• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.366-374
• /
• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of feeding ethanol on growth performances, carcass characteristics, and lipid metabolism of finishing Korean cattle (Hanwoo) steers. Methods: Thirty (30) Hanwoo steers (average 25.1 months of age, body weight 660.1 kg) were assigned to three treatments: control (0% ethanol), E-3 (1.44% ethanol for 3 months), or E-5 (0.72% ethanol for 2 months followed by 1.44% ethanol for 3 months). The animals were allotted by treatment group into six pens and fed concentrate and perennial ryegrass. Ethanol (30%, v/v) was supplemented into drinking water twice a day to meet final concentrations based on average water consumption of finishing Hanwoo steers. Results: There were no statistical differences among the groups in final body weight, average daily gain, or carcass yield grade indices such as cold carcass weight, fat thickness, and loin area. The marbling score tended (p = 0.228) to increase with the highest score (6.7) in the E-5 group followed by 6.3 and 6.0 in E-3 and control groups, respectively. The appearance frequencies of quality grades of $1^{{+}{+}}$ (the best), $1^{+}$, 1, and 2, were; 30%, 50%, 0%, and 20% for control, 10%, 80%, 10%, and 0% for E-3, and 10%, 80%, 0%, and 10% for E-5 groups, respectively, indicating improvements of quality grades by feeding ethanol. Concentrations of serum glucose tended to decrease whereas those of insulin and non-esterified fatty acid to increase by feeding ethanol (E-3 and E-5; p>0.05). Conclusion: Feeding ethanol directly into drinking water of finishing Hanwoo steers stimulated lipogenesis in intramuscular adipose tissue (marbling) and thereby improved carcass quality grade. The serum metabolites results supported the hypothesis of lipolysis of existing adipose tissue, such as abdominal fats, and lipogenesis in intramuscular adipocytes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.12
• /
• pp.1923-1929
• /
• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between blood components and carcass traits, and to find the biomarkers related to meat quality and quantity in Hanwoo steers. Methods: One hundred twenty-six Hanwoo steers (8 to 9 months of age, body weight of $185.6{\pm}24.38kg$) were used to find the correlation between blood compositions and carcass traits. The steers were fed concentrate and rice straw (30 steers) or total mixed rations (96 steers) during the whole experimental period. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at the growing (8 to 12 months), fattening (13 to 23 months) and finishing phases (24 to 30 months). Steers were slaughtered at 30 to 31 months of age (body weight of $701.6{\pm}60.45kg$) and the carcass traits were evaluated. Blood metabolites and hormones were analyzed and the correlation coefficients and regression equations with carcass traits were determined. Results: Average concentrations of retinol, leptin and insulin were 1.10 IU, 30.34 ng, and 35.35 ng per mL of blood plasma, respectively. Retinol has negative correlations (p<0.01) with insulin and leptin. Blood insulin and total protein decreased with the age of steers, but retinol, aspartic acid transaminase (AST), glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride increased. In the finishing phase, significant (p<0.01) negative correlations occurred between blood retinol content and marbling score, and between blood AST content and longissimus muscle area of 13th rib, and the following regression equations were obtained: Marbling score $(1-9)=-0.009{\times}retinol(IU/100mL)+9.125$ ($R^2=0.643$), Longissimus muscle area $(cm^2)=-0.250{\times}AST(U/L)+112.498$ ($R^2=0.450$). Conclusion: It is possible to make highly marbled beef by controlling the blood retinol content during the fattening and finishing phases of Hanwoo steers. Accordingly, blood retinol and AST could be biomarkers for determining beef quality and quantity, respectively, prior to slaughter.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.505-511
• /
• 2010

Thirty six Hanwoo steers (average BW, $564.5\;{\pm}\;25.7\;kg$; average age, approximately 23 months) were used to evaluate the effects of a mixture of eugenol (14%), thymol (1%) and malate (85%) on growth performance, beef quality and liver function in Hanwoo finishing steers fed a high-concentrate diet. A feeding trial was conducted for 7 months in National Agricultural Cooperative Federation farm located in Anseong, Korea. Steers were assigned randomly to one of three treatments: control (without additive supplementation), treatment 1 (0.05% additive of concentrate), treatment 2 (0.1% additive of concentrate). The results of this study showed that initial and final BW averaged 564 and 755 kg, respectively, and BW gain was significantly higher (P<0.05) for steers fed the additive mixture than for those fed no mixture (0.78 and 0.79 vs. 0.69 kg/d, respectively). Serum aspartate aminotransferase in the T2 treatment was decreased during the 24 to 31 months of age. Although supplementation of additives resulted in no substantial effect on carcass characteristics, it had a potential effect to improve feed efficiency and AST concentration in Hanwoo finishing steers fed a high-concentrate diet. In conclusion, a mixture of eugenol, thymol and malate has shown promise in improving feed efficiency and liver function in the finishing phase of Hanwoo steers.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.233-242
