Impact of genetic potential for residual feed intake and diet fed during early- to mid-gestation in beef heifers on carcass characteristics and meat quality attributes of their castrated male offspring

S J Meale; A L Ruiz-Sanchez; E Dervishi; B C Roy; F Paradis; M Juárez; J Aalhus; Ó López-Campos; C Das; C Li; H Block; M G Colazo; C Straathof; H L Bruce; C Fitzsimmons

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108637

Impact of genetic potential for residual feed intake and diet fed during early- to mid-gestation in beef heifers on carcass characteristics and meat quality attributes of their castrated male offspring

Meat Sci. 2021 Dec:182:108637. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108637. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

Authors

S J Meale¹, A L Ruiz-Sanchez¹, E Dervishi¹, B C Roy¹, F Paradis², M Juárez³, J Aalhus³, Ó López-Campos³, C Das¹, C Li², H Block³, M G Colazo¹, C Straathof¹, H L Bruce¹, C Fitzsimmons⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada.
² Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8, Canada.
³ Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1W1, Canada.
⁴ Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8, Canada. Electronic address: cfitzsim@ualberta.ca.

PMID: 34333273
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108637

Abstract

Carcass attributes of steers were examined for influences of selection for residual feed intake (RFI), and exposure to different levels of prenatal nutrition. Heifers characterized for RFI corrected for backfat were mated to bulls with genetic potential for either High-RFI or Low-RFI, such that the progeny were expected to be H/H or L/L RFI (sire/dam). Pregnant heifers were assigned to a low diet (Ldiet; 0.40 kg/d ADG), or moderate diet (Mdiet; 0.57 kg/d ADG), from 30 to 150 days of gestation, after which all heifers were managed similarly. Steer offspring (n = 23) were also managed similarly until slaughter. Dressing percentage of steers from H-RFI dams/sires exposed to Ldiet during gestation was lower than all other groups (P = 0.02). Marbling was greater for steers from H-RFI parents, as was fat content of longissimus thoracis et lumborum and triceps brachii (P ≤ 0.02). Results suggest that parental selection for RFI and prenatal maternal diet can influence carcass characteristics of progeny.

Keywords: Beef cattle; Fetal programming; Meat quality; Residual feed intake (RFI); Steers.

MeSH terms

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
Animals
Body Composition / genetics
Cattle / genetics*
Cattle / growth & development
Diet / veterinary
Eating*
Female
Male
Orchiectomy / veterinary
Pregnancy
Red Meat / analysis*