PRODUCING QUALITY BEEF - Beef CRC

Producing Quality BeefMay 2004PRODUCINGQUALITYBEEFOpportunities for Beef Producersfrom theCRC for Cattle and Beef Quality1

Producing Quality BeefC 2004 Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef QualityThis book is copyright. Except as permitted under the CopyrightAct 1968 (Commonwealth), no part of this publication may bereproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without thespecific written permission of the copyright owner. Neither mayinformation be stored electronically in any form whatsoever withoutsuch permission. Enquiries should be addressed to: CRC for Cattle& Beef Quality, CJ Hawkins Homestead, University of New England,Armidale NSW 2351; Email: beefcrc@pobox.une.edu.au.DisclaimerAny information provided in this book is intended as a source ofinformation only and is not advice, endorsement or recommendation.ISBN: 1863898751A2

Producing Quality BeefProducing Quality BeefA message to readersOpportunities for Beef Producers from the Cattle and Beef Quality CRCAcknowledgments/Contacts...............................................................1A message to readers........................................................................1What is the Beef Quality CRC? .........................................................2Implications and opportunities for beef producers ..........................3Meat Science brings meat quality to consumers ............................7Abattoir chillers can toughen beef ........................................................12Tallawanta gets it right ...........................................................................13Managing Bos indicus content ..............................................................14Key genetics findings and their application ...................................15Ultrasound scanning for genetic evaluations and in feedlots ...............17Research into feed efficiency and its implementation in BREEDPLAN..18Bald Blair Angus uses CRC technologies .............................................20Multibreed EBVs ...................................................................................21DNA Technologies – Towards better genetic prediction ......................22Does selection for carcase traits affect female fertility? .........................24NAPCo integrates production with composite genetics ........................24Regional growth path studies ................................................................25Flight Time.............................................................................................26Health & Welfare research breaks new ground ............................29Innovative breeding at Mt Eugene ........................................................31Yard weaning feeder cattle .....................................................................32Do environmental stressors affect the growth of feedlot cattle? ............34New vaccines boost feedlot performance ..............................................34Growth program studies carry over effects ....................................37Pattern of growth can affect your profit .................................................38Early weaning in Northern Australia......................................................39Do better-doing cattle produce better beef?...........................................39The facts on marbling ............................................................................40Growth promotants – opportunities and cautions ...............................41The CRC Industry Education and Training Program ....................43If you produce beef, this booklet hasbeen written for you.Whether you are a seedstock breeder,commercial breeder, backgrounder,finisher, processor or chef, you havean influence on the consumer’s eatingexperience.The Beef CRC has given us newknowledge on how to play your part,and tune your production system todeliver the quality and consistency ourcustomers expect.The significant implications – andopportunities - for you are highlightedon pages 3-6. We have sifted theseout of the first ten years of the CRC’sground-breaking research.So far, the commonwealth, the corepartners, industry bodies, agribusiness,pastoral companies and individualproducers have invested more than$100 million in this cooperativeresearch program.We trust you can reflect on the changesit has brought to the industry and howyou can capitalise on some of them.It is an important task, because beef isunder pressure to remain competitivewith other food products.Finally, may I thank Brian Sundstrom,Sharon Pettiford, Peter Dundon andJohn Bertram for their help in selectingand presenting the stories from thishuge research program.Bob Gaden, EditorThe Armidale Feeder Steer School........................................................441

Producing Quality BeefWhat is the Beef Quality CRC?Centred at the University of NewEngland, Armidale, NSW, the CRCfor Cattle and Beef Quality was establishedin 1993 with a team of geneticists,ruminant nutritionists, meat scientistsand economists drawn from CSIRO,UNE, NSW Agriculture and QueenslandDepartment of Primary Industries. Aspart of the largest integrated beef researchproject in Australia’s history, the scientistsare contracted to work together to identifythe key genetic and non-genetic factorsinfluencing beef eating quality.Supporting participants come frominstitutions in Victoria, South Australia andWestern Australia and a large number ofvalued industry sponsors are involved.The CRC is governed by a board ofpeople representing the core parties,pastoral companies, producers, processors,feedlots and commercial beef producers.They ensure the research is relevant andimportant.The Beef CRC’s charterThe Centre’s initial charter was to developAustralia’s ability to meet the specificationsof the emerging markets for high qualitybeef, particularly in Japan. As reported inthis publication, substantial progress hasbeen made, and we are in a much betterposition now to capitalise on these growingmarkets. Consumers in Australia have beendemanding more consistent quality too.The CRC was instrumental in definingthe critical factors determining beefeating quality under Australian conditions,enabling Meat Standards Australia todevelop the world’s most advancedconsumer grading system for beef.Sire evaluationUsing state-of-the-art molecular andquantitative genetic technologies,researchers have conducted a large meatquality sire evaluation program.The 12,000 progeny were drawn frompedigree seedstock herds of Hereford,Angus, Shorthorn, Murray Grey, Brahman,Belmont Red and Santa Gertrudis breedsand crossbred progeny of 1,000 Brahmancows donated by industry.The cattle breeding program has identifiedsires that will produce cattle which:2Chief Executive OfficerProfessor Bernie Bindon has been the CRC’s CEO since its inception in 1993.• He is locally and internationally well known for his work in reproductive biologyof cattle and sheep, with CSIRO, mainly at Armidale• As CEO of the $63m Beef CRC, he established a comprehensive progeny testprogram for meat quality traits.• He initiated world-class research in molecular biology, designed to identify genemarkers and candidate genes for carcase and meat quality attributes.• He helped win additional funding of $83m from the Commonwealth for a secondCRC term from 1999, still in progress• Australia now enjoys world leadership in the scientific understanding andcommercial implementation of meat quality• In 2000 the Beef Improvement Association of Australia recognised ProfessorBindon with the Howard Yelland Award, regarded as the highest accolade in theAustralian beef industry, for his services to the beef industry.• Eat less to produce more;• Excel in the traits which directlyaffect profitability: growth, carcasequality, boning room yield and beefquality;• Perform in specific environments(north and south) under differentproduction systems (pasture orfeedlot) for specialist markets(Domestic, Japanese or Korean);and• Achieve eating quality excellence.All breeds now benefit from more accurateand complete genetic evaluation ofgrowth, carcase and meat quality traitsby BREEDPLAN, which has beengreatly extended and strengthened bythe knowledge gained. This publicationoutlines some of this ground-breakingwork.New phaseA new phase of the CRC began in 1999,with broader involvement across thebeef producing regions around Australia,including network sites in Queensland,South Australia, Western Australia, Victoriaand NSW. This work is now in progress.Studies to be completed by 2006 include:• How muscle cell growth anddevelopment affects eating quality;• How the deposition and expressionof marbling is regulated;• Studies of how genes are influencedby nutrition to produce differentbeef quality results;• Identification of new gene markersfor beef quality;• Improving efficiency of feedutilisation;• How genetic selection for betterbeef quality (marbling and carcaseyield) might affect breeding herdproductivity in northern Australia;• How to manage pre-slaughter stressto improve beef quality;• On-farm strategies to reduce the riskof pathogens entering our food;• Broadening the understandingand adoption of best practice, toimprove eating quality of beef;• Further strengthen the meat qualitypractices in the Meat StandardsAustralia grading scheme; and• Regional strategies to optimisegenetics, nutrition and managementto achieve high market complianceand guarantee beef eating qualityacross Australia.The CRC is active in delivering its findingsto the industry through a range of seminars,education and training packages.After 2006?The present CRC is a contractualarrangement between the parties, whichwill conclude in June 2006. A group led bythe Cattle Council of Australia will presenta case to the Commonwealth in 2004 for anew CRC for the cattle and beef industry after2006, with a new set of objectives.

The major achievements of the BeefCRC for the Australian beef industryare listed in the box opposite, but what dothey mean for individual producers andsmall businesses?There are many pieces of information fromthe work of the Beef CRC which individualscan use to improve their enterprise. Someof them can make a substantial difference.Here is a summary of the main points – withthe page number where you can read moredetail.Opportunities for marketinggroups and alliancesIt is now much more feasible to developand manage integrated enterprises such asbranded product alliances. New knowledgeabout how all the production processesfrom “paddock to plate” impact on thefinal product has enabled the industry todevelop systems such as Meat StandardsAustralia (MSA) to ensure product qualityand consistency. Now, entrepreneurs aredeveloping new business systems to manageintegrated supply chains, opening up manyopportunities. Here are a few:• Use MSA grading to underpin thequality of your product, because itis a package of “new generation”knowledge on meat quality. Itsquality assurance of the criticalfactors, makes it possible for brandedbeef products to work. Key factorshelping to guarantee meat quality inMSA grading (page 7-12) include:u Ensure adequate growthprior to slaughteru Ensure cattle exceedminimum fat coverrequirementsu Minimise pre-slaughterhandling and stress,especially mixing withstrange cattleuMinimise time between farmand slaughteru Ensure pH/temperaturemeet MSA guidelines afterslaughteruuUse tenderstretch hanging,and/or ageing of chilledproduct to enhance qualityBe aware of the impact ofHGPs (page 41-42) andbreed effects• Develop new branded products andProducing Quality BeefImplications and opportunities for beef producersBob Gadenniche markets, provide a genuineguarantee of quality. These cangenerate consumer confidence inbeef products, and better returns tothe producer• Look for opportunities to targethigher-price markets for qualitybeef• Use knowledge on how to usegenetics to improve returns toparticipants by boosting meat qualityand carcase yield. For example, helpthem to:uSelect suitable breeds for thetask (page 15)u Use BREEDPLAN toimprove growth, carcaseyield and marbling (page 15)u Use Gene markers toimprove marbling, andtenderness in tropical breeds(page 22)u Measure Flight Timeand use it to improvetemperament and feedlotperformance in all breeds,and tenderness in tropicalbreeds (page 26)• Set standards for pre-weaningand post-weaning growth to meetcustomer specifications for quality,and to optimise carcase yield and/or marbling. This helps maximixeprofit along the production chain(page 38)• Adopt yard weaning and vaccinationto ensure optimal finishingperformance, especially if cattle arefinished in feedlots (page 32)• If marbling is important to yourmarket, manage growth to ensure itwill be expressed to its greatest effect(page 40)• Make a careful decision about theuse of hormonal growth promotants(HGPs) for your situation,recognising that they enhance livecattle performance (which youusually get paid for) but may havedetrimental effects on meat quality(which you may or may not get paidfor, and may have a negative effecton your customers) (page 41)• Look at the potential to developmore advanced profit-sharingpayment systems which encourageeveryone to focus on improving theproduct to the customer• Use information and feedbacksystems which allow cattle suppliersBenefits from the Beef CRCacross the industry• A greater understanding of how toimprove marbling, tenderness andcarcase yield, allowing us to producebetter beef products for all our highquality markets• Underpinning and assisting thedesign of the grading system (MSA).Best practice technology is packagedinto a practical industry supplysystem• Understanding of how growth atvarious stages of life can impactsubsequent growth, carcase yieldand meat quality• Genetic knowledge of how breedsand sires perform, under grass andgrain finishing systems, and forpurebreeding and crossbreeding.• A more powerful BREEDPLANevaluation which has stimulatedsignificant gains in the carcasearea for several breeds, allowingproducers of all types to select themost appropriate genetics for qualityand carcase yield, to suit theirmarkets• New gene marker technology whichadds to our ability to improve meatquality, and in future will give us thetools for rapid improvement of otherproduction characteristics• The world’s first EBVs for Net FeedIntake (NFI, a measure of feedefficiency)• Knowledge of recycling of feedlotnutrients which will help make thefeedlot industry sustainable• New vaccines against major feedlotdiseases• An extensive education andtechnology transfer program thathelps distribute and apply thevast amount of new knowledgethroughout the industry.to identify strengths and weaknessesin their production, and targetimprovement• Follow your nearest CRC “RegionalCombinations” experiment to3

Producing Quality BeefSteers backgrounding on high quality pastures before entering the feedlot.get relevant performance dataon combinations of genetics andgrowth paths for your environment(page 25)• Ask the Beef CRC or your local StateDepartment about information andtraining for your cattle suppliergroup (page 43).Opportunities for seedstockproducersCRC Genetic studies have helped definethe role of major breeds in meeting theneeds of our various markets, and greatlyenhanced the selection tools for carcasetraits available to each breed. There arenew opportunities for seedstock breeders:• Have greater confidence inBREEDPLAN EBVs for whole herdperformance, carcase yield and meatquality. CRC has generated detailedknowledge on these traits, and theunderlying genetic parameters,for seven major breeds (includinghundreds of sires) and incorporatedthem into BREEDPLAN (page 15)4• BREEDPLAN EBVs are moreaccurate and meaningful thanbefore, because CRC research hasgreatly enhanced our knowledgeabout the correlations among traits(eg antagonisms between carcaseyield and marbling). This meanswhen you select for one trait, itadjusts EBVs for the impact onother important traits (page 16).• Use $ Index values calculated byBreed Object Selection Indexes toassist you with balanced multi-traitbreeding decisions.• Use live cattle ultrasound scanningto produce better EBVs for carcasetraits (page 17)• Use EBVs for Net Feed Intake(NFI) when buying new genetics,to improve feed efficiency in yourherd.u CRC and NSW Agricultureresearch has shown thatlow NFI (more efficient)cattle may be slightlyleaner, but there are noother significant positive ornegative correlations withthe important productivetraits (page 18)u Consider the merits oftesting your bulls for NFI,to produce more accuratefigures on your own cattlefor your own selection or forsale (page 18)uWatch for results of the newIGF-1 blood test. It lookspromising for screeningbulls for NFI testing, makingit cheaper to get accurateEBVs for NFI (page 19)• Look at new gene markers formarbling and tenderness, andothers in the pipeline, they willassist in identifying animalscarrying superior genes. Be awarethat BREEDPLAN EBVs are stillthe best guide, and the best use ofgene markers in the long-term willbe to have them incorporated intoBREEDPLAN (page 23).• Use flight time to measuretemperament in tropical breeds(and docility scoring in temperatebreeds), and use it to improve both

Producing Quality Beeftemperament and tenderness (pages26 and 28)• Follow the results of the NorthernCRC project studying whathappens to female fertility traitswhen you select for marbling, meatyield or NFI. The results will answermany industry concerns, and thegenetic relationships will be usedto strengthen BREEDPLAN EBVs(page 24)• Producers of crossbred andcomposite bulls should record andkeep the basic data (birth date,pedigree and weight performanceetc), even if they are not membersof BREEDPLAN. The mechanismfor BREEDPLAN analysis for thesecattle is being developed, and pastrecords will be valuable (page 21)• Obtain feedback on the feedlot andcarcase performance of commercialprogeny of your seedstock, eitherfrom your own commercial cattleor from your clients. Use it tobenchmark the performance of yourgenetics• Help your clients improve theperformance of their cattle bothby genetics and by implementingrecommendations on growth,health, management and handling• Participate in learning about meatquality and encourage your clientsto do the same (page 7)Opportunities for commercialbreedersIn addition to tapping into the widerindustry benefits (such as the availabilityof better documented genetics, andbetter market opportunities for suitablestock), there are significant benefits whichcommercial breeders can reap by applyingthe principles identified by CRC research:• Look for access to higher pricedmarkets for suitable stock (egfeedlots supplying specialisedmarkets, branded products, MSAgraded products etc.)• Ensure adequate pre-weaninggrowth for calves - this is critical toensure their future ability to growefficiently, produce high yieldingcarcases and express marbling. Forexample:u Calves should grow at morethan 0.6kg/day until theyreach 250kg (12 months).u Otherwise they may suffersignificant stunting whichwill reduce their potentialto grow out, and eventuallyresult in fatter, loweryielding carcases.u Any periods of growthKey MSA producer requirements –good practices for all producers seriousabout producing good meat quality fortheir customers:Cattle dispatched for slaughter mustmeet with the following requirements:• Be continually grazed or fed rationsto a level that is adequate for growthfor a minimum period of one monthprior to dispatch• Be handled and mustered quietly toreduce stress• Have free access to water untildispatch• Have free access to feed untildispatch, other than a minimumperiod required for preparationthrough cattle yards• Do not consign any cattle of poortemperament or with signs of severestress• Do not consign sick cattle or cattlewithin a withholding period for anytreatment• Do not mix cattle from differentmobs or pens on the property withintwo weeks of dispatch• Do not dispatch cattle purchased ormoved from another property/saleyard within one month or arrival• Load cattle quietly, preferably withno use of goads or electric prodders• Load cattle at the recommendeddensities set out in the truckingindustry code of practice.Source: Meat Standards Australiabelow 0.6kg/day could havepermanent detrimentaleffects.u A weaning weight of 180kgat 9 months should be theminimum target (page 42).• Yard wean your calves, and checkthe merits of vaccinating them atweaning to enhance their potentialfeedlot performance (page 36).Connect to a market which providesfeedback, and use the feedback tofine-tune your production. The mainpoints here are:uBenchmark your productionagainst target marketspecifications, and if possible,against other suppliers to thesame market.u When looking to adjustyour production, decidecarefully whether changesneed to be made to nutrition/management (short term) orgenetics (long term).• USE BREEDPLANalong with your physical assessmentto guide your selection of bulls,because BREEDPLAN is nowa more powerful and completeevaluation of the important traitsthey are likely to breed• Follow MSA guidelines for preslaughtermanagement of cattle(see box), even if the cattle are notto be graded, as these steps will helpmaximise meat quality• Ensure cattle are well-fed in theperiod leading up to slaughter. Thiswill ensure good reserves of muscleglycogen and protect against darkcutting (page 11).Opportunities for backgroundersProducers who grow cattle out for feedlotentry can do a number of things to ensuretheir good performance both duringbackgrounding and finishing.• Look for higher-priced marketsfor your feeder cattle if you areadding value to them (for example,by improving their potential forgrowth, carcase yield or marbling)• If marbling is important to yourfeedlot client:• Select the appropriate geneticsu Some breeds are more likelyto produce marbling (page40)u Some individual breedersare using technology toimprove marbling geneticsuDevelop a knowledge of sirelines and their performance• Ensure calves have been grownadequately without a major preweaningsetback (page 38)• Avoid stunted weaners, as theyare likely to perform poorly inthe feedlot, depositing moresubcutaneous fat, less muscle andless marbling than well-grownweaners with the same genetics(page 38).• Calves that are backgrounded atslower growth rates will performbetter in the feedlot (i.e. showcompensatory gain). You may getbetter returns for them by retainingownership in the feedlot. (page 38)• Yard weaned calves, will performbetter in the feedlot. If you buycalves which have not been yardweaned, train them by feeding themin yards for about 7 days yourself(page 33)• Get as much feedback as you canon feedlot performance, carcaseyield and quality. Use it to identifykey factors which drive profit, andfine-tune your livestock purchasedecisions.5