• /
• 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pineapple cannery by-product (PCB) level on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing Hanwoo steers. Methods: The feeding stage was divided into early and late finishing stages. A total of 60 castrated Hanwoo steers (13.9±0.8 months old, 418.8±36.5 kg initial body weight [BW]) were blocked by initial BW and then randomly allotted into 12 pens (five head/pen). The pens were randomly assigned to control (CONT), low PCB (LPCB), or high PCB (HPCB) treatments. These diets contained 0%, 1.5%, or 3.0% of PCB (on a dry matter [DM] basis; as-fed basis was 0%, 10.6%, or 21.2%), respectively. Results: For the early finishing stage, body weight gain (BWG) and average daily gain (ADG) of the CONT and LPCB feeding groups were greater (p<0.05) than those of the HPCB feeding group. In addition, there were linear and quadratic effects on BWG and ADG with increasing dietary PCB level (p<0.05). The gain to feed (G:F) ratio tends to quadratically decrease with an increasing PCB level in the early finishing stage (p = 0.076). Growth performances of late finishing stage were not affected by PCB level. The marbling score of the LPCB feeding group was similar to that of the CONT feeding group. However, there was a linear decrease (p< 0.05) in marbling score and quality grade among treatments as PCB was increased in the diet. In the longissimus muscle free amino acid profile, histidine composition increased linearly (p<0.05) with an increasing level of PCB. Conclusion: The level of PCB 1.5% DM in diet can be used for finishing steers without any adverse effects on growth and carcass performances. However, there were some negative effects on growth and carcass performance in the HPCB feeding group.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.8
• /
• pp.1117-1123
• /
• 2017

Objective: This study was conducted to compare growth performance, blood components and carcass traits by two feeding systems (concentrate with roughage separately [CON] vs total mixed ration [TMR]) in Hanwoo steers, and to learn the relationship between blood components during fattening or finishing phases and carcass traits in Hanwoo steers. Methods: Sixty steers aged 8 months were allotted to two feeding systems and fed similar amounts of average dry matter and total digestible nutrient throughout whole experimental period according to each feeding program. Steers were weighed monthly, taken blood at the end of growing, fattening and finishing periods, and slaughtered at 30 month of age. Results: Growing performance was higher (p<0.05) in the CON group compared to the TMR group during fattening and finishing periods. The CON group was lower (p<0.05) in blood aspartic acid transaminase, blood urea nitrogen and retinol levels during growing period, but higher in triglyceride and cholesterol levels during fattening and finishing periods compared to the TMR group. The CON group was greater (p<0.05) in rib-eye area, and lighter (p<0.05) red in meat color compared to the TMR group. In the correlation coefficients between blood components of steers and carcass traits, retinol had a negative (p<0.05) correlation with marbling score and rib-eye area. Leptin had a positive (p<0.05) correlation with back fat thickness. Blood cholesterol and triglyceride were positively (p<0.05) correlated with carcass weight and rib-eye area. Conclusion: Growth performance, carcass ribeye area and meat color showed a more desirable result in the CON compared to the TMR in Hanwoo steers. Assessing the accumulated data of carcass traits with blood components including hormones-particularly retinol, cholesterol, triglyceride, and leptin-during the fattening or finishing phases, it may be possible to find a biomarker for determining beef quality in living animals.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.9.1-9.8
• /
• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the effects of different forms of concentrate fed to Hanwoo steers on performance, carcass characteristics, and economic performance. Forty-two Hanwoo steers (average age of $5.1{\pm}0.8mo$. with body weight of $147.05{\pm}10.85kg$) were randomly allotted into FC (animals fed flakes for entire experimental period) and GC (animals fed grounded concentrate during growing and fattening phases followed by flaked concentrate during finishing phase) groups for 758 d after reaching an age of $30.0{\pm}0.82mo$. There was no difference in body weight (BW) or ADG between the treatments until fattening (15 ~ 22 mo.) phase. However, by finishing phase (23 ~ 30 mo.), the GC group (739.24 kg BW and 0.67 kg ADG) showed greater (P < 0.05) BW and ADG than the FC group (702.93 kg BW and 0.59 kg ADG). Steers in the GC group also showed greater (P < 0.05) BW and ADG than the FC group throughout the entire experimental period (5 ~ 30 mo.). There was no significant difference in carcass weight or backfat thickness between the treatments. M. Longissimus dorsi area of the GC group ($91.00cm^2$) was greater (P < 0.05) than that of the FC group ($83.59cm^2$). Marbling score and percentage of $1^{{+}{+}}$ meat quality grade were 14.0 and 48.0% higher in the GC group compared to the FC group. There was no significant difference in physicochemical characteristics, including moisture and crude protein levels, between the treatments. Gross income per head excluding operating expenses was 59.3% greater in the GC group (1,647,512 won) compared to the FC group (1,034,343 won).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.397-404
• /
• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of stocking density on eating and ruminating behavior of Hanwoo steers (Bos taurus coreanae) in the finishing period. A total of 30 finishing Hanwoo steers ($631.3{\pm}11.4$ kg, 25 months old) were allocated to one of four stocking density groups comprising 1, 2, 3, and 4 steers per 32 $m^2$ pen [G1 (32 $m^2$), G2 (16 $m^2$), G3 (10.7 $m^2$) and G4 (8 $m^2$), respectively] in triplicate. Eating, rumination behaviors, as well as dry matter intake of steers were measured, and the results were subjected to analysis of variance with stocking density as the main effect. The results of eating behaviors over 48 hours are summarized as follows: Total intake was significantly (p<0.01) higher in G1, G2, and G3 compared to G4. Eating time was not different among the treatments, whereas ruminating time increased in the order of G1 > G2 > G3 > G4 (p<0.01). However, resting time and chewing time (sum of eating and ruminating) were not significantly different among the treatments. Number of boluses and number of total chews were highest in G1 (p<0.01), whereas number of chews per bolus was highest in G3 (p<0.01). Ruminating time per bolus as well as number of boluses per minute was not significantly different among the treatments. Number of defecations was higher in G1 and G2 animals compared to G3 and G4 animals (p<0.01). However, stocking density had no effect on drinking or urination. In conclusion, increasing stocking density (i.e. G4) per pen decreased voluntary intake, ruminating time, and total chewing number in the finishing period of Hanwoo steers. However, care must be taken in discussing stocking density in the present study as the space allowance per animal was satisfactory to meet the current animal welfare regulation in Korea and in Europe, although the beef production system in Korea is more intensive than in Europe.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.23 no.8
• /
• pp.1013-1021
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to determine the effects of amino acid-enriched ruminally protected fatty acid (AARPFA) on plasma fatty acids and amino acids, growth performance and carcass characteristics of Korean native steers (Hanwoo) by simultaneous supply of fatty acids and limiting amino acids (methionine and lysine). Eighteen finishing Hanwoo steers, 18 months of age and weighing an average of $459.0{\pm}38.9\;kg$, were used for studies of the metabolism of plasma fatty acids and amino acids during supplementation of AARPFA. Also, 45 finishing Hanwoo steers, 16 months of age and weighing an average of $408.6{\pm}26.5\;kg$, were used for growth performance and carcass characteristics during supplemention of AARPFA. There were three treatments which comprised a basal diet supplemented with AARPFA at 0 g (T1), 50 g (T2) or 100 g (T3), respectively. Concentrations of saturated, unsaturated and total fatty acids in plasma were increased in T3 compared with other treatments (p<0.05). Concentrations of methionine and lysine in plasma were linearly increased with increasing levels of AARPFA (p<0.01). Average daily gain, dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio were not different among the treatments. Marbling score measured by ultra-sound scanning was higher in T3 than in T1 at 24 months of age (p<0.05). Rib eye area, back fat thickness, yield index and yield grade score were similar across the treatments. Marbling score and quality grade score were higher in T3 compared with other treatments (p<0.01). Thus, plasma fatty acids, methionine and lysine metabolism were affected by supplementing with 100 g of AARPFA which also had positive effects on marbling score and meat quality grade of finishing Hanwoo steers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.530-538
• /
• 2016

