Abstract
The main results from beef breed comparisons carried out in the United Kingdom during the past 15 years are reviewed. Comprehensive information is now available from the Meat and Livestock Commission's Beef Breed Evaluation programme, complemented by the results from several smaller trials evaluating imported breeds. In most trials, breeds have been compared at similar levels of carcass subcutaneous fat percentage estimated in different ways (equal SF). The sire breeds with larger adult body size were generally slower maturing, taking longer to reach the equal fatness slaughter point; they also grew faster. They ate more food which tended to balance the extra output, resulting in a range of only 10% in feed cost per unit live weight gain. Hereford crosses had consistently high feed efficiencies across the trials. Limousin crosses followed by Aberdeen Angus, Charolais and Sussex crosses had the highest carcass meat percentages and Canadian Holsteins the lowest: the range at equal SF was four percentage units. Continental breed crosses had a marginal advantage in the proportion of their total meat occurring in the higher-priced cuts.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
