Effect of plane of nutrition in early life on subsequent live-weight gain, carcass and muscle charaterists and eating quality of meat in cattle

Abstract

SUMMARYSteer calves, underfed either from birth to 16 weeks of age, or from 16 to 32 weeks of age, recovered well on refeeding, but only the latter expressed compensatory growth.Carcass characteristics (dressing percentage, carcass length, depth of muscle and fat at the tenth rib, yield and joint distribution of saleable meat, proportions of muscle, fat and bone) of steers underfed in early life were remarkably similar to those of continually grown steers when slaughtered at the same live weight, despite their greater age.Plane of nutrition in early life had no apparent effect on the ultimate eating quality of meat (longissimus dorsi muscle) or on its connective tissue and fat content.