• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1483-1494
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• 2024

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of slaughter age on carcass traits, meat quality, and the relative mRNA levels of lipid metabolism-related genes in different muscles of Taihang black goats. Methods: In this study, the triceps brachii (TB), longissimus dorsi (LD) and gluteus (GL) muscles of 15 grazing Taihang black goats slaughtered at the age of 2, 3, and 4 (designated as 2-year-old, 3-year-old, and 4-year-old, respectively) were collected. The differences in carcass shape, meat quality, amino acid composition and lipid metabolism gene expression among Taihang black goats of different ages and from different plant parts were compared. Results: Compared with goats at other ages, goats slaughtered at the age of 4 had greater live and carcass weights, meat weights, bone weights and skin areas (p<0.05). LD in the 4-years-old had the lowest cooking loss and moisture content. The crude protein content in the LD of 2-year-old was significantly greater than that in the other age group, and at the age of 2, the LD had the highest crude protein content than TB and GL. The highest fat content was in LD, followed by TB, for goats slaughtered at the age of 4. Eight out of 9 essential amino acids had higher content in the TB compared with other muscles, regardless of age. The total essential amino acid content was highest in the 4-year-old and lowest in the GL muscle at the age of 3. The sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) genes were significantly more abundant in the TB muscle than in the other muscles for goats slaughtered at the age of 2. At the age of 4, the ATGL and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) genes were significantly more abundant in the GL than in the LD, while the fatty acid synthase (FAS) genes were significantly less abundant in the GL than in the other muscles. Similarly, compared with those in goats of other ages, the relative mRNA expression levels of the FAS and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) genes in goats slaughtered at the age of 4 were the highest, and the relative mRNA expression of the PPARγ gene was the lowest (p<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of the H-FABP and FAS genes was positively correlated with the intramuscular fat (IMF) content, while the relative mRNA expression levels of the PPARγ and ATGL genes was negatively correlated with the IMF content. Conclusion: Overall, a better nutritional value was obtained for TB from 4-year-old goats, in which the total essential amino acid and fat contents were greater than those of other muscles. The comprehensive action of lipid metabolism genes was consistent with that of the IMF content, among which the FAS, H-FABP, PPARγ, and ATGL genes had positive and negative effects on the process of IMF deposition in Taihang black goats.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.527-534
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• 2021

This study investigated the possibility of performing selection using 30-month carcass traits by estimating the genetic parameters of 24- and 30-month carcass traits. Data used in this study were the carcass traits of 13,151 heads slaughter at the age of 24 and 30 months. As a result of the study, the heritability of backfat thickness, carcass weight, eye muscle area and marbling score at 24 months of age were estimated to be 0.588, 0.354, 0.467 and 0.587, respectively. The heritability of backfat thickness, carcass weight, eye muscle area and marbling score at 30 months of age were estimated to be 0.498, 0.577, 0.505 and 0.530, respectively. The ranking correlation was 0.516 between the carcass selection indices of 24 and 30 months of age. By providing a 30-month selection index, it is possible to use semen suitable for farm profits, and more semen information can be provided to farms than previously. Furthermore, studies on a selection index based on 30-month carcass traits are needed to provide highly accurate information.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2009

Thirty one Hanwoo steers were used in a completely randomized design experiment to see the effects of concentrate feeding method (group vs. individual feeding) and age at slaughter (26 vs. 28 months of age) on growth performance, feed intake and carcass characteristics. Steers were randomly assigned to one of four groups, G26 (group feeding slaughtered at 26 months of age), G28 (group feeding slaughtered at 28 months of age), I26 (individual feeding slaughtered at 26 months of age) or I28 (individual feeding slaughtered at 28 months of age). Amount of concentrate were restricted to 1.5% of BW for the growing period and 1.8% of BW for the early fattening period in both groups. For the late fattening period, concentrate were given ad libitum for G26 and G28, but were given up to 1.7% of BW for I26 and I28. Average daily gains were higher in individual feeding groups (I26 and I28) than those in group feeding groups (G26 and G28) for the early fattening period (p<0.05). ADGs were higher in group feeding groups than those in individual feeding groups (p<0.05). Concentrate intake in individual feeding groups tended to be higher compared to that in group feeding groups for the early fattening period, but tended to be higher in group feeding groups compared to that in individual feeding groups for the late fattening period. Feeding method or slaughter age had no significant effects on carcass characteristics, yield grade and quality grade. Shear force and tenderness of longissmus muscle were higher in groups slaughtered at 28 months of age than in groups slaughtered at 26 months of age (p<0.05). Feeding method or slaughter age had no effects on cooking loss, water holding capacity, juiciness, flavor, moisture, protein and fat of longissmus muscle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.662-669
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• 2011