Producing Quality Beef• Use new vaccines for feedlotperformance at weaning toenhance their feedlot performance– especially if you retain ownershipthrough the feedlot (page 34)• If you have used the new vaccines,they will improve the reputation ofyour feeder cattle so don’t forget totell the feedlot• Avoid cattle with poor temperament,as they are likely to perform worsefor the finisher (page 28)• Consider buying cattle which arethe progeny of bulls of superiorNFI. There are benefits to you, andit may be a useful selling pointOpportunities for finishersBelow are some general hints for producerswho finish cattle in the paddock, withor without supplements. The CRC hasstudied all facets of feedlot production, butfull detail on grain finishing is beyond thescope of this publication.• Look for access to higher-pricedmarkets if you are value-adding toyour cattle• Seek carcase feedback and use it toidentify better markets and fine-tuneproduction to increase compliance• Follow MSA protocols for preslaughtermanagement of stock,as this helps minimise stress andmaximise meat quality (page 8)• Ensure cattle are well fed in theperiod leading up to slaughter, toensure good reserves of glycogen,this protects them against darkcutting (page 11)• Beware of buying stunted weaners(i.e. calves which have had a majorgrowth check before weaning) tofinish – they will grow slower, finishlighter and fatter, and produce lessmarbling (page 38)• Calves that have had a good startto weaning will retain their growthand carcase yield potential, even ifthey have been backgrounded afterweaning at a slower growth rate(page 38)• Slow growth during backgroundingis an advantage to the finisher,except where marbling is a majorrequirement. These cattle growfaster and more efficiently onfinishing feed (compensatory gain),and produce leaner, higher-yieldingcarcases (page 38)• Yard-weaned calves for feedlotfinishing are preferred as theyadapt quicker and suffer less stressinduceddisease (page 32)• Avoid cattle with temperamentproblems, as they are likely toperform poorly, suffer more diseaseproblems and show pre-slaughterstress (page 26)• If you are finishing cattle in yourown feedlot, check the merits ofvaccinating cattle against Pestivirus(Pestigard) and IBR (Rhinogard), toreduce disease. (page 34)6

Producing Quality BeefMeat Science brings meat quality to consumersBob GadenTen years ago, we knew what factorsaffected meat quality, but we didn’tknow how important each of them reallywere to consumers. For example, we knewmarbling was associated with good eatingquality, but no-one could tell us how muchmarbling was needed, and if it really didallow the chef to get away with overcookingthe steak.We suspected that beef from Bos indicuscattle was often tougher than beef fromBritish breeds, but how much was genetics,and how much due to the cattle beingraised in a harsher environment?The CRC Meat Science Program hashelped provide the answers. We now havea much deeper understanding of how theanimal, production systems, slaughter andpost-slaughter processing all affect meatquality under Australian conditions.CRC’s teamwork with the industry-fundedMeat Standards Australia (MSA) gradingprogram has been a vital part of this process.To achieve their goal of guaranteeingtenderness to consumers, MSA neededmuch more specific answers about all theknown factors – which cuts does it affectand by how much?The CRC responded with specific projectsdesigned to tease out our knowledge of theimportant issues.As a result we can now set the specificationsfor producing and processing beef whichwill satisfy our customers for quality beefproducts, here and around the world. Wenow have the systems like MSA, whichimplement the technology and are beingHigh quality grain-fed beef for thedomestic marketused by the industry to guarantee consistenttenderness in branded beef products.Measuring meat qualityThe Meat Science program of the BeefQuality CRC was originally set up as a“service program” to measure the meatquality and carcase yield effects resultingfrom the various experiments coveringgenetics, growth paths and behaviour.Although the whole focus of the CRC wasto understand meat quality, it was thoughtthat the animals would provide most of theimportant answers – their genetics, growthpaths, nutrition – while the Meat Scienceteam was there merely to measure andreport on the resulting meat quality.There were early clues that it was not goingto be quite so easy:• The CRC set up a simple set ofguidelines for slaughtering operations,to eliminate many of the causes of poormeat quality which could interferewith the experimental measures (seebox). Why was the beef consistentlybetter than the equivalent commercialproduct, even though the animalsand their production were typical ofcommercial practices?• When the CRC’s cooperating abattoirclosed in 1996, the move to a differentabattoir brought significant changes totenderness. If the meat quality resultscould be so different from differentabattoirs, what was this doing to theexperimental conclusions? And whatwas happening in the industry at large?Further investigation was required.Meat Standards Australia (MSA) founda similar problem when their industryfundedproject began consumer testingof beef samples. They too identified bigeffects on tenderness from pre-slaughterand processing practices. They neededto know more about these and all thefactors affecting meat quality, in order todevelop a system to guarantee tendernessto consumers.The MSA project was driven by a“Pathways Team”, which included CRCmeat scientists. As the consumer tastepanel results raised questions, the researchteam looked for answers. In many cases,experiments were set up by the CRC tounderstand the underlying causes anddevelop ways to manage their effects.Early lessons on the importance of pre-slaughter managementWhen the CRC began slaughtering its experimental animals in the mid 1990’s,researchers insisted on minimum pre-slaughter handling of cattle, to ensure thatfactors like stress, poor livestock handling or processing did not affect meat quality andinterfere with their other studies.Their ‘best practice’ procedures were extremely successful in virtually eliminatingthe harmful effects of stress and it was obvious to those who ate the meat it that it wasconsistently more tender than the equivalent commercially-produced product.Well before MSA existed, the CRC protocol included these basic, well-known goodmanagement practices. Most of them have been adopted as MSA requirements:• cattle that are familiar with yarding and handling• quiet and firm handling - no dogs or electric prodders• all necessary live cattle handling, measurement and drafting completed a few daysbefore slaughter• yarding and trucking within 2 hours• use of professional livestock carriers with a proven record• a short trip to the abattoir (2-3 hrs max) the day before slaughter• keeping the mob together and not boxed with other cattle before slaughter• effective electrical stimulation of the carcase after slaughter• careful control of carcase chilling conditions.Even before the first research was analysed, the CRC demonstrated that the industrycould lift its meat quality game by getting the basics right.7

Producing Quality BeefProcessing - Temperature/pHdeclineFor example, electrical stimulation hasbeen an accepted practice at abattoirs forsome time, to eliminate cold shortening– a toughening of the beef caused by rapidchilling.Taste testing by MSA revealed inconsistentresults from electrical stimulation. Itappeared that even where it was beingapplied according to the recommendationsat the time, the results varied.A series of experiments by the CRC meatscience team has sorted out the reasons,and MSA has adopted the new “bestpractice” temperature/pH specifications asrequirements to grade beef carcases.Since 1999, most abattoirs have had theirchilling and stimulation systems checkedand set to MSA specifications. All carcasesreceive the benefit from this technology, notjust those graded by MSA. Consumers arereceiving the benefit - this has been a majorcontribution to meat quality in Australia.TenderstretchHanging the carcase from the aitch bone(pelvis) instead of the traditional achillestendon (hock) was documented by CSIROmore than 30 years ago to improve thetenderness of many of the major highpricedgrilling cuts.The technology was simple and cheap, butdespite its overwhelming positive effect, itwas never adopted by the industry. Thevisible, practical problems of handlingthe carcases and cutting slightly differentshaped primals seemed more importantthan the invisible improvement intenderness.Tenderstretch and TendercutTenderstretch or aitch bone hanging works by preventing some muscles from overcontracting while rigor mortis takes place. Advantages over conventional achillestendon hanging include:• More tender high-quality and middle value cuts, including striploin, topside andround• Less time required to age meat to its potential tendernessTenderstretch has not been widely adopted because:• Extra handling is required to change the suspension point at the end of theslaughter chain• Chillers are harder to load, and hold less tenderstretch carcases• The shape of some hindquarter cuts is changed, requiring different cuttingtechniques and retraining of boning room staff and retailers.Tendercut is an alternative hanging technique developed in Virginia USA, whichgives similar improvement to tenderstretch, but avoids some of the disadvantages.The carcase is suspended from the achilles tendon at slaughter, and the pelvic andback bones are cut through, allowing the muscles to stretch as they take the weightof the carcase.Fortunately, consumers in the MSAtasting program provided new evidenceof substantial improvement to the majorgrilling cuts. As part of this study, CRC haslooked in detail at the eating quality impactof two different tenderstretch techniquesand an alternative known as Tendercut(see box).These options for improving eating qualityhave now been studied in detail, and theimproved eating quality to each cut of beefis now available through the MSA cutsbasedgrading prediction model. Retailersand restaurateurs who understand the MSAsystem can now recoup the value for theextra eating quality imparted.MSA - Integrating knowledge oneating qualityThere are many factors affecting eatingquality, and most of these have been knownfor a long time (see page 11). Some ofthese come from the animal itself (breed,age, nutrition etc), some from the way itis handled (pre-slaughter stress) and someafter slaughter (chilling and ageing, and ofcourse, cooking).The MSA grading software is an amazingoutcome of this combined research effort.It effectively packages all our knowledge ofmeat quality together, and for each cut ofbeef on any particular carcase, it answersthe question: given the sum total of allour knowledge of meat quality, for thisparticular carcase, what will be the eatingquality result if I cook this particular cut ofmeat in this particular way?MSA has evolved rapidly since 1999 andnew knowledge is now regularly builtin to the grading software. For example,new CRC information on the impact ofhormonal growth promotants on eatingquality is a new factor, planned to beincluded in commercial grading from2004.To be eligible for MSA grading, eachparticipant, from producer to retail, mustmeet requirements based on minimisingstress and applying best practice. Variablefactors are then used to determine thepredicted level of eating quality (grade)of individual cuts. These factors includeBos indicus content, marbling, hangingmethod, weight for maturity and ageing.Tenderstretch hanging (from theaitch bone) improves tenderness ofmost of the high priced cuts.8The challenge for MSA was to knowenough about all these factors so they couldadjust accurately for them, to guarantee theeating quality outcome for any particularpiece of meat.MSA used the combined knowledge ofmany leading scientists and the practicalexperience of people in the industry todevelop their integrated system of cutsbasedgrading.MSA has had an unprecedented impacton the industry’s pre-slaughter handlingpractices, with processors, saleyardoperators and livestock transporters showingfar greater recognition of the importance ofpre-slaughter stress in meat quality.To find out more about the producerrequirements for MSA, see page 5 or visitthe MSA web site www.msagrading.comand look for the Tips and Tools series.

Producing Quality BeefPre-slaughter stressThe success of the CRC pre-slaughterhandling protocol (see page 11) in virtuallyeliminating dark cutting is a fair indicationthat pre-slaughter stress is a significantproblem in the commercial industry,where levels of 5-10% dark cutting in someconsignments are quite common.Dark cutting (see box) is usually the result ofaccumulated poor nutrition and stress overseveral days leading up to slaughter. It occurswhen the animal has exhausted its muscleenergy reserves before slaughter. But are thereless obvious effects of stress on meat quality?The CRC health and welfare program hasbeen studying a number of aspects of stressin a range of projects. Some are reported inthe health & welfare section of this booklet,others are relevant to meat quality.It’s not easy to measure stress in live cattle.The standard test is by measuring bloodlevels of the hormone cortisol, but withcommercial cattle, the process of yarding,confining and bleeding the animal is itself acause of major stress.The CRC has developed a number ofbehavioural tests to describe temperamentand measure stress. For example, a radiotransmitter strapped to a beast can transmitheart rate, respiration rate and temperatureremotely to the researcher, allowing anindication of stress during studies on handling,transport and management practices.Mixing before slaughterThe CRC conducted an experiment atTullimba feedlot near Armidale NSW, inwhich two groups of cattle on feed weremixed in feedlot pens four, two or one weekbefore slaughter. Mixing did not affect theirweight gains, but the group mixed one weekbefore slaughter produced slightly tougherbeef. There was no difference in pH ordark cutting. This suggests that even inan accustomed environment, the stress ofadjusting to new peers is significant in thepsychology of the cattle for at least a week.This implies that the mixing of cattle inthe days before slaughter, which occurscommonly throughout the industry, ishaving detrimental effects on meat quality.These effects are probably more significantif mixing occurs in a strange environment,under closer confinement and closer to thetime of slaughter (e.g. saleyards, transportand abattoir).Acute pre-slaughter stressFinished British breed yearling steers wereused in a CRC experiment to assess theeffect of acute stress 15 minutes beforeslaughter. At the abattoir, half of the cattlewere taken out of earshot and subjectedto electric prodders, 6-8 times over about10 minutes. The remainder were handledquietly, and all were then slaughtered inthe usual way.The acute stress was not enough to causedark cutting (it would take longer to use uptheir muscle energy reserves) but causedsignificant toughening of the meat. Therewas no visible difference in the colour orappearance of the meat.The industry commonly regards darkcutting as the outcome from high levels ofpre-slaughter stress, but this work suggeststhat even with no sign of dark cutting,pre-slaughter stress could be significantlytoughening our beef.Time in lairageIt is normal for cattle to be held at leastovernight in lairage (yards) at the abattoirbefore slaughter. While this may beimportant for cattle exhausted after a verylong journey, it could be an unnecessaryadditional stress for the vast majority of highquality slaughter cattle, which travel muchshorter distances to the abattoir.Processors prefer having cattle overnightfor practical reasons – they can be assuredof having a full day’s kill, and emptierpaunches are easier to handle on theslaughter floor, with less likelihood ofspillage and contamination.Dark cutting beef is a serious cause of downgrading, mainly caused by pre-slaughter stress coupled with poor nutritionbefore slaughter. Studies by the Beef CRC have led to improvements in pre-slaughter management across the industry.9

Producing Quality BeefThe CRC conducted two experiments atdifferent abattoirs with grain-fed yearlingsteers, comparing slaughter 3 hours afterarrival at the abattoir, with slaughter thenext day, 18 hours after arrival.At the time of writing, preliminary resultsindicate that the quality of beef from theshort lairage groups were slightly moretender. The abattoirs did not report anyextra problems with processing them.Further work is under way to understandthe muscle biology involved, but this isanother example of the CRC questioningindustry practices, which could be changedto improve meat quality.Future work in Meat ScienceWork planned for the period to June 2006covers two main areas – understandingand managing stress, and fine-tuning ofprocessing and animal factors affectingmeat quality. Projects include:Measuring the pH of samples of meat• Finding better ways to measurestress in cattle• Understanding the physiologicalbasis for the genetic correlationbetween temperament and beeftenderness in Bos indicus cattle• Developing better pre-slaughtermanagement practices• Optimising the processingconditions, especially pH declineand electrical stimulation, to suitindividual carcases• Estimating muscle glycogen in livecattle, to enable management ofdark cutting (high pH) beef• Determining the effect of hormonalgrowth implants on the palatabilityof beef• Determining the effects of growthchecks on carcase yield and meatquality• Incorporating relevant findings onpre-slaughter management intoMSA best practice requirements forgrading10Ultrasound scanning for intramuscular fat

Producing Quality BeefSome facts about eating qualityThere are many factors which combine to produce themeat quality eating experience. The combined resourcesof CRC science and MSA consumer testing have shown:Live animal:• There is little difference between breeds, but Bosindicus content produces tougher beef, mainly inthe grilling cuts• Other factors equal, heifers have slightly lower eatingquality than steers• Younger animals produce more tender meat, butfaster growth to any particular age adds only slightlyto tenderness• Hormonal growth promotants may cause significanttoughening, mainly in the high quality grilling cuts• Milk fed vealers have better eating quality than theirweaned counterpartsPre-slaughter handling:• Cattle are susceptible to stress and this can result indark cutting (high pH) beef• Stresses are cumulative – eg time off feed, weather,mixing• Pre-slaughter stress causes tougher beef, even whenits colour and pH is normal• Mixing cattle with strangers one week beforeslaughter results in tougher meat• Normal saleyard handling usually results in toughermeat than direct to abattoir consignmentProcessing:• Correct management of chilling after slaughter is vital– chilling too fast or too slow can toughen meat and reduceits eating quality• Rate of chilling of carcases must be coordinated withelectrical stimulation to avoid cold shortening or heattoughening• Tenderstretch hanging substantially improves the eatingquality of the main grilling cuts, and reduces the need forageing• Fatter carcases need less electrical stimulation, and are lessprone to cold shortening• Ageing after slaughter improves tenderness, particularlygrilling and roasting cuts. The improvement is greater forachilles hung carcases and for Bos indicus genotypes• Bos indicus carcases are more responsive to electricalstimulation and ageingMeal preparation• Different cuts of beef have different levels of eating quality• Each cut has an optimum cooking method• Marbling improves eating quality of grilling and roasting cutsNot only have these factors been identified as significant, butin most cases they have been quantified. Their importance hasbeen recognised by the industry since they have been promotedas requirements for MSA grading, or have become inputs whichdetermine the grade of cuts in the MSA grading prediction model.Dark cutting beef (also called dark, firm and dry, or DFD) is a serious cause of downgrading of table beefacross the industry. It occurs when the energy store in muscle (glycogen) is depleted at slaughter andthere is not enough left to convert to lactic acid, to produce normal pH (acidity) in meat of around 5.5.• Pre-slaughter stress and poor nutrition are the main causes of “dark cutting” beef• Pre-slaughter stress can be physical (exhaustion), environmental (extreme heat or cold) or psychological(confinement with strange cattle, humans, dogs etc.)• The effects of these are cumulative over the days before slaughter, in depleting glycogen• Better fed cattle (for example, grain-fed) have higher reserves of glycogen, and are less susceptible to darkcutting• Electrolyte supplements in lairage (abattoir yards) are unlikely to make up for poor nutrition and stress because:u They require several days to produce resultsu Animals take several days to settle in a new environment anywayu Feeding in lairage is not usually practical• The industry is adopting better pre-slaughter management to reduce dark cutting beef, e.g.u MSA requirements for direct to slaughter with no mixing etc.u Direct farm to abattoir purchase by processorsu Focus on design of transport and handling facilitiesu New low-stress saleyard practices for MSAu Protocols for branded products and marketing alliancesu Minimising use of electric prodders at abattoirsFurther information from state departments or Graham Gardner 02 6773 325711