Two experiments were conducted to determine the nutrient composition, in vitro ruminal ammonia concentrations and pH of wet distillers grains (WDG, produced from tapioca 70% and rice 30%) and to evaluate dietary effects of fermented total mixed ration (TMR) using WDG on the performance, blood metabolites and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo steers from mid fattening to slaughter. In Exp. I, average dry matter (DM), crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and nitrogen free extract of seven WDG samples from an ethanol plant with different sampling dates were 19.9%, 24.8%, 3.8%, 21.8%, 8.87%, 60.3%, 34.5%, and 40.7% (DM basis), respectively. For in vitro ammonia concentrations and pH, each sample was assigned to 7 incubation times (0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h). Linear increase was observed between 12 and 48 h for ammonia concentrations, but final ammonia concentrations (72 h) were not significantly different among WDG samples and fermentation patterns of WDG samples showed similar tendency. In vitro pH varied among treatments from 0 to 24 h, but were not different statistically after 48 h. In Exp. II, 45 Hanwoo steers of 23 months ($641{\pm}123kg$) from mid fattening period to slaughter (248 days) were randomly divided into three groups of 15 pens each (five repetitions/each treatment) and assigned to one of three dietary treatments; i) Control (TMR), ii) WDG 15 (TMR containing 15% of WDG, as fed basis) and iii) WDG 28 (TMR containing 28% of WDG, as fed basis). The body weight (BW), ADG, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of control and WDG 15 and 28 during 248 days were 760.8, 740.1, and 765.5 kg, and 0.50, 0.50, and 0.52 kg/d, and 18.6, 17.6, and 17.1, respectively. The dry matter intake (DMI) (kg/d) of control (9.11) was higher (p<0.05) than WDG treatments (WDG 15%, 8.57; 28%, 8.70). Nevertheless, DMI did not affect BW, ADG, and FCR of Hanwoo finishing steers. Blood metabolites were in normal ranges and were not different among treatments except the albumin concentration. In carcass characteristics, WDG 15 (30%) showed higher frequency of A-carcass yield grade than WDG 28 (15%) and control (7%), and WDG 28 (61%) showed higher frequency of $1^{{+}{+}}$ and $1^+$-carcass quality grade than WDG 15 (40%) and control (60%). In conclusion, using WDG up to 28% in TMR did not show any negative effect on the performance and blood metabolites, and improved carcass quality of Hanwoo steers. Therefore, WDG can be a useful feed ingredient for Hanwoo steers in mid-fattening period to slaughter.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to determine effects of different selenium (Se) sources on performance, carcass characteristics, blood measures (whole blood Se concentration and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity), and Se concentrations in tissues of finishing Hanwoo steers (Korean native steers). Twenty finishing Hanwoo steers (average body weight=536${\pm}$23.4 kg, average age=approximately 20 months) were allotted to treatments in four groups of five steers per pen for 16 weeks preceding slaughter. Treatments were control (CON), spent mushroom composts from Se-enriched mushrooms (Se-SMC), selenized yeast (Se-Y), and sodium selenite (SS). Dietary Se levels of all treatments except CON were 0.9 mg Se/kg on the dry matter basis. Body weight was measured at the first and final day of trial, and blood samples were collected to analyze whole blood Se concentration and plasma GSH-Px activity at 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks. At the end of trial, steers were slaughtered to collect muscle and liver samples for their Se analyses, and carcass data were recorded. In terms of dry matter intake, body weight gain and carcass characteristics, no significant differences among treatments were observed. Whole blood Se concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.05) for Se-SMC and Se-Y treatments than for CON at each collection period, with no significant difference between SS and CON. For weeks 2 and 8, there was no significant difference for whole blood Se concentration between Se-SMC and Se-Y, but for weeks 4 and 16, Se-Y treatments were significantly higher (p<0.05) than Se-SMC. No differences were observed for plasma GSH-Px activity between Se-SMC and Se-Y. The Se concentrations in hind leg and liver were significantly different among treatments (p<0.05) and those in both tissues ranked the greatest in Se-Y, followed by Se-SMC, SS, and CON treatments. However, tissue Se concentration for SS was not different from that for CON. These results showed that feeding organic Se sources such as Se-SMC and Se-Y enhanced Se concentration in tissues, while SS, the most common supplement of inorganic Se, was inefficient in Se deposition. Even though Se-Y had a higher Se concentration in tissues than Se-SMC, replacing Se-Y with Se-SMC in diets of beef steers would be an inexpensive way to increase Se concentration in beef.