An experiment was conducted with broiler (Cobb 400) male chicks (n = 480) to determine the effect of betaine (Bet) supplementation (0 and 800 mg/kg) to diets containing five concentrations (15, 18, 20, 22 and 24 g/kg crude protein, CP) of methionine (Met) in a $2{\times}5$ factorial study for performance, carcass traits, immune responses, and serum parameters. Each diet was fed ad libitum from 1 to 42 d of age to 8 replicates of 6 chicks. Birds were housed in battery brooders placed in an open-sided poultry shed. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency and slaughter variables were recorded at 21 and 42 d of age. Serum biochemical profile, antibody production against Newcastle disease (ND) and lymphocyte proliferation ratio (LPR) were analysed at 42 d of age. Supplementing Bet to diets containing sub-optimal concentrations of Met (15 g/kg) improved weight gain and breast yield at 21 d of age (p<0.01), and feed conversion efficiency at 42 d of age (p<0.05). Feed efficiency at 21 d of age, body weight gain at 42 d of age, slaughter variables except breast yield at 21 d of age and ND antibody titres were not affected (p>0.05) by the interaction. LPR increased (p<0.05) with Bet supplementation at 20 g Met/kg CP equal to those broilers fed 24 g Met without Bet. Bet supplementation enhanced the concentrations of protein, globulin and cholesterol in serum of broilers fed sub-optimal concentrations of Met. Results suggested that Bet supplementation (800 mg/kg diet) enhanced growth (21 d), feed conversion efficiency (42 d), breast yield and lymphocyte proliferation in broilers fed a diet containing 15 g Met/kg CP.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1049-1054
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• 2003

A group of Hanwoo (Korean cattle) steers (n=14,386) was sampled from a commercial abattoir located in Seoul over one year period (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and their carcass traits were collected. Carcass traits assessed by an official meat grader comprised degree of marbling, meat color, fat color, texture and maturity for quality grade, and back fat thickness, ribeye area and carcass weight for yield grade. A heavier carcass with a higher marbling score, more red meat color and white fat color received better quality grade (p<0.05). Regression analysis showed that the marbling score was the strongest attribute (partial $R^2=0.88$) for quality grade. Lighter carcasses with a thinner back fat and larger ribeye area received higher yield grade score. The back fat thickness was the most negative determinant of yield grade (Partial $R^2=-0.66$). The slaughter season had a little effect on quality and yield grades. As slaughter weight increased, back fat thickness and ribeye area increased linearly, whereas marbling score reached its asymptotic level at approximately 570 kg. As a consequence, quality grade showed a considerable improvement up to 570 kg, but increases in slaughter weight afterward showed a little benefit on quality grade. There was a clear curvilinear relationship between slaughter weight and yield grade in that the yield grade reached its highest point at approximately 490 kg and decreased afterward. These results suggested that 570kg at the age of 24 months might be the economic slaughter weight for quality grade but 490 kg for yield grade.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.611-616
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• 1995

A study was conducted which demonstrated that Dhofari cattle responded well to intensive management systems in terms of growth rates and carcass yields. Twenty-four Omani Dhofari bulls and steers (12 of each) were reared from birth until slaughter at 110, 160 and 210 kg body weight (for of each sex at each slaughter weight). Calves were fed ad libitum a diet of concentrate (16.5% CP) and Rhodesgrass hay (8.8% CP). Bulls and steers reached the predetermined slaughter weights of 110, 160 and 210 kg at 154 and 164; 219 and 233; 273 and 310 days of age, respectively. Respective mean pre and post-weaning daily body weight gains for bulls and steers were 581 and 530; 796 and 706 g averaging 645 and 596 g over 36 weeks. At 210 kg, the heaviest weight of the study, dressing-out percentage (DO) was 54.5 and 56.9 yielding carcasses of 115.9 and 118.5 kg which contained 60.4 and 61.5% muscle; 11.6 and 11.4% bone and 24.5 and 22.9% fat for bulls and steers, respectively. Proportion of bone in the carcass decreased, that of fat increased, whereas that of muscle remained unchanged between slaughter weights of 110 to 210 kg. That resulted in increased muscle : bone and decreased muscle : fat ratios. At 160 kg body weight, bulls had less fat and more muscle and bone than steers but there were no sex differences in carcass composition at 210 kg slaughter weight.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1140-1149
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• 2015