Producing Quality BeefAbattoir chillers can toughen beefBob GadenProcessors like to chill carcases quickly,to ensure maximum shelf life of themeat, and reduce the food safety risk frombacterial growth. Unfortunately, very fastchilling can cause tough meat, even frompotentially tender young animals.The Beef CRC has used their findingsabout early post mortem changes in thecarcase to develop better guidelines formanaging the chilling process. Theirfindings have already been implementedin many abattoirs across Australia, andimproved the tenderness of our beef.Cold shorteningAfter slaughter, the glycogen reserves inthe muscles convert to lactic acid as themuscles “set” (that is, undergo rigor mortis).Normally this results in a decline in pH(acidity) from about 7.0 to about 5.5 over anumber of hours, as rigor takes place.If chilling is very fast, it can cause “coldshortening”, when the muscles react to thecold and tighten, before rigor is complete.This results in tougher beef.Cold shortened carcases don’t look anydifferent, even to an experienced butcher, soit’s not easy to stop affected carcases passingthrough the trading channels and givingconsumers unnecessarily tough meat.Electrical stimulation of carcases wasdeveloped many years ago to counteractcold shortening. Applied immediatelyafter slaughter, it speeds up the pH drop,accelerates the onset of rigor and enablesfaster chilling, without toughening of themeat.Most abattoirs installed stimulationequipment in the 1980’s and used iton carcases for the domestic market.Unfortunately, as both the CRC and MSAdiscovered, its effectiveness was not wellmonitored.Electrical stimulation questionedhad poorer eating quality than their rapidlychilled counterparts.This problem was identified as “heattoughening”, which is a consequenceof over-stimulation. The Meat Sciencegroup then investigated the phenomenonfurther, and this has resulted in a betterunderstanding of the post-mortem changes,and new recommendations for stimulationand chilling in abattoirs.New abattoir recommendations for the Graph showing the “window” of optimumpH and temperature decline after slaughter(path A). Carcases suffer “cold shortening” iftheir temperature drops below 12 degrees,before the pH has dropped below 6.0 (pathB). Conversely, they suffer “heat toughening”if their pH drops under 6.0 while they are stillabove 35 degrees (path C).“window” of acceptable limits of pH andtemperature drop are outlined in Figure 1.For example, cold shortening is unlikely ifthe pH has dropped below 6.0 by the timethe muscle has cooled to 12 0 C.Other findingsSome other findings of the researchinclude:• lighter and leaner carcases, domesticcarcases, are the most susceptible tocold shortening;• heavier, fatter carcases destined forexport tend to cool more slowly,and therefore require less electricalstimulation (or even none at all); • in some abattoirs, carcases alreadyreceive plenty of electrical pulses onthe slaughter floor, with equipmentsuch as immobilisers and the rigidityprobes used with hide pullers;• for optimum eating quality, electricalstimulation needs to be adjusted to thechilling rate of carcases, and type ofcattle.Industry benefitsThe recommendations from thisresearch are benefiting consumersalready – Meat Standards Australia hasadopted the optimum pH/temperaturerecommendation as a license requirementfor grading at abattoirs. Their gradersregularly monitor abattoirs for compliance.Future CRC experiments will study thebiological basis of heat toughening, andexamine the effect on eating quality of thepH/chilling treatments on a range of othercuts (current knowledge is mainly based oneffects on the striploin).The aim is to give processors scientificallybasedrecommendations which willoptimise eating quality of the whole carcaseto consumers, and maximise its value.It was only recently that the simplepractice of electrical stimulation has beenquestioned. In one experiment, a group ofmeat samples which had been stimulated atslaughter and chilled slowly, unexpectedly12• cattle with high reserves of glycogen,such as lot fed cattle, also require lessstimulation;A low voltage electrical stimulation system in a domestic abattoir. Stimulationallows carcases to be chilled faster without toughening the meat.

Tallawanta Tender gets it right!Sharon PettifordProducing Quality BeefBruce Picone is proud of the growingreputation of Tallawanta Tender.And so he should be – the Moree-basedfamily business supplies top quality meatthat customers agree is tender to eat, everysingle time.Bruce, who is Managing Director ofTallawanta, says the secrets to their successare their customer focus, their innovativeapproach to value adding, their use ofMeat Standards Australia (MSA) gradingsystem and a consistent supply from theirown long-established cattle breeding andfinishing operation.“Our customers demand tender beeftoday, tomorrow and the next day”, Brucesaid. “We have to be able to deliver highquality product 365 days a year, not justwhen the season permits grass to grow”.“It’s important to use the right typeof animal and grow it out and finishit properly,” he said, “but the realopportunity for us has been to apply newresearch, improve eating quality and addvalue past the farm gate.”Guaranteeing tendernessThe Picone family has full controlover every step including the breeding,growing, finishing and finally the retailingof Tallawanta beef products.Their 5,000-head feedlot north-west ofMoree plays a crucial role in guaranteeingtheir ability to supply well-finished beef tocustomers 12 months of the year.They use the Meat Standards Australia(MSA) system to underpin the integrityand eating quality of their beef. Thisensures the highest meat quality fromtheir carefully produced animals.MSA does this with a QA system tominimise pre-slaughter stress and ensurethat abattoir stimulation and chillingequipment is set to optimise meat quality.MSA gives every cut of beef an eatingquality grade and a recommendedcooking method. It even grades someindividual muscles. This enables thebutcher to make sure the customer getsexactly the result they are looking for.“Meal friendly is what the MSA gradingsystem is all about – identifying productby eating quality, not the traditionalprimal cuts”, Bruce said.Tallawanta prefers to hang their beef bytenderstretch to further increase tendernessof the main grilling cuts.Applying researchBruce believes consistent growth throughthe feeding period, along with age andweight of animals, sets the pattern forconsistent eating quality.“We’ve taken notice of CRC results thatshow that growth of cattle prior to feedlotentry is equally important as the finishingand processing stages”, Bruce said.He also commented that “Selecting thecorrect genetics using BREEDPLAN, andthe right type of animal, will deliver thecarcase we need.”More accurate EBVs are a product of CRCresearch, particularly for carcase traits.Adding valueThe Picone family has been feeding cattleat Tallawanta since 1984 and over the last19 years has seen many changes in marketsand in feedlot operation.They have been a regular supplier offinished cattle to Woolworths for manyyears, and have produced some high qualityJapanese export beef more recently.The feedlot adds value to the croppingprogram, which grows most of the feed forthe feedlot.One key factor has been extending thevalue-adding philosophy to their beefsystem. Tallawanta is focusing on fullutilisation of the carcase. “This is veryimportant in maximising returns from eachanimal,” Bruce added.Heavier carcases“The CRC and MSA have both taught us alot about the eating quality of individual cutsand muscles. For example, we now know thatheavier carcases give a better eating qualityperformance if they are the same age,” he saidA few years ago, it was a problem for Bruceif some cattle were too heavy for his regularWoolworths market. Taking the heaviercattle out to increase their compliancewith Woolworths specifications became theopportunity which started “Tallawanta Tender”.Bruce Picone says CRC research has helped his integrated businesssupply his customers with consistently tender beef.(Photo : Australian Farm Journal)13

Producing Quality BeefThey now deliberately select heavier cattlefor their domestic feeding program. Thecattle for the Tallawanta Tender labelconsist of Angus and Angus/Wagyu cross.This ensures a good cross section of 3, 4 and5 star beef in the MSA grading system.Cattle for Tallawanta Tender are placedon feed at 380-420kg liveweight and fedto ensure a steady consistent gain over 120-150 days.“This gives us enough time to achieve thedesired distribution of marbling requiredfor the intended eating outcome,” saidBruce.The finishing phase in the feedlot adds tothe flavour, tenderness and juiciness of themeat. The cattle are then dispatched forslaughter at Pittsworth Abattoir.The Tallawanta finishing program ensuresthe cattle are heavy for their age (530-550kg) and this assists them to sell all therecognised steak cuts at a minimum qualitygrade of MSA 4 star.Individual tracebackUnder the MSA grading scheme,Tallawanta Tender receives an individualcarcase report relating back to live cattle.This means every slice of meat can betraced back to a particular animal whenthey relate body numbers to ear tags.The MSA feedback report shows how toBill Picone, Manager of the Tallawanta retail shop, serving Tallawanta Tenderproducts at a recent field day.supermarkets.best optimise eating quality by both cookingmethod and ageing period.While their retail butcher shop is becomingthe focus, the main turnover for thebusiness still comes from cattle supplied toWoolworths for the domestic trade.Bruce Picone follows MSArecommendations religiously. “It is a toolthat you can put into practice and achievethose results by simply following the MSAguidelines”, Bruce said.“We want a grading system that canguarantee our product. It works knowingthe genetics of your cattle and using theright cattle”.Bruce admits that MSA hasn’t been sold aswell as it could have been and is pleasedthat it hasn’t been implemented by the big“This leaves the door open for businesseslike ours and gives us a competitiveadvantage over the large supermarkets,”said Bruce.“People come back to our shop because theyknow that they can get a good steak, everytime. They come back for more, purelybecause of consistent eating quality.”Tallawanta Tender is focusing on providinga retail ready product, providing consumerswith guided meal options. Consumersare after a convenient consistent qualityproduct.More information: Bruce PiconePh: 02 6752 6660large amount of research and consumerA tasting has shown that on average, otherthings equal, Bos indicus content meanstougher beef.This is a significant issue for Australia,where almost half the national herd lives intropical and sub-tropical areas, where thesecattle are much better adapted.The CRC has made a major commitmentto understanding the problem and hascome up with some outstanding solutions.ProcessingBos indicus cattle are more sensitive toprocessing:• They respond better than Britishbreeds to effective electricalstimulation• They respond even better thanBritish breed types to tenderstretchhanging• Their beef improves more withageing after slaughter• They are more susceptible to preslaughterstress, which leads totougher beef14Managing Bos indicus content Bob GadenIn CRC experiments, when processinghas been carefully managed to achieve“best practice”, there has been very littleproblem with tough Bos indicus beef.This suggests that processors can do a lotto improve their Bos indicus product bymanaging their procedures to best practicestandards.Long term answersCRC studies have shown that somestrains of Brahman cattle are geneticallymore tender than others. This means itis possible to improve them by selection– but how do you identify those carryingthe tender genes?New work has given us two clear andpractical options to improve the genetics.The first is to measure and select onFlight time (see page 26) as this willeffectively improve both temperament andtenderness.The second is a new gene marker test(GeneStar® Tenderness) which willfurther help in selecting stud animals withtender genes (see page 22).Apart from these major breakthroughs, theCRC also has on-going research aimedat improving the management of preslaughterstress, behaviour and handlingsystems across the industry (see page 10).Tenderness of meat from Bos Indicus steers is more sensitive processing.

Producing Quality BeefKey CRC genetics findings and their applicationBrian Sundstromhad to be in BREEDPLAN and able toprovide large lines of commercial purebredsteers. Angus, Belmont Red, Brahman,Hereford, Murray Grey, Santa Gertrudisand Shorthorn were selected.Known sires of these breeds were matedin the cooperating Seedstock andCommercial herds. Steer progeny fromcommercial herds were purchased by theCRC as weaners. They were backgroundedin a variety of situations where growth rateand other studies were carried out, and thenfinished at Domestic, Korean and Japanesemarket weights.Half the cattle were finished on grainand half on grass and the carcase andmeat quality of all cattle were studied indetail, including consumer tasting on themajority.Fully pedigreed weaners from BREEDPLAN herds on arrival at Glen InnesResearch Station. After backgrounding at three different growth rates, halfwere finished on grain at Tullimba Feedlot and half on pasture in northernNSW, to three different market weights.Australia’s beef genetic evaluationsystem BREEDPLAN is very highlyregarded and is widely used around theworld. Research from the Beef CRC hasprovided the foundation for many of itsnew capabilities, especially in carcase andmeat quality traits.For the first seven years, much of theCRC was built around two core breedingexperiments. One followed the progeny ofhundreds of sires in seven major breeds (seestraight breeding program design) and theother used the same sires in a crossbreedingexperiment in northern Australia. All theprogeny were measured for growth andcarcase characteristics, providing a fullanalysis of the performance of their sires,and new information about the geneticsof carcase traits. Different growth andfinishing treatments were applied, todetermine the important genetic and nongeneticeffects.Straight breeding programFrom 1993-2000, seven breeds wereinvolved in a major ‘progeny test’. Thisprovided some 8,000 head for the geneticstudies described below and also much ofthe CRC Meat Science and Nutrition workdocumented elsewhere in this booklet.All breeds were offered participation, butDNA samples from the cattle have beenstored for future use.Key findings included:• BREEDPLAN EBVs of sirespredicted the growth and carcaseperformance of steer progeny withvery acceptable accuracy, furtherdemonstrating that BREEDPLANreally does work.• Data from the experiment allowedthe introduction of EBVs for IMF%(marbling) to BREEDPLAN andApart from strengthening BREEDPLAN,the CRC genetics program has openedthe door into DNA technologies, a newera of applied genetics. Data from CRCexperiments has helped find the firstgene markers for commercial traits, andwill continue to be used to find newgene markers into the future. Our animalselection will be assisted by an increasingnumber of commercially available genetests, which identify cattle carryingfavourable individual genes.The CRC core breeding project enabled scientist to separate the genetic andnon-genetic effects which control growth, carcase yield and meat quality.15

Producing Quality Beef16Genetic progress in Angus carcasetraits has been rapid following theintroduction of carcase EBVs.significant improvements in the wayall the carcase EBVs are computed– in particular:u by expressing them forthe first time (in 2000) ata weight endpoint (300kgcarcase weight steer);uallowing abattoir feedback,scanning data andinformation on importedsires to be combined intoone EBV;u improving the EBV forRetail Beef Yield (RBY%).• With the new EBVs available, allthese breeds have been better able toselect on these traits and have sincemade good to very good genetic gainsin their carcase trends (see example).These gains are quickly flowing tothe commercial industry due to thehigh rate of BREEDPLAN use inthese breeds – for example in theBritish breeds in 2002, over 90% ofstud cows (in herds over 50 cows)were recorded on BREEDPLAN.• No significant re-ranking of sires forthe carcase traits between Marketweights, between Grain and Grassfinishing, or between Northernand Southern environments. Forexample, sires producing the fattest(earliest finishing) progeny atDomestic weights also had the fattestprogeny at heavy weights whetherfinished on grain or grass andwhether they were bred or finishedin northern (central Queensland)or southern (mainly northern NewSouth Wales) environments. Seechart showing there was no rerankingof sires for marbling.• Benchmarking guidelines have beenmade available for these breeds.This means it is possible to predictthe specifications of steers whichwill be produced under variousmarket/production systems by siresof known EBVsMultibreed EBVsAlthough all Australianbreeds currently use the sameBREEDPLAN genetic evaluation,each breed has its own database. AsEBV figures are relative to their ownbreed base, they cannot currentlybe compared across breeds. The industryhas a long-term aim for all breeds to havethe option to move to a common base andCRC has provided some data to help withthis process.• Data from the CRC has beencombined with the MLA SouthernMultibreed experiment to provideAustralia’s first Multibreed EBVadjustment table (see MultibreedEBVs p 21). This is initially forHereford, Poll Hereford, Angus,Simmental and Limousin, andincludes EBV adjustments for birthweight, growth and carcase weight.Other breeds and traits will be addedprogressively to this table, but thelong-term aim is joint analyses acrossbreeds.DNA technologiesThe CRC has a large and continuingmolecular genetics program, whichaims to find the individual genes thataffect commercial production traits, anddetermine how important they are. CRCresearchers have been closely involved inthe commercialisation of the world’s firsttwo of these discoveries, now available fromGenetic Solutions Pty Ltd, as GeneSTAR ®Marbling and Tenderness.http://www.geneticsolutions.com.auMarbling (IMF%) on Grain vs PastureCurrent CRC work includes searchingfor other genes controlling marbling,tenderness, other meat quality traits, feedefficiency and tick resistance. (see article onDNA technologies page 22)Feed efficiency researchThe CRC has a major research programon the genetics of feed efficiency, followingearlier research by NSW Agriculture, whichshowed that some cattle are geneticallybetter than others at converting their feedinto liveweight gain. This work is now linkedto many other projects such as breed societyprogeny tests and gene marker research.The CRC is continuing and expanding thisresearch. This has allowed the inclusion ofthe efficiency measure “Net Feed Intake”(NFI) in the BREEDPLAN geneticevaluation program in Australia. NFI is thefeed consumed by cattle, under (-) or over (+)the amount of feed expected for their weightand their rate of gain. This means efficientcattle of any size can be selected. NFI EBVsare now available for bull breeders doing therequired testing.The trait has similar heritability to growth,so good selection progress is possible, oncepractical testing options are widely available.Current research is aiming to assist this. (Seeseparate article p 18)Northern crossbreeding workFrom 1993 to 2000, the CRC had alarge experiment in central Queensland.Brahman cows donated to the CRC werejoined to Angus, Brahman, Belmont Red,Charolais, Charbray, Hereford, Limousin,Santa Gertrudis and Shorthorn sire breeds.The crossbred progeny were grown outand finished in Northern and Southernlocations.These cattle contributed to understandingbreed effects for carcase traits, the Northversus South and Multibreed outcomesdiscussed above, along withgrowth path and transport/stress findings discussed inother papers in these notes.Further detail on this workcan be obtained fromthe researcher in chargeDr Heather BurrowCSIRO Rockhampton.O7 4923 8139 aheather.burrow@csiro.au

