this study was to investigate the strategic use of concentrate feed within pasture-based dairy-beef steer production systems, to establish its effectiveness in reducing slaughter age in differing animal genotypes.
Methods
Three contrasting supplementation strategies were implemented: 1) grass only (GO), pasture only diet in the first and second grazing season, 2) intermediate (INTER), concentrate supplementation throughout the first grazing season, pasture only thereafter, and 3) high concentrate supplementation (HIGH), concentrate supplementation throughout the first grazing season, and from July until slaughter/housing of the second grazing season. Two genotypes were assigned to each supplementation treatment, Holstein Friesian (HF; n = 80 animals) and Angus X Holstein Friesian (AAX; n = 160 animals).
Results
The slaughter age of AAX steers was 80 days earlier than HF across concentrate treatments. HIGH treatment AAX steers were slaughtered 43 days earlier and with a carcass weight proportionately 0.96 that of GO and INTER AAX steers. Irrespective of concentrate treatment, slaughter age did not differ for HF steers. HIGH HF steers produced a heavier carcass than GO and INTER HF steers, however, they consumed significantly more concentrate.
Conclusion
Slaughter age of AAX steers can be reduced by strategic concentrate use during the second grazing season, producing a carcass meeting market specifications. However, the slaughter age of HF steers remained unchanged, emphasising the importance of substituting low carcass merit HF male calves for high carcass merit beef x dairy animals.