This research aimed to define the energy requirement of Dorper and Hu Hybrid $F_1$ ewes 20 to 50 kg of body weight, furthermore to study energy requirement changes with age and evaluate the effect of age on energy requirement parameters. In comparative slaughter trial, thirty animals were divided into three dry matter intake treatments (ad libitum, n = 18; low restricted, n = 6; high restricted, n = 6), and were all slaughtered as baseline, intermediate, and final slaughter groups, to calculate body chemical components and energy retained. In digestibility trial, twelve ewes were housed in individual metabolic cages and randomly assigned to three feeding treatments in accordance with the design of a comparative slaughter trial, to evaluate dietary energetic values at different feed intake levels. The combined data indicated that, with increasing age, the net energy requirement for maintenance ($NE_m$) decreased from $260.62{\pm}13.21$ to $250.61{\pm}11.79kJ/kg^{0.75}$ of shrunk body weight (SBW)/d, and metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance (MEm) decreased from $401.99{\pm}20.31$ to $371.23{\pm}17.47kJ/kg^{0.75}$ of SBW/d. Partial efficiency of ME utilization for maintenance ($k_m$, 0.65 vs 0.68) and growth ($k_g$, 0.42 vs 0.41) did not differ (p>0.05) due to age; At the similar condition of average daily gain, net energy requirements for growth ($NE_g$) and metabolizable energy requirements for growth ($ME_g$) for ewes during late fattening period were 23% and 25% greater than corresponding values of ewes during early fattening period. In conclusion, the effect of age upon energy requirement parameters in the present study were similar in tendency with previous recommendations, values of energy requirement for growth ($NE_g$ and $ME_g$) for Dorper and Hu crossbred female lambs ranged between the NRC (2007) recommendation for early and later maturating growing sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 1991

The influence of age on the relative growth patterns of subcutaneous, intermuscular, intramuscular, perirenal, channel and hump fat in relation to the total fat weight in carcass sides of 18 Najdi male camels averaging 8, 16 and 26 months of age has been investigated. The total fat weight in a carcass side increased (p<.01) from 17.3% to 27.1% as the camel age increased from 8 to 26 months. However, at all ages studied, intermuscular fat weight was the largest fat depot, followed, in order, by subcutaneous and intramuscular fat. The change in weight of the intramuscular, intermuscular and subcutaneous fat between 8 and 26 months of age was greater, reaching 6.7, 4.3 and 4 times respectively, than the hump, channel and perirenal fat weight which increased by 3.6, 2.5 and 2.3 times, respectively. The allometric growth coefficient (${\beta}$) for intramuscular fat in relation to the total carcass fat weight was the highest, followed, in order, by intermuscular, subcutaneous, hump, channel and perirenal fat.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.57 no.7
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• pp.24.1-24.5
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and microbial quality of loin (m. longissimus dorsi) and top round (m. Semimembranosus) in Holstein veal produced from two slaughter age groups (5 and 8 months of age). A total of 20 Holstein calves were randomly selected from a local cattle farm. The slaughtered cold carcasses were vacuum-packaged. The samples were analyzed for proximate composition and physicochemical analyses and stored for 1, 7, 10, 20 and 30 days for microbiological analyses. Fat and protein contents of loin for the 8 month group were higher than those for the 5 month groups (p < 0.05). For both loin and top round muscles, the pH, cooking loss and the shear force values for the 5 month group was higher than those for the 8 month group (p < 0.05). On the other hands, the water-holding capacity (WHC) for the 8 month group was higher than those for the 5 month group (p < 0.05). In terms of meat color, CIE $L^*$ (lightness) for both muscle were higher in the 5 month group than in the 8 month groups. On the other hands, $a^*$ (redness) were higher in the 8 month group than in the 5 month groups (p < 0.05). Total aerobic counts in all samples remained up to 30 days at values less than 7 log CFU/g. However, there was no significant difference for both muscles between the two age groups. The results indicate that Holstein muscles from the 8 month group had desirable quality properties than those from the 5 month group.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.60 no.12
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• pp.30.1-30.11
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• 2018

Background: Recently, as production costs have been increasing owing to rising feed prices worldwide, shortening the age of slaughter has been recognized as a way to increase farm income. In Korea, the raising period for Hanwoo steers is over 31 months with the delay of weaning and castration stated as one of the reasons for the increase in the raising period. Thus far, studies on age of weaning and castration have been conducted individually, and there have been no studies on the combined effects of weaning and castration ages on the growth performance and carcass characteristics in Hanwoo steers. Methods: Weaning ages were calculated at 80 or 130 days of age, and castration ages were calculated at 90 days and 180 days of age. Calves were allocated to one of the four treatment groups: W80C90 (weaning at 80 days of age and castration at 90 days of age), W80C180, W130C90, and W130C180. Results: For the entire experimental period, weaning and castration ages did not significantly affect growth performance of Hanwoo steers. In addition, weaning and castration ages did not affect the overall yield and quality traits of carcass in Hanwoo steers. Conclusion: Weaning and castration ages had small effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics in Hanwoo steers. Therefore, the early weaning and castration ages are recommended to reduce the slaughter age without any negative effects on meat quality grade.