Producing Quality BeefUltrasound scanning for genetic evaluation and in feedlotsBrian SundstromBREEDPLAN’s present ability toproduce such high quality CarcaseEBVs is a major product of the geneticsprogram of the Beef CRC. One keyelement has been thorough validation,and deeper understanding of ultrasoundscanning for fat depth, eye-muscle area andmarbling (intramuscular fat, or IMF%).Scanning of carcase traits is now widelyused in the stud industry. BREEDPLANCarcase EBVs are calculated over 90%from scans with a little abattoir data (seehttp://breedplan.une.edu.au for Breednoteson Scanning, Carcase EBVs and anaccredited scanner list).The role of ultrasound in feedlot steersto predict their marbling potential is notso clear as described below. CRC worksuggests marble scans around 70days mayhelp find the best steers to feed on forlonger periods.Evaluating scanningTo produce carcase EBVs, how effective isscanning of breeding cattle compared tousing actual slaughter feedback of progeny,and how can they both be used?To answer this question, the CRC collectedthree scans (at weaning, end of growoutand pre-slaughter) on all its thousands ofcommercial steers and heifers of knownBREEDPLAN parentage, along with theircarcase measurements at slaughter. TheCRC used the slaughter data to assess theaccuracy of scanning, and to evaluate thebreeding value of their sires.At the same time, bull and heifer progenyof the same sires were scanned in the studherds, to produce a separate sire evaluation,which could then be compared.Whether the EBVs were calculated fromthe scanning data or from the carcase data,both methods ranked the sires nearly thesame. Both methods were very effective atidentifying the best (and worst) sires.Best results however are when both sets ofdata are used. This CRC work allowed it to beintroduced in BREEDPLAN, a world first.The result is both a strong endorsement forlive cattle scanning, and added confidencefor breeders that BREEDPLAN carcaseEBVs are soundly based.Scanning for genetic evaluationtodayUltrasound scanning of the carcase traits fatdepth and eye muscle area, was introducedin BREEDPLAN in 1989, and in USgenetic evaluation programs a few yearslater. The technology is now well acceptedand widely used for genetic evaluation bythe majority of studs and breed societies inAustralia and North America.Bulls and heifers in stud herds are scannedwhen they are in as good a conditionas possible. This helps them show theirdifferences in fat depth, eye-muscle area andmarbling.Good predictions of the ranking of sires arebeing obtained:• By combining the scans with thepedigree links• Only comparing like treated animals,and• Using BREEDPLAN EBVs, ratherthan the raw measurements.Bull buyers and breeders can better pick siresthat are likely to breed early or late finishingprogeny and can use indicators of musclingand yield %. Some people also find thefat depth indicators useful to indicate cowfatness and re-breeding.Scanning in feedlots to draft cattleFeeding for the long-fed Japanese market is acostly exercise, with a significant number ofcattle failing to produce adequate marbling.If scanning could be used to weed theseanimals out early, the operation would bemuch more efficient.Scanning in feedlots is a little different togenetic evaluation for the following reasons:Ultrasound scanning is now widely used in theseedstock sector to produce EBVs for fat depth,eye-muscle area, retail beef yield and marbling.• Accurate readings are needed oneach individual. There is no backup from the pedigree and knownrelationships with other traits(eg: marbling and fat depth aregenetically correlated. A new bloodtest is also correlated to marbling,and assists with genetic evaluation,see p 19)• Current scanning equipment iscalibrated to work best below 8%intramuscular fat (AUS-MEATMarble score 3). This suits mostseedstock cattle, but long-fed steersgenerally go over this level ofintramuscular fat. They also havethick surface fat (and very dirtycoats) by this time, which makesimaging of the underlying musclemore difficult.A CRC experiment at “Tullimba” researchfeedlot, cast more light on the role ofscanning in feedlots. Two hundred Angusand Shorthorn steers, with BREEDPLANpedigree links, were fed for up to 184days. They were scanned, and subgroupsslaughtered, every 35 days.The group scanned and slaughtered onday 70 had the best correlation (0.78),with the abattoir IMF% test (intramuscularfat, by chemical extraction). For the steerscarried right through, around day 70 scanswere also a better predictor of final abattoirIMF%, than day 182 scans. (Correlation0.6 with the final abattoir IMF%).This suggests there is potential to draft longfedcattle based on scanning around day 70,and further investigation is warranted.MeasurementaccuracyIndividual measurementaccuracy is not as critical forgenetic evaluation, becausean individual’s EBVs arecalculated from threesources:• The individual animal’smeasurement relative toits contemporary group• The EBV’s of otherrelatives, weightedaccording to how closelyrelated they are• Genetic correlation withother traits17

Producing Quality BeefResearch into Feed Efficiency and itsimplementation in BREEDPLANUntil now, BREEDPLAN has been ableto give us Estimated Breeding Values(EBVs) for growth and mature cow size, buthas not been able to say at what feed cost.World-leading research on the geneticsof feed efficiency by the Beef CRC isproviding some answers to this vital issue.Feed efficiency – the efficiency with whichcattle convert feed into beef - is one of themost economically important productiontraits. Feedlots measure what their cattle eaton a daily basis, and are very conscious thatit has a major effect on their profit. Acrossthe industry’s breeding herds, where thebreeding females consume perhaps 70%of total feed, cows which convert theirfeed more efficiently could have a majorimpact.Brian SundstromGroundwork in the 1990’s by NSWAgriculture at Trangie, funded at thetime by the Meat Research Corporation,established techniques for measuringindividual animal intake, and used them todemonstrate the potential for an industrywideprogram to improve feed efficiency.This work has since been incorporated intothe Beef CRC and has expanded into amajor research program on feed efficiency.There are links to many other projects suchas breed society progeny tests and genemarker research.What is NFI?• Feed efficiency for geneticevaluation in Australia is measuredas Net Feed Intake (NFI). NFI isthe feed consumed by cattle under(-) or over (+) that expected for theirweight and rate of gain. This meansthat efficient cattle of any size canbe selected. This is preferable toFeed Conversion Ratio (FCR, theweight of feed required per kilogramof liveweight gain) as selection onFCR leads to bigger cattle, whichmay not suit all environments• NFI EBVs are now available inBREEDPLAN for breeders doingthe required testing. Negative EBVsindicate lower feed intakes seeexample in box• NFI has similar heritability togrowth, so good selection progress18A few drops of blood are collected from the tail onto a card, dried and sent to thelaboratory for IGF-1 analysis. BREEDPLAN uses the results to calculate EBVsfor Net Feed Efficiency.is possible once practical testingoptions are widely available• Testing currently involves the costlyprocedure of feed intake measuringindividuals in a standard 70-day test.Several studs are now successfullydoing this on farm, or at central teststations• A blood test for IGF-1 (Insulinlikegrowth factor) has beenshown in CRC research to be apromising early predictor of NFIand is also related to some fatnessmeasures. It was incorporated intoBREEDPLAN in 2004 to improvethe accuracy of NFI EBVs (seedetails page 19).Research results and correlationswith other traitsThe trait, as measured on young bullsand heifers, is of similar heritability toweight gain. Several experimental lines ofsteers, sired by High and Low NFI EBVSires, have demonstrated this by showingthat when given ad lib access to a similarInterpreting NFI EBVsEBVs for Net Feed Intake (NFI) arereported as kilograms of feed eatenper day. Like most EBVs they can bepositive or negative, relative to breedaverage. The more negative, the lessfeed eaten and the more efficient. Forexample, two bulls with these EBVs:Bull A + 0.5 kg/day (Breed Average is 0)Bull B – 0.7kg/dayA simple interpretation, is that BullB having more negative NFI EBVs,would be expected to breed ‘moreefficient’ progeny, than Bull A or abreed average bull. If the two bullswere similar in weight EBVs andjoined to average cows, progeny ofB would gain the same, but eat 0.6kg less per day than the progeny ofA (half the difference of 1.2 betweenthe Sire EBV, as the cows contributehalf the genes).

Producing Quality Beefdiet to that on which their parentswere selected, they show the predictedchanges in NFI in the feedlot.A fair question is therefore: “wouldthese results hold under grazing?” Steersfrom the High and Low efficiency linesfrom “Trangie” have been grown outon pastures of varying quality. In oneexperiment their intakes were measuredvia slow release rumen capsules. Bothlines had similar intakes, but the Highline grew faster and therefore had betterfeed efficiency.Continuing CRC research will, amongother things, determine the relationshipwith some other traits affected byselecting for NFI. In particular, themeat quality traits such as tendernesswill be carefully studied. To date theonly significant finding is a small linkwith leanness (cattle with lower NFIEBVs, being slightly leaner and possiblylower marbling). While this needs tobe watched, the correlation is quitelow (less than the correlation betweenbirth weight and final weight), and cantherefore be managed by selecting onboth traits.Heifers retained for breeding in researchherds, in early results, have to dateshown no effect on fertility or otherproduction traits. As cows, the negativeNFI EBV cow lines appear to also bemore feed efficient under grazing.New research – Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)blood test used for 2004 EBVsThe CRC research group is also lookingfor gene markers and physiological teststo increase the accuracy of the NFI EBVand/or to reduce cost of finding superiorstock. The first of these, a blood test forthe protein IGF-1, has been introducedto BREEDPLAN in 2004.The blood test is conducted by theAustralian company Primegro Ltd, whichhas the exclusive right to commercialisethis Australian Intellectual Property.IGF-1 is moderately heritable (0.4)and correlated to NFI (0.6). Low IGF-1readings correlate with better efficiency.Data from a large number of blood testresults in BREEDPLAN herds has beenused in the January 2004 Angus NFIEBV calculations. Hereford IGF-1 datawill be used from mid 2004. Breedersshould take IGF-I blood samples ator before weaning to give best geneticresponses.The analysis of experimental results byAGBU also showed that selection againstIGF-I will reduce all measurements offatness (including marbling). Howeveras these genetic correlations are notparticularly strong, there are plenty ofanimals which go against the overalltrend, to breed progeny with improvedefficiency and acceptable marbling andfatness. These correlations with fatnessawait more research before inclusion inBREEDPLAN.Data used for the first BREEDPLANEBVs 2002 - 2004Since the late 1990’s, some progressivestuds have recorded feed intakes of theiryoung bulls on farm or on governmentand private test stations in variousparts of Australia. Using pedigree links,these results have been combined with“Trangie” research data and steer resultsfrom the CRC “Tullimba” feedlot.As mentioned above, IGF-1 data wasincluded for Angus in 2004.At this stage only two breeds, Angus andHereford/Poll Hereford, have sufficient,well-linked data to have an across-herdanalysis and GROUP BREEDPLANNFI EBVs. These are published in theseBreeds’ Sire summaries and on theirwebsites. As other breeds accumulatedata, they will also be able to publishsuch EBVs.This analysis has been done by AGBU*using a two trait model. As the correlationswith other traits become known, NFI willbe incorporated into the full multi traitBREEDPLAN model.Further information: See theBREEDPLAN web sitehttp://breedplan.une.edu.au orcontact Dr Robert Herd, senior NSWAgriculture researcher on this project(02 6770 1808) or for IGF-1 information,contact Primegro (08 8354 7711).One of the automatic feeding units at Tullimba Feedlot, used to measure and record the individual intake and feedingpattern of up to 12 cattle in the pen. Public test facilities are available in NSW, Victoria and WA, and the unit has beencommercialised by Ruddweigh for on-farm testing. The new IGF-1 test and future gene marker research will speed upthe identification of superior feed-efficient genetics.19

Producing Quality BeefBald Blair Angus uses CRC Technologies“Our involvement in the CRC and whatwe have learned has paid our operationtremendous benefits”, says Sam White,Principal of Bald Blair Angus near Guyra,on the NSW northern tablelands.Bald Blair has been one of the participatingherds since the inception of the CRC in1993, providing weaner cattle and beingheavily involved in evaluating their sireswith data in the CRC.Sharon PettifordBald Blair is a commercially focused Angusstud that has been operating since 1898.The commercial herd supports the stud andspecialises in producing high quality feedersteers for the Japanese B3 market.BREEDPLAN and TGRM (TotalGenetic Resource Management) are twotechnologies that have revolutionisedthe mating decision making that occursin the Bald Blair breeding operation.Understanding the effect of growth pathsis another powerful tool to come out of theCRC. “They have immediate use and wereceived immediate profit as a result of it”Sam said.“Yard weaning and the management ofthe setback that can occur before weaningis critical. Since 2002 was such a toughyear with such a massive drought, we knowthere are going to be cattle that are fatterand aren’t going to yield as well as a resultof the dry times”.Net Feed Intake (NFI) testing commencedat Bald Blair in 2000. Net feed intake testingis a costly exercise and requires a largelabour component but the CRC has shownthat there is a difference in the amount offeed consumed by animals. It’s measurableand moderately heritable, therefore it is adesirable trait in our industry.Bald Blair has incorporated NFI intoits breeding program. The benefits ofmeasuring net feed intake have beenevident in their custom feeding programand they are convinced it is a relevant traitto be delivered to industry.Bald Blair has adopted the use of genemarker technologies. Sam believes usingGenestar technology for selecting marblingis a must, since they are a pure bred Angusherd. “There is an absolute profit anddirect benefit from focusing our operationand selecting for marbling,” he said.20Sam white picSam White, Principal of Bald Blair Angus, has used technology developed bythe CRC to produce genetics for the B3 Japanese market. He has been testinghis bulls for Net Feed Intake since 2000.The Bald Blair commercial herd targets the Japanese B3 market, so it is important for us tomaintain marbling, and improve it in terms of its frequency, as there is a direct profit to bemade, Sam believes.Bald Blair is involved in breeding and marketing alliances to market some of their stock.“By recording data and using CRC technologies, this gives our operation a marketingedge,” Sam said.Bald Blair is an experienced user of BREEDPLAN. When they first started recording traitsthey included birth weight, growth and milk. Now there are EBVs for calving ease, carcase,fertility, mature cow weight and more recently Net Feed Intake - a total of 18 EBVs.“They are all part of the selection decision and they have to be taken into account whenwe are mating the breeding herd,” said Sam. “There are a lot of EBVs to make decisionson, and in addition to that, we use another eight structural scores and three DNA markers.There is a lot to think about.”There are decision support packages that help to do this and they include BREEDOBJECTand TGRM. Both packages are decision support systems that help work out the bestcombination of these traits to maximise the genetic gain that Bald Blair is getting in itsherd.“As a cooperating breeder in the CRC we have had significant gains by making a lot ofchanges in breeding and management from 1993 to 1999. The gains are occurring at aslower rate now, because it’s mainly genetics. There are more decisions to be made andmore traits to be taken into consideration.”Bald Blair is aiming for long-term genetic gain by utilising available technologies.More information: Sam White Ph: 02 6779 2141

Producing Quality BeefMultibreed EBVsDavid Johnston and Brian SundstromBREEDPLAN EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values) are widelyused by bull buyers and breeders. Currently, all breeds haveEBVs relative to their own base figures, so EBVs of different breedscannot be directly compared.To improve this situation, Meat and Livestock Australia has fundedthe development of multibreed EBVs which will allow differentbreeds to be put onto a common base.Using data from the CRC and the specially designed Victorianmultibreed experiment, geneticists at the Animal Genetics andBreeding Unit (AGBU – closely involved with the Beef CRC)have developed Australia’s first conversion table for BREEDPLANmultibreed EBVs. (Table 1 below)Comparisons of four breeds for birth, growth and carcase weighttraits have initially been possible. More breeds and traits will beadded, as new data becomes available.Example using table 1: To compare an Angus bull with a birthweight EBV from Angus BREEDPLAN with a Limousin bull withits Limousin BREEDPLAN birth weight EBV, add from Table 1,0 to the Angus EBV and 6.4 to the Limousin EBV. The resultingfigures for the two bulls will then be comparable to each other.(This is further illustrated in Table 2.)Note: Like EBVs the adjustments may change over time, so checkthe date of such tables to see if a more recent table has been produced.Table 1: Multibreed EBV Adjustment Table (March 2003)(Adjustments from Table 1 are added to the BREEDPLAN EBVsfor breed average 2001-born animals within their breed).Using multibreed EBVs• Stud breeders may compare their stock with other breedsand perhaps review selection priorities.• Commercial pure breeders, crossbreeders and compositedevelopers can better select breeds and sires.In crossbreeding situations, multibreed EBVs only hold if thebulls being compared are mated to the same, unrelated breed. Forexample, if breed average 2001 drop Simmental and Angus bullswere mated to Shorthorn cows.From Table 2, the Simmental/Shorthorn cross calves are predictedto be 3.2kg heavier at birth (half the difference between theirmultibreed EBVs of 10.4 and 4) than the Angus/Shorthorn crosses.Similarly at 400 days, the Simmental crosses are predicted to be17kg heavier (half the difference between 86 and 52).Further information: David Johnston, Senior Geneticist, AnimalGenetics and Breeding Unit. Ph: 02 6773 2055.http://agbu.une.edu.auBrian Sundstrom, Cattle breeding specialist, NSW Agriculture.Ph: 02 6773 3555http://breedplan.une.edu.auTable 2: Examples of Multibreed EBVs for breed average stock.21

Producing Quality BeefDNA technologies - towards better genetic predictionAround the world, scientists are studyingthe genes and DNA of living organisms,and how they control life. In our industry,molecular geneticists are searching amongthe 40,000 pairs of genes in cattle for thosewhich control the important productive traits.DNA technologies resulting from this workhave many potential uses in the cattleindustry. They fall into two groupings,Genetic prediction and Phenotypic uses. TheBeef CRC has research involving several ofthese areas, but mainly in genetic prediction.Genetic predictionDNA technologies have great potential toimprove the genetics of seedstock herds,with flow-on to the commercial herds ofclients through better bulls. Small but verysignificant beginnings have been made inthis direction in Australia with the world’sfirst availability of gene marker tests forcommercial production traits.These technologies will be able to enhancethe accuracy of predicting mating outcomesthrough better EBVs and selection indices.Areas of genetic prediction potentiallyassisted by DNA research, include:• Parentage verificationBrian Sundstrom• Gene and gene marker assistedselection• Monitoring and avoiding inbreeding• Avoiding genetic disorders.Phenotypic usesPhenotypic uses are those describing acurrent group of cattle. For example:• Drafting at feedlot entry into groupsfor differential feeding according totheir marbling potential• Trace backs on live cattle or meat• Transgenics: This is expected tofirst be used for the production ofpharmaceuticals. Transgenic animalsmay also be possible in the future,by introducing genes from otherspecies, for example, to introducedisease resistance. The Beef CRC isnot working in this area.The CRC has a large and continuingDr Wang from the “Functional Genomics” project preparing sample plates formicroarray production.CRC research on DNA for genetic predictionmolecular genetics program. CRCresearchers have been closely involvedin finding the first genes identified toinfluence commercial production traits,and assisting to quantify their effects.The first three of these were commercialisedin 2002 and 2003 by GeneticSolutions Pty Ltd, as GeneSTAR ®Marbling and Tenderness (two tests).http://www.geneticsolutions.com.auWhile the finding of these first genes is avery important development, it must beremembered that many genes are likelyto be involved in the expression of mostcommercial traits.Current work by the CRC includessearching for more of the genes controllingmarbling and tenderness, as well as thoseinvolved with other meat quality traits, feedefficiency and tick resistance.There are several promising leads atvarious stages of investigation and/orcommercialisation. Figure 1 shows some ofthem, and indicates how gene markers areidentified and developed into commercialgene tests.The Beef CRC has databases with carcaseand performance records on manythousands of slaughter cattle of knowngenetics. Even though the cattle havebeen slaughtered long ago, this data is anenormous asset for the further developmentof gene marker tests. DNA samples havebeen kept for this purpose and are alsobeing used to test genes found by otherresearch groups.Most geneticists believe the key future roleof DNA in genetic prediction, will be bycomplementing existing programs such asBREEDPLAN. (Figure 2 shows the generalprinciples and Figure 3 specifically thecarcase traits).22

Producing Quality BeefFigure 1The process of developing genemarkers, and potential new markersin the gene discovery.Figure 2Gene marker data from tests in seedstockherds is being used by geneticists atthe Animal Genetics and BreedingUnit (AGBU) to develop new methodsof enhancing BREEDPLAN EBVs. Alimitation at present is obtaining full setsof this privately held information.Figure 3Schematic model of current data sourcesfor BREEDPLAN carcase EBVs andpotential addition of DNA data.23

Producing Quality BeefDoes selection for carcase traits affectfemale fertility or feed efficiency?CRC Northern Breeding ProgramDoes selection for meat quality, carcaseyield or feed efficiency affect fertilityand adaptation to harsh environments?The Beef CRC has a major project studyinglinks between the genetics of beef quality,feed efficiency and female reproductivefitness in northern Australia.Results from this trial will also provide thegenetic correlations, which will furtherstrengthen how BREEDPLAN calculatesfertility EBVs.The project is jointly funded by the BeefCRC, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA),and the Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research (ACIAR). There isan important component of the project inSouth Africa.Project participantsKey sponsors breeding calves for theproject are the Northern Pastoral Group(NPG) of Companies; Stanbroke, NAPCo,Consolidated Pastoral Co, AA Co, E & GMaynard, J McCamley, C. Briggs, KidmanHoldings and QDPI.The breeding program commenced in 2000with 4,800 calves to be generated over fouryears. Some 3,000 each Brahmans and RedComposite cows, have been joined to Sireshigh and low in Yield% and IMF% EBVsand with known gene marker profiles as wellas sires nominated by the industry partners.Steers are grown out at various locationsin NSW and Queensland. At around 420kg they go on feed for 110 days in the“Tullimba” research feedlot, until they24Heather Burrow and Brian Sundstrom.reach 320-340 kg carcase weight. They are thenprocessed for detailed carcase information.The genotypes of heifers are allocated acrossdifferent research station growout environments.These range from hot dry climates with no ticksand low worm burdens to dry tropics with hot,humid summers, unimproved to partly improvedspear-grass country with varying levels of tick,worm and buffalo fly burdens.ProgressUltrasound scanning is used to monitor ovarianactivity once heifers reach 200kg, to study factorsaffecting puberty. Figure 1 shows the type of imagefrom ovary scans. Progress has been amazing,considering the drought. The fourth, and last,calving was completed in summer 2002/03.Early resultsBefore releasing full results for projects such asthis, all the data must be collected and carefullyanalysed.Early results in heifers up to 2 years of age showstrong breed and environmental effects on ageand weight at puberty.Some generalised preliminary results show asignificant relationship between rump (but notrib) fat depth scanned at the start of joining, andsubsequent pregnancy. As expected from industryexperience in both northern and southernAustralia, the leaner females are showing lowerconception rates. This appears to happening inall classes of breeding females -lactating and nonlactating,and across different age groups.Current trends are for the composite lines to cycleat lower levels of fatness than the Brahmans.All cattle are also having flight time recorded.The steers are being tested for feed efficiency,then fully evaluated for meat quality. When thesteer results are combined with the flight timeand fertility data of related females, a betterunderstanding of the complex interactions will begained. This will be fed into the BREEDPLANmodel to allow studs and their clients to progresstheir herds in these areas.Ovary scans are used to monitorovarian activity and age of puberty.North AustralianPastoral Companyintegrates productionwith compositegenetics - John BertramThe North Australian PastoralCompany Pty Ltd (NAPCo)started in 1877 and comprises13 properties stretching from theBarkly Tablelands in the NorthernTerritory to the south westernQueensland channel countryand down to Roma. Across thiswide expanse the company runsapproximately 180,000 headof cattle that started with theShorthorn breed and now ispart of an extensive compositebreeding programme.Yard weaning has long been partof the company’s managementtools. However, the results ofstudies from the CRC haveenabled the company to introduceobjective measures for testingtemperament. Steve Millard, aGeneral Manager for NAPCo, said“Flight time testing has now beenintroduced into the recording oftemperament in animals destinedfor the stud breeding programmeto ensure docile animals and thedemonstrated link to superiorproduction traits”. He said“In addition, the company hasadopted the use of gene markertechnology to identify animalscarrying tenderness and marblingtraits necessary for their marketspecifications”.As part of the four composite studgroups, the company has devotedone whole group of about 400head to the northern CRC fertilityresearch project. This group willprovide further evidence of thefertility traits expressed in thecompany’s composite cattle aswell as genetic markers currentlybeing researched. Mr Millardsaid the company is conductinga genetic analysis for EBVs tofurther enhance their selectionopportunities in their compositebreeding program.More information:Steve Millard NAPCoPh: 07 3221 2266

Producing Quality BeefRegional growth path studies in southern environmentsBrian Sundstrom and John WilkinsBeef producers now have the chance tosee Beef CRC research being appliedcloser to home. Projects in four states areaiming to find the best combination ofgenetics and growth path to fit the localproduction environment and markets.There are four sites across southernAustralia, Struan in South Australia,Wagenup in Western Australia, Hamiltonin Victoria and Griffith in New SouthWales. They are each testing nutritionaloptions relevant to their region, allowinglines of steers of different genetic potential(for carcase type) to be grown at differentrates, and finished for various markets.The individual sites have varying endpoints, but are strongly linked by commonthemes in objectives, design, some geneticsand experimental resources.This split calving allows the Low growthgroup from one calving and the High groupfrom the following calving to come togetherfor finishing and slaughter. This is essentialfor valid comparison of performance andcarcase quality between groups.The experiment at Hamilton in WesternVictoria has a similar basic design. Someof the grass finished slaughter groups fromHamilton were processed at the sametime and at the same abattoir, furtherstrengthening links across project sitesIn 2003 the final NSW calving and firstslaughters took place, but considerabletime is still needed to collect and analyseall the grow out and slaughter data.Watch for results from your nearest“regional combinations” experiment asthey come through.For more information contact NSW: SteveExton 02 6938 1950; Vic: John Graham 035573 0908; SA: Mick Deland 08 8762 9160WA: Brian McIntyre 08 9368 3736NSW trial designThe NSW trial is briefly described here asan example, but we recommend you obtaininformation about your nearest site throughyour state department.The first two years were at “Bringagee”station near Griffith, but the droughtforced some of the cattle to be moved in2003 to NSW Agriculture research stationat Grafton.Groups of 500-700 Hereford cows wereinvolved at each of the 5 matings for Springand Autumn calving groups. These arebeing joined by AI to five carcase types,each represented by eight sires (40 total):-• Angus - High Yield % EBVs• Angus - High IMF % (marbling) EBVs• Angus - High Yield % and IMF % EBVsSteers exiting “Jindalee” feedlot near Wagga Wagga, just prior to processingat the Cargill works. • Wagyu Black and Wagyu Red• Charolais and LimousinAfter weaning, the steer progeny are grownout on pasture at either High or Low growthrate. Feed quality is managed so they reach(average) 400kg feedlot entry weight ateither 13 or 19 months of age, before theygo on to be finished for 100-150 days in acommercial feedlot.Design of growth path treatments for steers to reach target weights for feedlot entry (NSW site). Allanimals are treated the same until weaning, then follow fast or slow growth paths to feedlot entryat same group average liveweight. There will be four intakes with matching fast and slow treatmentgroups, after the initial “pilot” first intake.25

Producing Quality BeefFlight Time – a practical way to improve feedlotperformance, temperament and tendernessBob Gaden, Heather Burrow, Sharon Pettifordsimple measure of Flight Time hasA emerged from research by the BeefCRC as a particularly useful objectivegauge of temperament in cattle. Not onlycan it weed out the poor performers in afeedlot, but also it is practical to use in abreeding program to select quieter cattle,and to improve meat tenderness.Using flight time has another benefit too- the industry is becoming more consciousthat cattle with poor temperament pose ahigher risk of injury to both the animalsand the handler.How is temperament measured?An animal’s flight time is a measure of itstemperament. It is simply an electronicmeasure of the time taken for an animalto cover a small distance (about 1.6 metres)after leaving the crush (see Fig 1).Animals with a short flight time (say 0.4seconds) leave the crush faster and havepoorer temperament than animals with along flight time (say 1.5 seconds).The flight time measurement is quick,simple, objective, repeatable and heritable,meaning that you can effectively use asingle measure of flight time for selection.Flight time and feedlotperformanceThe Beef CRC has new evidence that poortemperament affects the profitability of afeedlot, because it lowers production andraises costs.In one feedlot experiment, the difference indaily weight gain between animals with thebest and worst temperaments was about 0.4 kgper day, amounting to 70 kg difference in liveweight at the end of the 85-day feeding period.The differences were remarkably consistentacross British and tropically adaptedbreeds. Steers with slow flight times (goodtemperaments) grew faster and had heaviercarcases than steers with poor temperaments(see Figures 2 and 3 page 28).The more docile animals had higher feedintakes and better feed conversion ratios(kg feed eaten per kg weight gain) than theirmore temperamental counterparts.‘Flight Time’ is the time taken between two electric beams on leaving the crush. It isa good measure of temperament. This steer is also fitted with equipment to transmitheart rate, temperature and respiration, used to monitor stress in other studies.In another experiment, CRC researchersstudied groups of cattle selected prior tofeedlot entry for high and low temperament.Nervous British breed (Angus x Herefordcross and Hereford) steers had significantlylower average daily gains and significantlyhigher levels of sickness. After 78 days onfeed, nervous animals had grown at 1.04kg/day compared to the 1.46 kg/day of thecalm animals, a difference of 0.42 kg/daybetween the groups.Not one of the calm animals was pulledfrom the feedlot pen for sickness, while42% of the nervous animals were taken tothe hospital pen at some time during thefeeding period. This is a strong indicationthat nervous animals have a highertendency to get sick than those animalswith a more relaxed nature.This indicates that the flight timemeasurement can be used to identify cattlewith the right temperament to achievemaximum feedlot performance.Using flight time to improve meatqualityThe Beef CRC has also discovered thatin tropical breeds, the simple measure offlight time is a powerful way to improvethe genetics of meat tenderness. There arealso indications it could have a smaller, butpositive potential role in temperate breeds.This is a major breakthrough, as measuringtenderness directly in breeding stock isalmost impossible.Flight Time – a useful measure of temperament• A low flight time (fast exit from the crush) indicates poor temperament, resulting inlower weight gains and poorer performance, compared to the more relaxed animal(slow exit from the crush) with a higher flight time.• Animals with a slow flight time (good temperament) grow faster in feedlots toachieve higher final weights and heavier carcases, with better feed conversionratios.• Measures for temperament are highly heritable and good genetic progress can beachieved by selection for this trait. You can improve temperament by selection andculling.• Some of the genes involved in temperament are the same as those influencingmeat tenderness. Animals with poor temperament (fast flight time) have a genetictendency to produce progeny whose beef is tougher.26

TraitCorrelationwith FlightTimeProducing Quality BeefIt works because there is a strong geneticcorrelation between flight time, and meattenderness. This means that as you select forquieter temperament in the herd, there is acorrelated response, which automaticallyimproves meat tenderness.Seedstock producers can easily measureflight time in their breeding stock. Oncesufficient records are sent to BREEDPLAN,they will be used to calculate EBVs in somebreeds, and this will help commercialbreeders select their bulls.Commercial producers can also use flight timefor selection or culling directly in their herds.Analysis of CRC data confirms that flighttime is moderately to highly heritable,indicating that if you select for it, you canmake good genetic progress in improvingtemperament.Animals with poor temperament, indicatedby fast flight times, tend to produce progenywhose beef is tougher than beef from theprogeny of quieter animals.Table 1. Genetic relationships between flight time at weaning and carcase and beefquality attributes of 3,594 Brahman, Belmont Red and Santa Gertudis animals.TraitCorrelationwith FlightTimeMeaningThe genetic correlations between flighttime at weaning and a number of carcaseand beef quality traits are shown in Table 1.In the CRC studies, cattle were handledregularly and carefully, especially prior toslaughter, and processed to strict standards.This was important, because Bos indicuscattle are known to be more sensitive toprocessing treatment, and this sensitivitycould be linked to the temperamentdifferences being studied.In this trial, there was very little differencein eating quality between the low andhigh flight speed animals themselves.This indicates that best practice handlingand processing can override the genetictendency for toughness and still produceacceptable beef.Retail beef yieldpercentage 0.11Intramuscular fatpercentage -0.05Striploin shear force -0.48Low correlation – cattle with low (fast)flight times (poor temperament) havea very small tendency to produceprogeny with lower retail yieldVery low correlation - the two arevirtually independent – flight time ofparents has very little influence onmarbling in their progenyCattle with lower flight times (poorertemperament) are very likely to breedprogeny with higher shear force(tougher beef)The real problem here is that this does notimprove the underlying genetics in the nextgeneration, and poor processing can stillproduce poor quality beef.Selection of cattle for improvedtemperament will go a long way toguaranteeing eating quality of cattle inthe existing herd and to improving eatingquality in future generations.The Limousin breed has been measuringdocility, a related measure, and usingit to produce BREEDPLAN EBVs fortemperament. This has been very successfulin producing measurable improvement(see below) It is quite likely BREEDPLANwill use docility score and flight time ascorrelated traits to improve the accuracy ofselection in some breeds.Striploin meat colour -0.18MSA MQ4 score 0.47MSA tenderness0.41scoreCattle with lower flight times maytend to breed progeny which haveslightly higher (darker) meat colourscoresCattle with lower flight times are verylikely to breed progeny which producelower meat quality scores (have poorereating quality)Cattle with lower flight times are verylikely to breed progeny which producelower tenderness scores (tougher meat)What is a geneticcorrelation?Genetic correlations indicate howstrong is the relationship between twotraits at the genetic (next generation)level. They range from -1.0 to +1.0 .A high correlation (positive ornegative) indicates that some ofthe genes controlling one trait alsocontrol the other. For example, thereis a strong genetic correlation betweenbirth weight and weaning weight.A zero relationship indicates the twotraits are independent of each other.27

Producing Quality BeefHow to use flight timeFor better feedlot performance:• Measure flight time at or beforefeedlot entry• Cull cattle with the worsttemperament, indicated by fastest(lowest) flight timesFor genetic improvement of temperamentand meat quality• Record flight times shortly afterweaning, early in life• Select cattle with slow (high) flighttimes• Cull animals with fast (low) flighttimes, and those which behavebadly in the crush• BREEDPLAN has indicated thatwhen sufficient data from studherds is submitted, EBVs can beproduced.Ruddweigh Australia Pty Ltd has developeda commercial prototype of the machineto allow breeders to easily measurean animal’s flight time on-property(www.ruddweigh.com.au).Further information: Heather Burrow,Rockhampton, Heather.Burrow@csiro.auor 07 4923 8139Using flight time to breed quieter cattleLimousin breeders have tested 17,000 animals since1995 to develop docility EBVs for their breed. TheseEBVs have allowed the Limousin breed to make geneticprogress for docility.Breeders have been using two subjective tests to measurethe flightiness of their animals. They are the crush test(scoring the behaviour of an animal when put into a crushusing a scale of 1-5) and yard test (scoring the behaviour ofan animal when put into a yard on their own and a handlerattempts to hold them in a corner). The flight time testwas used for the large herds when measuring equipmentwas available. All are measures of docility and are allcorrelated with each other.Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for docility for sires,dams and calves have been calculated using the all of thescores and pedigrees available from the past 7 years. Since2002 docility EBVs have been reported for sires, dams andcalves.Note there was very little change from 1990 to 1996 but as EBVs becameavailable, the average docility EBV has increased from +0.5 for 1996 borncalves to +4.4 for 2002 born calves.Further information: Alex McDonald, Australian Limousin BreedersSociety, Armidale, alex@limousin.com.au, 02 6771 1648Has the Limousin breed made geneticprogress?There has clearly been a big improvement in the averagedocility EBV of the 20 most widely used sires across thebreed. By following the average EBV for the calves borneach year we can track the genetic change for the breed.28

The science that underpins the BeefCRC’s program in Health and Welfarehas confirmed some things which practicalcattlemen have always believed, andhas broken new ground in the objectivemeasurement of welfare and behaviour.Not only has it confirmed strong linksbetween stress, meat quality and diseaseresistance, but studies on temperamenthave linked poor temperament with feedlotperformance and genetic factors causingmeat toughness.New techniques for measuring stress arebeing used to develop better pre-slaughtermanagement systems for industry, and afactual basis for describing the welfare ofcattle.Producing Quality BeefHealth and welfare research breaks new groundIan Colditz and Sharon PettifordThe significance of stress in cattleStress responses are defence reactions ofthe body to protect it against challenges likeextremes of weather, injury, and infection.They can be activated when animals aretransported, mixed with unfamiliar animalsor introduced to new surroundings. Stressreactions divert nutrients away from growthto defence of the body, and during the earlyphases, reduce immunity against disease.This is a particular problem as cattleenter feedlots, as they have usuallybeen transported, introduced to a newenvironment and mixed with unfamiliaranimals, some of which may be carriersof infectious viruses. These stresses leadto an increased risk of infections such asrespiratory disease.The first objective of the Health andWelfare Program was therefore to improvethe general standard of health of cattlekept under intensive management systems,especially by finding ways to reduce theincidence of respiratory disease. This workhas given us a better understanding of thestressors that weaken disease resistance andreduce meat quality.Community attitudes towards animals, andnotions of what constitutes good livestockwelfare, continue to change. QualityAssurance schemes such as CATTLECAREand the National Feedlot AccreditationScheme (NFAS) include animal welfarestandards and in some cases this is beingextended to product labelling. Foreseeingthese trends, the CRC program has beendeveloping measures of acceptable animalScientists at the Beef CRC’s Tullimba Feedlot observing the behaviour ofcattle after mixing at different times before slaughter.welfare for the intensive beef industry.Objective criteria are important, as manyperceptions of animal welfare are driven byemotion and media images.Measuring strength of theimmune system in cattleA series of tests was developed by the CRCto study how various stressors affect theimmune system of cattle. For instance,a study at Grafton on supplementingcows and creep feeding calves found thatsupplementing calves strengthened theirimmune system.Associations between yardweaning, temperament andfeedlot performanceBefore the CRC began, the problem ofrespiratory disease in feedlot cattle had beenidentified in a Meat Research Corporationsurvey. Following this work, Lloyd Fell andcolleagues at NSW Agriculture examinedthe benefits of yard weaning southerncattle, in terms of their feedlot performance(refer article “Yard Weaning Feeder Cattle”page 32).They found that calves weaned in yards forfive to ten days at a density of four squaremetres per head and fed good quality haygrew at around 0.1 kg per head per dayfaster and had less disease problems duringfeedlot finishing. The financial benefit ofyard weaning (early 1990’s) was estimated tobe $33 per head during feedlot finishing.This study was extended within the BeefCRC to examine associations betweentemperament and feedlot performance (seepage 26). Nervous cattle with fast flighttimes had higher levels of the stress hormonecortisol, poorer growth (1.04 v 1.46 kg/head/day) and more health problems than quietcattle with slow flight times.Yard weaned cattle had more socialinteractions with other cattle in the feedlotpen than did paddock weaned cattle andwere more robust to the challenge ofdisease following feedlot entry.Effect of mixing unfamiliar cattleon feedlot performance and meatqualityHereford and Angus steers being finishedfor 70 days at ‘Tullimba’ were mixed four,two or one week before slaughter andcompared with unmixed control cattle.Mixing did not influence feed intake,average daily gain (ADG) or physiologicalmeasures of stress responses .Testing revealed that meat was slightlytougher in the cattle mixed one week beforeslaughter. The positive correlation betweenflight time and blood cortisol (r 2 =0.27) seenin these cattle suggests that feedlot animalswith fast flight times have more active stress29

Producing Quality Beefresponse pathways than docile animalsand would be more susceptible to stress.Effect of acute pre-slaughterstress on meat qualityThe effect of acute stress in the last 15minutes before slaughter on meat qualitywas examined (refer Meat Sciencearticles, page 7). Six to eight prods withan electric goad resulted in meat of lowerquality in the four criteria assessed byconsumers in a MSA tasting panel, incomparison with cattle handled quietlywhen moved from lairage (abattoir yards)to the knocking box.Indices of animal welfare for theintensive beef industryStudies by CSIRO and NSW Agriculturehave concluded that to assess welfareof cattle, it is best to use behaviouralassessments in combination with bloodtests to measure activation of the stresshormone pathway and immune function.Key Health & Welfare messages1. 80% of illnesses which occur in the feedlot happen in the first 30-40 days on feed2. Health and growth rate of cattle during feedlot finishing is improved by yard weaning3. Quiet cattle grow faster and have fewer health problems during feedlot finishing4. Flight time is correlated with average daily gain during feedlot finishing5. Adaptability of cattle to new environments (eg the feedlot) can be improvedby both genetic selection for flight time and husbandry practices such as yardweaning6. Cattle with fast flight times can lose more weight during long distance transport(eg 1500km)7. Mixing unfamiliar steers of similar weight and in similar proportions during thelast week of feedlot finishing can lead to tougher beef. Mixing earlier does notappear to affect meat quality.8. Acute stress in the last 15 minutes before slaughter results in meat of lowerquality. This effect is invisible in the meat.9. Avoid exposing cattle to multiple stressors at the one time if possible10. Skills and objective criteria are being developed to assess the welfare status ofcattle in Australian production systemsCurrent ResearchThe concluding phase of health andwelfare research within the CRC isexamining:• The neurophysiological basisof the behavioural responsesassociated with flight time incattle• Better predictors of how cattle willrespond to stress• Associations between stressresponsiveness and growth rate• Effect of holding time beforeslaughter at the abattoir on meatquality• Interactions betweentemperament, handling practicesand performance in Bos indicuscross cattle• Biochemical basis of the effect ofacute pre-slaughter stress on meatqualityFurther information: Sharon Pettiford,Beef CRC, Phone 02 6773 5033 or IanColditz, CSIRO Livestock Industries,Locked Bag 1, Post Office, Armidale,NSW 2350, Phone 02 6776 1460ian.colditz@csiro.auLow stress feedlot environment; healthy, happy cattle.30

Mount Eugene is a commercially focusedBelmont Red, Bonsmara and Senepolstud operating commercially since 1969.The commercial herd demonstrates thefunctionality of these cattle in a sub tropicalenvironment and the many wins in carcasecompetitions is a testimony to the versatility ofthese cattle for domestic and export JapaneseB1 market.The BIA “Seedstock Producer of the Year”award in 1998 is a clear recognition of thedemonstrated success of Geoff Maynard inapplying progressive beef technologies.Mt. Eugene has been integral with thedevelopment of BREEDPLAN in thetropical environment using Belmont Redcattle since 1992. Geoff has recorded andused selection for growth EBVs, fertilityand carcase scan measures as part of theproperty’s everyday management.Mt. Eugene supplied approx 20 bulls for thenorthern crossbreeding project conductedat Duckponds. In addition, the propertyhas supplied approximately 1,000 steers andheifers representing over 30 sires, makingProducing Quality BeefInnovative breeding at Mount EugeneJohn Bertramthem one of the major herds supplyingtropically adapted steers for the growthpathway feeding trials at Tullimba feedlot.As a result of information obtained in theCRC studies, Geoff said “we were ableto identify for our clients specific linesof cattle for their particular markets, forexample, higher marbling.” In the latestCRC project, Mt. Eugene co-operated withThe Halbestaters from Mandalay to supplyapproximately 250 progeny to be evaluatedfor fertility traits in the far northernenvironments, in addition to feed efficiencytrials now being conducted at Tullimba,with a composite Belmont Red mix.The fertility trials using younger heifers indiffering northern environments are of greatinterest to Geoff. He has incorporated some ofthe AI results gained using different productsin the large artificial breeding programs atDuckponds during the 90’s. Geoff firmlybelieves in the greater productivity conferredby African derived breeds in the north wherethe beneficial influence on fertility rates willprovide the greatest effect on profitability thatthe north can expect.“Yard weaning has always been part of themanagement strategy at Mt. Eugene but theincorporation of grain into a backgroundingration has followed the CRC results” Geoffsaid. “I am keen to review results of thefeed efficiency trials at Tullimba, and toutilise any possible applications to ourbreeding program”.Mt. Eugene has extensively used theDNA gene marker technologies forboth tenderness and marbling traits.Geoff believes in utilising the GeneStartechnology as an adjunct for selectingmarbling to supply to the domesticmarket. “In this operation, ‘fertility isking’”, he said, “but the addition of a lowlevel of marbling is beneficial to the eatingquality standards.”Mt. Eugene is aiming for tropical adaptationwith long-term genetic gain through thecombination of superior genetics fromseveral genotypes.More information: Geoff MaynardPh: 07 4996 5233Geoff Maynard (left) at Mt Eugene in 1998, shortly after winning the BIA Seedstock Competition of the Year. Heis pictured here with Danny Wilkie, Objective Livestock Marketing, National President of the Beef ImprovementAssociation at the time.31

Producing Quality BeefHow can I add value to my feedercattle? Through some relativelysimple, low cost strategies, beef producerscan increase returns from their feederoperation. This is primarily by supplyingcattle that will perform better in feedlots.The benefits are two-fold — improvedgrowth rate and reduced sickness.Feedlots are increasingly offering pricepremiums for cattle that have been ideallyprepared.By understanding and applying optimalmanagement strategies, feeder cattleproducers are in a stronger position tonegotiate a better price for their calves.Many feedlots now have a preferredsupplier policy. They are reducingtheir intake of cattle with unknownbackgrounds, largely due to the associateduncertainty with their performance andhealth.Why are there differences?Cattle consigned to feedlots areconfronted with a variety of physical andpsychological challenges and experiences.They are transported, inducted throughyards and crushes, mixed with strangestock from different origins and exposed toa variety of stressors and infectious agents.Their capacity to handle these challengeshas a big impact on how they perform.Growth rate and sickness are two keyissues for feedlots with respiratory diseasesbeing the biggest health concern. Cattleare most likely to suffer from respiratorydisease and poor weight gain if they arestressed before and during the first fewweeks in the feedlot. Smooth, low stressadaptation to the feedlot environment isvery important. It is critical that feedercattle have the social and immunecapacity to adapt quickly and easily to thefeedlot environment.Yard weaning feeder cattleSharon PettifordGuidelines for yard weaning:• Well built weaner proof yardswith good quality water• Pen stocking density of 4 squaremetres per head for 180–260 kgcalves• Round bale feeder with goodquality hay or silage each day• Kept in yards for 5–10 days• Some human presence each day.Walk through and around theyards• Reasonably sloped, non bogsurface• Solid opaque pen sides madefrom 1.2m rubber belting(optional)To be healthy and profitable a feedersteer has to:• Get onto feed and water quickly inthe feedlot• Have strong resistance againstrespiratory disease• Adapt easily to the initial social/psychological and metabolic stressinvolved with getting onto feed• Achieve good feed conversionefficiency and weight gain• Accept vehicles, people and horsesnearby at all times• Not suffer from foot abscesses etc.What does yard weaning involve?Weaning is a critical learning time forcattle. The process of confining calves ina yard for 5–10 days after they have beenweaned from their mothers does severalthings. It encourages social interactionin a confined environment (similar to afeedlot) and exposes them to a variety ofexternal stressors, such as vehicles, peopleand yard noises. They become used tothese and are subsequently less stressedwhen they enter a feedlot. The benefits ofthe simple procedure of yard weaning areprincipally realised during the feedlot stageof production due to the learned responsesat weaning.Do pre-feedlot vaccinations help?In this trial, experimental pre-feedlotvaccinations against bovine respiratorydiseases (BRD) produced better liveweightgain and reduced sickness (Figures 1 and2). The combination of yard weaning andvaccination is optimal, with up to 8%better growth rates due to vaccinations.This result indicated that there was a needto develop new vaccines, which were notavailable commercially at the time.Since then, new vaccines for IBR,Pestivirus & BRD have been developedand commercialised.Optimal yard weaning – what arethe benefits?In the MRC project (DAN.069) describedbelow, calves were either (a) weaned in apaddock; (b) yard weaned with minimalWhat’s important?Pre-feedlot preparation is the key. Cattleproducers can significantly improve theperformance of feeder cattle going intofeedlots by following a simple pre-feedlotprogram involving yard-weaning and prefeedlotrespiratory disease vaccination.32Yard weaning is a simple way to prepare cattle for adjustment to life later on in afeedlot. For maximum effectiveness, they should be confined closely and fed goodquality hay or silage.

Producing Quality Beefhandling or (c) yard trained — which was thesame as yard weaning with some extra handlingand feeding of grain in a trough. A vaccinationtreatment was imposed across the three againstBRD. Calves were run in commercial feedlotsover three years and their feedlot gain andsickness levels recorded (see charts).Yard weaning at high density resulted insignificant increases in performance, whencompared to paddock weaned calves. The yardweaned and yard trained cattle had a higherweight gain. The yard weaned, vaccinatedgroup gained an average of 1.53 kg/daycompared to 1.28 kg/day for the paddockweaned, unvaccinated control group. Theserepresent the top and bottom performance.Best results were achieved by combining yardweaning and pre-feedlot vaccination for BRD.Increasing returns from feeder cattleVaccinated, yard weaned calves settled ontofeed faster and grew faster over the 90 dayfeeding period than the paddock weanedcalves. In one year they grew 60% faster in thefirst month on feed.The proportion of yard weaned cattle pulledbecause of sickness was less than half that of thepaddock weaned animals. Yard weaning andcorrect vaccination will maximise the chanceof calves performing well.performance. Feedlots will buy your cattle again and/or pay a higher price if they areconfident of the performance potential.The bottom lineIs pre-feedlot preparation cost effective? The best groups of feeder cattle are those thatare socially established at yard-weaning. The worst are those animals that are throwntogether from multiple sources at feedlot induction. For technologies to be pickedup by producers they must be effective, simple to apply, cost effective and not overlylabour intensive.For more informationNSW Agriculture Website: http://www.agric.nsw.gov.auMRC Project DAN.069 May 1997 “Reducing Feedlot Costs by Pre-boosting: A tool toimprove the health and adaptability of feedlot cattle”. Available from MLA.In trials over threeyears, Yard weaned(YW) and Yard trained(YT) cattle performedbetter than paddockweaned (PW) cattlein the first 90 dayson feed. Addingvaccination to eachtreatment (YW-V,YT-V and PW-V)further improved theirperformance.YW-VYWYT-VYTPW-VPW1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6Daily gain (Kg/day)Key benefitsBy preparing your cattle optimally, it is possibleto achieve:• Cattle that start gaining weight soonerin the feedlot• Lower livestock health costs due to lesssick pulls in the feedlot• Less deaths and sub-clinical respiratorydisease in the feedlotYard Weaned andYard Trained cattlewere healthier inthe feedlot thanPaddock Weanedcattle. A mixedgroup of commercialcattle (Comm) fromsaleyards had amuch higher rate ofmorbidity (sickness).• A higher proportion of finished stockmaking the higher priced target market• Higher growth rates can mean reducedtimes to finish cattle with big feed costsavingsAfter 90 dayson feedImprovementin GrossMargin ($/head)Additional Costs($/head)Estimate ofAdded Value($/head)• Higher growth rates also mean increasedthroughput per annum for the feedlot• A negotiated premium for your preparedfeeder cattle with your feedlot buyerMarket access is the other benefit. Feedlotsare great keepers of records, and repeatpurchases are strongly influenced by previousYard Weaningwith hay or silagefor 10 daysYard Weaningplus pre-feedlotvaccination$30.50 $5.00 $25.00$33.00 $15.00 (estimate) $18.0033

Producing Quality BeefDo environmental stressors affect the growth of feedlot cattle?The susceptibility of individual cattleto stressors varies, as do most traitsproducers can measure. Previous CRCresearch has highlighted the variationbetween cattle in the temperament traitflight time, and has shown that there arestrong associations between flight time,meat quality and growth rate. These arebeing used to estimate EBVs for flighttime in BREEDPLAN.The physiological basis of a temperamenttrait like flight time is a complex issueunder research in CRC. Temperamentmay affect the sensitivity of an animal tostressors such as the intensity of animalIan Colditzto animal interactions that occurs in thefeedlot environment.In a recent study we examined theassociations between a number ofphysiological measures and growth rate in210 Hereford and Angus steers during 70days finishing at ‘Tullimba’. Growth ratein the feedlot was significantly affected bybreed, flight time, blood cortisol (a stresshormone), white blood cell count andhaemoglobin.To further extend our understandingof how stressors affect growth rates,Lysandra Slocombe, a Beef CRC PhDscholar is examining haptoglobin levelsin these cattle.Haptoglobin is a host defence proteinproduced in the liver of animals duringstress and immune responses. Whenanimals produce it, they are divertingnutrients away from muscle growth to thesynthesis of defence proteins in the liver.It is of particular interest in studies onthe effects of stress on growth. We awaitthe outcome of Lysandra’s analyses withinterest.Further Information: Ian Colditz orLysandra Slocombe 02 6776 1460New cattle vaccines boost feedlot performance and herd fertilityBovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is thebiggest cause of sickness and mortality inAustralian feedlots. When NSW Agriculturedemonstrated that experimental vaccinescould provide good protection, money wasinvested through the Beef CRC to developand commercialise vaccines to combatrespiratory disease.As a result of this work, two vaccines havebeen commercialised and another isexpected on the market shortly. These willprotect against three of the main diseaseswhich make up the BRD complex.• A vaccine against the agentthat causes infectious bovinerhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine herpesvirus 1 (Rhinogard, commercialisedand distributed by Q-Vax) hasbeen available in Australia since13 November 2000, and is used infeedlots• A new vaccine against pestivirus(Pestigard, available through CSLAnimal Health) was released inSeptember 2003. This has significantbenefits to both breeding herds and tofeedlots• A vaccine for one of the majorinfectious agents causing bovinerespiratory disease, Mannheimia(Pasteurella) haemolytica, is almostready for commercial release andwill have its main application inbackgrounding prior to feedlot entry.34Sharon Pettiford and Bob GadenWhat is Bovine RespiratoryDisease?Various surveys have identified BRD ascausing between 50% and 90% of sicknessand death in Australian feedlot cattle.Respiratory disease is estimated to cost ourcattle industry $60m a year.The most common pathogens seen in theBRD complex in Australian are InfectiousBovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus, BovineViral Diarrhoea (BVD, or pestivirus) virus,PI3 virus and bacterial pathogens includingMannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurellamultocida and Haemophilus somnus.BRD is now understood to be a complexdisease involving many contributing factors,which combine to produce a severe, oftenfatal, pneumonia.Cattle likely to be affected by BRD haveusually been exposed to a wide variety ofstresses such as weaning, transport, weatherextremes, dust, dietary changes, handling andco-mingling as they pass through saleyardsand are inducted into feedlots. This processalso increases the likelihood of being exposedto a number of respiratory pathogens such asRSV, IBR and PI3 viruses.All of the above combine to reduce theanimal’s natural defence mechanisms,allowing dangerous bacteria such as M.haemolytica to become established in thelung and ultimately give rise to BRD. BRDusually occurs within the first 3 to 4 weeksof entry to the feedlot.Prevention of BRDPrevention of BRD is best achieved throughsound management practices combinedwith vaccination.Management practices should aim toreduce stress in cattle, smooth theirtransition into the feedlot environmentand limit their exposure to dangerousrespiratory pathogens at times when theyare particularly vulnerable. Good practicesinclude avoiding saleyards, implementingyard weaning and backgrounding prior tofeedlot entry.Vaccination for BRD using newly releasedvaccines is another good managementstrategy that can further reduce theincidence of BRD.Pestigard vaccineWhat is Pestivirus?Pestivirus, also known as Bovine ViralDiarrhoea (BVD), is a highly infectiousdisease, common throughout Australia.The presence of Pestivirus in your herdcan result in reduced conception ratesand abortion. It also suppresses the naturalimmune system in cattle, and makes themmuch more susceptible to other diseases,particularly during periods of stress, such asat feedlot entry.When breeding cattle are exposed toBovine Pestivirus for the first time during

Producing Quality Beefpregnancy, they may experience earlyembryonic loss, abortion, or term deliveryof abnormal and/or small calves. This cancut fertility rates by 30-50% in a newlyexposed naive (non immune) cow herd.Some foetuses can become persistentlyinfected in utero from exposure duringthe first third of pregnancy. These animalsare referred to as “carriers” or “persistentlyinfected” calves.Persistently infected animals survivewith difficulty and are unthrifty. Theyconstantly shed the virus, acting as a sourceof infection for other cattle throughout theirusually shortened life (up to 1-2 years).Virus spreadThe virus is shed by persistently infectedanimals in their saliva, nasal secretions,faeces, urine, milk and semen, and is thentransmitted to other cattle, most commonlyby direct contact. Close contact betweencattle increases the risk of transmission.In low stress situations, such as on pasture,animals can become infected with pestiviruswithout developing any signs of illness.Infection poses a risk to female cattle (thatis, to their unborn offspring) only if their firstexposure to a persistently infected animaloccurs during the joining period.Pestivirus in naïve steers exposed to a carrieris also a major factor predisposing cattle toinfection with other viruses and bacteria.In combination, these can appear as BRDcomplex. Mixing of mobs containing apestivirus carrier allows this to happen,especially at saleyards or feedlot induction.VaccinationTony Shannon and colleagues at NSWAgriculture have developed a vaccineagainst pestivirus based on an Australianisolate of the virus. This vaccine wascommercially launched as Pestigard inSeptember 2003.An animal showing signs of Bovine Respiratory Disease.Active immunisation against Pestivirus in acow herd and its replacement heifers willdecrease the incidence of reproductiveloss and of carrier or persistently infectedcalves.Active immunisation of weaner steers willhelp cattle adapt to their first month in afeedlot by helping reduce BRD.Who should use Pestigard?Cow Calf ProducerVaccination of your breeding herd isrecommended, as testing for the disease is2 to 4 times more expensive than the cost ofthe vaccination on a per animal basis. Toprotect against pestivirus, Pestigard vaccineshould be administered to your:• Heifers: 6-8 weeks pre-joining withthe second dose 4-6 weeks later.An annual pre-joining boosterthereafter• Cows: 2-4 weeks pre-joiningproviding they have been previouslyvaccinated, otherwise follow therequirement for heifers above• First season or new season bulls: 6-8weeks pre-joining and the seconddose 4-6 weeks afterwards, withannual booster thereafter• Bulls previously vaccinated: anannual booster 2-4 weeks prejoining.BackgroundersPestigard should be administered to yoursteers that are being backgrounded forfeedlot entry 6-8 weeks before feedlot entrywith the second dose to be administered atleast 2 weeks prior to feedlot entry.Rhinogard vaccineWhat is Rhinogard?Rhinogard is a live intranasal vaccine for thecontrol of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis(IBR), one of the major causes of the bovinerespiratory disease complex (BRD) infeedlot cattle. Treatment with Rhinogardcan have a beneficial effect on live weightgains and feed conversion ratios.35

Producing Quality BeefWho should use Rhinogard?Rhinogard is a one-dose vaccine. Because it produces nasal mucosalimmunity very quickly, it is suited for use on entry to the feedlot.Intervet’s Mannheimia haemolytica vaccineWithin the CRC, Chris Prideaux and colleagues at CSIRO LivestockIndustries (CLI) Geelong developed a conventional (killed)vaccine, which will help prevent respiratory disease associated withMannheimia haemolytica (M. haemolytica) infection in feedlotcattle. Mannheimia haemolytica infection is a major componentof the Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) complex.Extensive registration trials have been conducted, and the vaccineis now in the final stages of approval by the Australian Pesticides andVeterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The vaccine has alreadybeen successfully used in a limited number of commercial feedlotsunder the APVMA permit system.Who should use Intervet’s Mannheimia haemolyticavaccine?When the vaccine becomes available, producers and backgrounderswho are preparing their animals for feedlot entry should ideallyvaccinate prior to feedlot entry during a backgrounding phase. Thesecond dose can be given 2-3 weeks prior to entry or at induction.Acknowledgments:The following people provided the technical information for thisarticle: Dr Keith Walker NSW Agriculture Ph: 02 4640 6371;Dr R Griff Dalgleish, Marketing Manager, Intervet AustraliaPh: 03 9336 9800; Dr Peter Young QDPI/Q-Vax Ph: 0409 593 093A healthy profitable feedlot steer is one that has been yardweaned, vaccinated against BRD during backgroundingand goes onto feed and water immediately upon entry intothe feedlot.Table 1 Summary of vaccine recommendationsVaccine Who should use it Benefit Recommended use*Pestigard®BreederBackgrounderHerd fertilityStronger diseaseresistance in herd and infeedlot2 doses for heifers and new bulls beforejoining, annual booster before joining2 doses, the second 2-3 weeks beforefeedlot entryLess susceptible to BRD;stronger immune statusRhinogard® Feedlot Less susceptible to BRD At feedlot inductionMannheimiahaemolyticavaccine**BackgrounderFeedlotLess susceptible to BRD2 doses, the second 2-3 weeks beforefeedlot entry or at induction* If you supply cattle to particular feedlot(s), discuss your vaccination plans with the livestock manager or buyer. While the vaccines arenew and experience is being gathered, their preferred vaccination practices may change.** At December 2003, this vaccine is in the final stages of approval before release.36

New knowledge generated by the BeefCRC about growth and nutrition hasbig implications for the people who breed,grow, finish and trade cattle, and for thosewho use the carcases to meet customerneeds for meat quality.We have a new understanding of howgrowth rate early in life can significantlyeffect subsequent growth rate, carcaseyield and meat quality.Producing Quality BeefGrowth program studies carry over effectsThe CRC’s nutrition experiments havebeen very powerful because they havebeen overlayed on the 9,000 head corebreeding program, where all cattle wereclosely monitored from their genetic originthrough to their ultimate meat quality.This has enabled scientists to separate andmeasure the different effects of geneticsand nutrition along the way.How the work was doneFor example, to examine the effect ofgrowth rate during backgrounding (fromweaning to the start of the finishing phase),the incoming weaners were split into threeequal groups. Grazing for each group wasmanaged so they had fast, medium or slowgrowth rates.After the backgrounding trial period,as each group reached its target feedlotentry weight, it was then halved equallyfor finishing either on pasture or in thefeedlot.When the slaughter and meat qualityanalysis was complete, it was then possibleto answer many questions about cause andeffect. For example:• Did fast backgrounding growthproduce more marbling in thefinished product compared to slowbackgrounding growth?• Do cattle with slowerbackgrounding growth catch upin the feedlot? Is this likely to bemore profitable for the feedlotthan fast backgrounding growth?Bob GadenThe articles on pattern of growth (Page 38)and marbling (page 40) contain the mainmessages for producers from this work.Feedlot nutritionThe main point of interest for the CRC wasto see if feedlot nutrition could enhancethe expression of marbling. This would addvalue to our export beef products, especiallyto Japan.Several approaches were studied, includinga protected lipid product (Rumentek®) andgrain processing methods. There appear tobe no magic ways to enhance marbling.The basic principles are to use the rightgenetics and feed a grain-based diet.For more about marbling see page 40.Details of feedlot work are outside thescope of this publication.Current and future researchIn practice, there is wide variation inpattern of growth, carcase yield and meatquality in commercial cattle. Genetics maydetermine their potential, but nutrition andother factors influence how their potentialdevelops and is expressed.A project presently under way may helpexplain why some cattle perform muchbetter than others. It is looking at theearlier stages of life, to see how nutrition inpregnancy and soon after birth affects latergrowth, carcase yield, marbling and othermeat quality traits.Perhaps there are critical points whennutrition can trigger more marblingpotential, or a higher proportion of muscletissue. Likewise, there could be key timeswhen a shortage of nutrition destroys someof their potential.In future this knowledge could lead tostrategies for producers to maximise thevalue and potential of their cattle. Forexample, a breeder of high quality feedersteers for the Japanese market may oneday be able to feed a supplement at criticaltimes during early life to enhance thedevelopment of marbling.• Does fast backgrounding growthproduce meat that is more tenderafter they are finished in a feedlot?Is it different if they are finishedon pasture?The Beef CRC has improved our understanding of how early growth affectsgrowth at later stages of life, carcase yield and meat quality. Studies on preandpost birth growth restrictions are continuing.37

Producing Quality BeefPattern of growth can affect your profitPeter Dundon and Hutton OddyWhy is growth rate important?Have you ever wondered how the pattern ofgrowth and nutrition affects the type of thecattle you produce?Growth at two key stages in an animal’sdevelopment can influence your ability tomeet market specifications and thereforeaffect your profitability. These are:• a significant growth “check”(orrestriction) before or after weaning• backgrounding growth rates prior tofeedlot entryIt’s important to understand how thesegrowth effects work and where the criticalpoints exist. You can then make managementdecisions that optimise cattle performanceand enhance your market access.What is a growth check?Many producers think of a growth check interms of a percentage reduction in growthrate, but the concept is best defined incellular terms.An animal has a set rate of cell developmentthat is dictated by the genes, the nutrientsupply and the disease status. When arestriction occurs that has a long term effecton cell development, this constitutes agrowth check.Cattle may arrive at a particular weightthrough various growth patterns, but theconsequences of growth patterns on carcasecomposition differ, depending on the timingand extent of prior nutrition.Practical implicationsSpecifications for feedlot entry requireanimals to be a minimum weight andmaximum age.They usually also include other specificationslike fatness, frame size and breed.Managing cattle to target weight and fatthickness can be easier if you have a goodunderstanding of the effects of previousgrowth and nutrition (Figure 1) upon futuregrowth and development.What sort of differences matter?It is difficult to define this exactly, but thefollowing examples will give you some idea:1. 300kg cattle growing at 1.3 kg/day, andgrowth drops to 0 kg/day for 6 weeks —growth check is after the critical point ofaround 180 - 250kg. No significant long-38term effect would be expected - exceptmarbling is likely to be reduced.2. A growth check to 0 kg/day before 180kgwould start to substantially influence bodycomposition. If returned to good feed,re-growth would be slower. When thesecattle are finished they would be lighterand fatter. If it occurred after 300kg, theywould experience compensatory growth.3. Cattle growing at 0.4 kg/day. This is aserious growth check already. There islittle scope for growth to go down furtherand the sooner you can move it up, thebetter off the animal’s long term prognosiswill be.So there is no single percentage reductionthat defines a growth check. It dependson when you start and how severe thegrowth check is.Early versus late growth checkWhether a growth restriction is “early inlife” or “later in life” changes at around180 - 250kg liveweight, which is usuallyaround weaning time.• If the check occurs before 180 – 250kgyou end up with fatter & less efficientcattle to finish. Upon re-feeding, musclegrowth may not catch up and laying downof fat may start earlier than normal.• If it occurs after 180 - 250kg you end upwith leaner & more efficient cattle tofinish. Upon re-feeding, muscle usuallycatches up and laying down of fat may bedelayed.Making it all workIdentify the key principles that affect youroperation and keep it simple.• If the restriction occurs early in life, theeffect is usually permanent, and greaterthan if the restriction occurs later in life.• With EARLY restriction and recoveryin cattle, these will be fatter at the sameweight as well grown cattle.• With LATE restriction and recovery inwell grown cattle, these will be leaner atsame weight as well grown cattle.If you are supplying the B3 Japanese highmarbling market, higher growth duringbackgrounding is desirable in order to getthe best marbling, but remember marblingpotential is governed by genes.If you are supplying the domestic highyield & low fat market, lower growth duringbackgrounding is desirable for the lotfeeder.These cattle grow faster in the feedlot.If you are a grass finisher and this year’scattle grow very slowly under 180kg andthen go back onto “good feed” afterwards,they’re likely to be fatter than usual whenthey finish. For example, this could meanthat this year’s mob would exceed the fatspecification at 450kg when they’re ready forWoolworths compared with last year’s cattlethat grew pretty well to the same weight ongood feed.Key benefitsAs a beef producer, you can benefitby understanding the carryover effectfrom good or poor nutrition. You cananticipate the effect it will have on latergrowth performance and their potentialto reach market specifications for weightand fat depth.You can decide if you should take steps tofill the feed gaps. Some stages are moreimportant than others in an animal’s lifetimegrowth and development. The marketyou’re supplying will largely determinewhether or not it’s viable to supply extra feedto fill significant growth gaps.One of the keys is to use a selling methodthat will reward you for yourtrouble. You can do this byeither• Retaining ownershipof the cattle yourself through toslaughter, or• establishing arelationship with a feedlot orprocessor that understands andacknowledges the benefits ofcontinuous growth.Cattle that were restricted early inlife grew out to be fatter and thoserestricted later in life were leaner.

Producing Quality BeefEarly weaning and subsequent growthHutton OddyIn northern Australia, early weaning (atthree to four months of age) is carriedout to increase reproductive rate of thecow herd. But if early weaners are not fedenough, they may be significantly older atturn-off than normally weaned cattle.John Lindsay at Queensland Departmentof Primary Industries Swan’s LagoonResearch Station, has investigated theperformance of early weaned, Bos indicustypecalves. His aim was to find theoptimum level of supplement needed toachieve 420 kg feedlot entry, taking intoaccount the subsequent performance of thecattle in feedlots.These results indicate that early weaners ona low plane of nutrition (approx 0.4 kg/daygrowth rate) in their first dry season:• can take four months longer toreach feedlot entry weight thanweaners on medium or high postweaning feeding regime• may grow slower in the feedlot• usually don’t recover their ability togain weight normally• have a greater variation in theweight of their carcase• produce tougher meat.Feeding to achieve a medium growth rate(0.6 kg/day) in the first dry season is likely tobe the most cost-effective strategy.Treatment Age to reach420 kgFeedlotgain (kg/d)Proportion in carcase weight class

Producing Quality BeefThere are many myths surroundingmarbling in beef cattle – how itdevelops; how do you increase it; whateffect does it have upon eating quality andwhy do we need to worry about it. The BeefCRC has done some world class researchthat offers tips for beef producers.The facts on marblingPeter DundonMarbling is defined as fat within themuscle of cattle. It is included in the MeatStandards Australia (MSA) beef gradingscheme and is visually assessed usingcertified standards by trained graders. It isimportant because it contributes to flavour,juiciness & tenderness and some of ourexport markets pay hefty price premiumsfor it.The major market for marbled beef isJapan. Australian consumers purchasingmeat in supermarkets tend to shy awayfrom highly marbled beef and are far more“fat sensitive” than Japanese consumers.Remember, Japan’s per capita consumptionof beef is roughly a sixth of Australia’s 40kg.So, what influences the development ofmarbling? Marbling develops readily inanimals with the right genetics, when giventhe right nutrition.Without the genetic potential, cattle willnot develop marbling no matter how long,or how well you feed them, but what youfeed them does matter.The higher the net energy level in the diet- the better the chances are of achievinghigher levels of marbling. Grain isgenerally much better than pasture dueto its higher energy levels. This is whythe majority of marbled cattle targeted forJapan, are finished in feedlots.It’s important to remember that what thecattle eat prior to entering the feedlot hasa large effect upon how the cattle grow anddevelop in the feedlot.Cattle that have been on poor nutritionprior to feedlot entry generally have lessmarbling at slaughter than those thathave had good nutrition. So it’s importantto ensure that young cattle don’t suffersignificant growth setbacks.CRC research has confirmed that geneticrankings for marbling generally hold overa range of nutritional treatments. That is,animals will rank the same for marbling,whether they are finished on grass or grain.The general belief has been that marblingis a late maturing trait. This is not so. CRCresearch has proved that intramuscular fatdevelops at the same rate as other fat depotsin the body. Because of this, it is difficult40How is marbling measured?Marbling Score is assessed visually onthe cut surface of a chilled, quarteredcarcase, compared against AUS-MEAT and MSA standards.Visual marbling score assessed bytrained graders is positively correlated(about 70%) to a chemical analysis ofintramuscular fat % (IMF%)Ultrasound scanning is used tomeasure the IMF% of live cattle.Marbling fat is liquid at bodytemperature and becomes morevisible in meat as it is chilled. For thesame chemical fat content, highervisual marbling scores are obtainedwhen:1. Temperatures are less than5°C – this is important sincemost carcases are brought up toabout 10˚C early in the morningbefore boning – this usuallycoincides with the grading orvisual assessment step.2. Time of chilling is longer andcarcases have hard fat3. Carcases are assessed at 5/6 rib(fat content and marbling isless at the 10/11/12 th ribs)Marbled beef is highly valued byour export customers in Japan, andincreasingly in KoreaAUS-MEAT marbling standardsto specifically promote the development ofmarbling alone, since it is linked to the restof the fat in the body.The Beef CRC and Meat and LivestockAustralia looked at ways to nutritionallymanipulate marbling. These includedcanola oil plus calcium, Rumentek, lowprotein diet, high protein diet and differentgrains (maize, barley and oats). Attemptsto change marbling with these rations wereunsuccessful.However, because marbling has aheritability of around 30 to 50%, it ispossible for producers to select for it just asthey would for other traits such as growthand fertility. This heritability is quite high,so marbling can be selected for, withreasonable success.What can you do to enhance marbling?1. Choose genetically superioranimals - Use bulls with high EBV’sfor marbling and use gene markers(GeneStar Marbling test)2. Choose the right diets – growthem steadily from birth, thenfinish in a feedlot or with grainsupplementation to grazing3. Processors need to ensurecareful chiller managementand assessment needs to be at acontrolled, low temperature.Marbling is assessed against AUS-MEAT standards.

Producing Quality BeefGrowth promotants – opportunities and cautionsBob Gaden, Peter Dundon, Bob Hunter, John ThompsonHormonal growth promotants (HGPs)are widely used to increase liveweightgain and reduce the age of turn-off of cattle,particularly in northern Australia, but newstudies by the Beef CRC reveal that HGPscause toughening of premium cuts of beefin the carcase.CRC has worked together with MLA andthe MSA consumer testing program todefine the meat quality effects in detail. Asa result, some domestic markets are likelyto review their buying policy for HGP–treated cattle.Producers should check whether this willaffect the value of their carcases, and seehow the extra liveweight performanceoffsets any reduction in carcase value.Hormonal growth implantscommercially available in Australiafor use in steers include those withoestrogenic (female hormone) likeactivity (oestradiol-17 and zeranol),those with androgenic (malehormone) like activity (trenboloneacetate and testosterone propionate)and combinations of the two.Benefits of HGPsThe increased liveweight gain from a singleimplant is usually around 10 to 20 kg over100 to 150 days, provided that sufficientfeed is available for the animal. The betterthe feed quality, the greater the response.In most markets, where HGP-treated cattleare accepted without discrimination, thismeans greater weight and value at sale, orearlier turnoff.These benefits are particularly important tofeedlots, where faster gain to target weightwill result in significant saving in feed costs.The returns compare very favourably withthe few dollars it costs to implant HGPs.Effect on Retail Beef YieldThe extra liveweight gain of HGP treatedcattle means more beef is produced, butHGPs do not significantly change theproportion of meat in the carcase.In a northern Australia experiment,even repeated treatment with oestradiolimplants, or an aggressive twice-yearlystrategy involving alternative use of acombination of oestrogens and androgens,had no significant effect on retail beef yield(RBY) as a percentage of the carcase.Increased carcase weight from oestradioltreatment was associated with slightlyincreased fatness, but repeated use ofandrogen implants may reduce carcasefatness slightly.Effects on Meat QualityCRC and other research has shown thatHGP application has a negative affectupon meat eating quality (as measured byMSA consumer MQ4 score) and the moreaggressive the implant strategy, the higherthe likelihood of an increased toughness.The research found the effect was variableacross different muscles (cuts), with thosemuscles that showed the greatest postmortemageing rates having the largestpenalty in terms of eating quality. Cutsin this category are mainly the highpricedgrilling cuts. For example, testingrevealed that the penalty for a muscle suchas the striploin, which normally improvedrapidly with ageing after slaughter, was 12eating quality points 5 days after slaughter(on a 100 point scale). After furtherageing, the difference reduced to a lowlevel. A muscle such as the oyster blade,which normally shows little or no changewith ageing, showed little effect of HGPtreatment on palatability.Currently the MSA prediction model (seebox) does not penalise on the basis of HGPbut a HGP effect will be introduced in thenext model upgrade, expected by early2004. In this upgraded MSA Model theHGP penalty will be different for differentmuscles. At this stage the MSA model willnot distinguish between the different typesof HGP on the market, rather it will be theone penalty for all HGP types.Research has also found that HGPs canhave a negative effect on intramuscular fator marbling, with a decrease of up to 10%in MSA marbling score. This effect occursbecause HGPs increase protein depositionin the animal and therefore the fat is dilutedand marbling score decreased. This willalso affect the MSA grading result.The MSA prediction modelWhen eligible carcases are graded byMSA, computer software (the MSAprediction model) uses all known factorsabout the carcase to predict the actualeating quality and ageing potentialof each cut. Factors include maturity(ossification score) weight, Bos indicuscontent, marbling and many others.The model is upgraded regularly, asnew research results on eating qualityare released (More details on this onpage 8).Sustained HGP use in NorthernAustraliaA near maximum growth response totreatment with oestradiol in northernAustralia is likely to occur when treatmentwith the 100 day implant is repeatedduring the period of the year when thereis sufficient feed available but liveweightgains are moderate. If little feed is availableand growth rates are low or animals aremaintaining weight, treatment with HGPsis likely to be a waste of money and effort.• Sustained growth promotion canbe achieved by repeat implantationwith oestrogenic hormones, orby alternate treatment with anoestrogen followed by a combinedimplant (oestrogen and androgen).• The more frequently animals arere-boosted with a new implant, thegreater the response in liveweightgain. Sustained but lesser rates ofresponse can also be achieved fromlong-acting 400 day implants.• Under the pastoral conditions ofnorthern Australia, steers with asingle implant containing only anandrogen are unlikely to exhibitaccelerated growth.• Greater responses in liveweightgain are achieved when steers arecontinually experiencing positiveliveweight gain, rather thanmaintaining or losing weight.• Research demonstrated that oncean implantation strategy is started– it should be continued forsustained benefit.41

Producing Quality BeefBest implant strategies forNorthern pastoral areas:By regular implantation of steers withoestradiol, growth promotion can besustained during periods in which growthrates are moderate. Importantly, duringperiods when growth rate is near zero,growth promotion is unlikely to occur.• Implant every 100 days duringthe growing season with a 100-dayimplant, followed by a longer lifeimplant, for example 200 days, forthe duration of the dry season• Alternatively, a 200-day implantwould ensure accelerated growthin the event of unseasonal rains oran early break to the wet season.How can you add value to profitfrom increased growth? Maximumprofitability was obtained by utilising theextra carrying capacity that resulted fromearlier turn-off of faster growing steers.This is an important result that manyproducers in the north can adopt.Implanting a steer with hormonal growth promotant (HGP) in an experiment todetermine the effects of HGPs on palatability.Marketing implications• Some markets such as theEuropean Union and somedomestic markets already excludeHGP-treated cattle.• Some domestic buyers are likelyto introduce discounts to theprice to producers, based on thenew knowledge of HGP effects.Producers need to assess whetherthe increased growth benefit fromusing HGPs will outweigh anynegative outcome.• Currently, in most markets,producers are paid largely uponweight (c/kg) and adjustments aremade for P8 fatness. If there is anyprice adjustment for meat quality,it is usually only for pH or MeatColour.• Few markets currently rewardproducers for more specific meatquality attributes, however thiswill change over time as moreaccurate, value based marketingsystems are developed andadopted by industry.42Brahman steers being finished at the Cooperative Research Centre for Cattleand Beef Quality - Tullimba Feedlot prior to slaughter.

Producing Quality BeefThe CRC Industry Education and Training ProgramPeter DundonTaking the message to IndustryThe Beef CRC has made industryeducation and training a major prioritysince it began in 1993. This has helpedboost the industry, which has for a longtime been reluctant to invest in trainingand new technology.Targeted emphasis has been placed uponcustomising training events to specific endusergroups.Short coursesAs results became available from CRCresearch, 3-5 day short-courses have beendeveloped that provided informationspecifically on factors affecting meat quality.Over the past 10 years, groups such as meatprocessors, agribusiness agencies, produceralliance groups, breed societies and variousindustry bodies such as MSA have enrolledin courses offered by the Beef CRC.John Thompson and the meat sciencecrew continue to offer Meat Quality shortcoursesfor industry clients. These arecharged on a fee for service basis.Feedlot Management CertificateThe Certificate in Agriculture in FeedlotManagement at UNE has been runningfor the past seven years. It aims to provideeducation for management-level personnelor people aspiring to management positionsin the feedlot sector.This course has been well patronised with53 students from across Australia enrolledin 2003. It is Australia’s only managementlevel,targeted feedlot course.Many winners of the Australian Lot FeedersAssociation Young Lot Feeder of the Yearhave completed the certificate course andit has strong industry recognition.Workshops and SchoolsThe Armidale Feeder Steer SchoolThe Armidale Feeder Steer School hasestablished itself as one of the premierevents on the beef education calendar.Run over 3 days, the Beef CRC inconjunction with the Angus Society andNSW Agriculture offers the perfect balanceof technical and live cattle practical sessions.This school has been one of the majormethods of releasing the latest researchresults to industry, with significant flow-oneffects passed through industry.It originated in Armidale, but has since beentaken across Australia to locations such as AliceSprings, Emerald, Glenormiston, Busselton,Tennant Creek, Melbourne and Dongara.In each of these locations the program hasbeen adapted to the specific needs of thebeef producers in those regions.Supply Chain WorkshopsThe CRC has recently begun offeringSupply Chain Management workshops.These are 1 to 2 day activities that arerun in conjunction with commercialcooperators such as feedlots andagribusiness companies.This formula has proven to be very successful,as the beef producers involved are immediatestakeholders and directly linked to the supplyof cattle for specific markets.For example, a one day event was run inconjunction with Rangers Valley Feedlotat Glen Innes, NSW. It was specificallydesigned for potential suppliers of feedersteers for the long-fed B3 Japanese market,with particular emphasis upon marbling.Speakers covered pre-feedlot healthpreparation, breeding and genetics,growth and nutrition and informationabout temperament and flight speed.Demonstrations of live feeder steer selectionformed a major part of the program.Tertiary studentsThe Beef CRC has put significantresources into both undergraduate andpostgraduate education.New undergraduate subjects in meatscience and technology and feedlotmanagement have been developed and arebeing offered at several tertiary institutionsacross Australia.Postgraduate students are linked to CRCresearch projects and many are undertakingprojects with commercial partners, ensuringthe science is considered and applied withcommercial implications in mind. Aftergraduating, many of the students havetaken up beef industry positions, many at amanagement level.Opportunities for beef producersThe Beef CRC Industry Training Programwill continue to offer valuable activities forbeef producers and tertiary students, manyof which are supported by FarmBi$ fundingfor those eligible.Day 2 of the feedlot management residential school where students seefirst hand an autopsy on a sick feedlot animal and learn to recognisesigns of disease.For further information of coming eventscontact Peter Dundon on 0428 598 696.43

Producing Quality BeefThe Armidale Feeder Steer SchoolThe Armidale Feeder Steer School is held each yearin February and is one of the CRC’s main trainingevents. The school is jointly run by the Cattle andBeef CRC, NSW Agriculture and the Angus Societyof Australia.The aim of the school is to assist breeders andproducers of feeder cattle to implement optimumbreeding, nutritional and marketing techniques toincrease their returns.Each year, approximately 80 producers, lotfeeders and agribusiness personnel from aroundAustralia attend. Previous delegates rate it as oneof the best events on the beef training calendar,covering all the important areas affectingproduction and profitability.The school is entirely focused on practicalunderstanding and adoption of managementstrategies to better target the feeder steer market. Theproven balance of theory and “hands-on”, practicallive animal sessions makes learning easy.Peter DundonLeading Beef and Feedlot Industry speakers cover theindustry outlook, and the critical areas of feeder steermanagement which impact on profitability. Otherspeakers include leading research, extension andindustry personnel, including leading large pastoralcompany representatives.CRC Industry education - Teaching sessions at major feedlots area feature of the residential school for external students in FeedlotManagement.Around 70 head of cattle from grass and grainbackgrounds including bulls, steers and heifers atvarying weights, ages and condition scores are usedfor demonstration. These are a key feature of theschool, which is quickly sold out.Latest developments in beef grading, video imageanalysis, measurement of meat palatability and ultrasoundscanning are demonstrated during a meatquality session at the Beef CRC Headquarters.A visit to Rangers Valley Feedlot to see specialistJapanese production is now an optional part of theprogram and has proven very popular. They alsoprovide animals at various stages of feeding for thedemonstration sessions.Other highlights include sessions covering healthrequirements of feeder steers, live animal assessmentof feeder and slaughter steers, value based marketingand integrated breeding and marketing alliances.The cost is usually around $700, which coversall meals and accommodation over the three-dayprogram. Many producers are eligible for FarmBi$assistance, enabling them to attend.For information and bookings contact: PeterDundon, ph: 02 6773 3981, or Sharon Pettiford02 6773 5033 at the Cattle and Beef CRC.44Armidale Feeder Steer School - Participants at the Armidale FeederSteer School hear about the latest research and learn how to selectand breed cattle for today’s markets.

Producing Quality BeefFurther informationAs research in phase two of the Beef Quality CRC draws to a conclusion, many of thescientists and extension specialists involved in this work are moving on to new challenges.For further information about the application of this work to your cattle business, contact:• Your state agriculture department beef specialist or• Principal authors:Bob Gaden, NSW Agriculture Beef Industry Centre, UNE Armidale NSW 2351Phone: 02 6770 1812 (Meat Science)Brian Sundstrom, NSW Agriculture, ABRI UNE Armidale NSW 2351Phone: 02 6773 3555 (Genetics)Peter Dundon, Beef Quality CRC, UNE Armidale NSW 2351Phone: 02 6773 3981 (Growth and Nutrition)Sharon Pettiford, Beef Quality CRC, UNE Armidale NSW 2351Phone: 02 6773 5033 (Health, Welfare and Behaviour)John Bertram, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Goondiwindi QLDPhone: 07 4671 6704 (Genetics and Northern production issues)The Beef Quality CRC UNE Armidale NSW 2351Phone: 02 6773 3501Web: http://www.beef.crc.org.au45

Producing Quality BeefCJ Hawkins HomesteadUniversity of New EnglandArmidale NSW 2351 Australiawww.beef.crc.org.au46