GROWTH AND CARCASS TRAITS OF CATTALO, HEREFORD, AND 1/4-BRAHMAN BULL CALVES

Abstract

The 1/4-Brahman bull calves exceeded those of the cattalo and Hereford by 19.6 and 14.8% in weaning weight. However, the Hereford surpassed the 1/4-Brahman and the cattalo by 11.1 and 14.9% in feedlot average daily gain. Cattalo (cattle × bison species cross) bulls weighed 17.7 and 12.0% less than 1/4-Brahman and Hereford bulls just before slaughter at an average age of 425 days. Similar differences were apparent for cold carcass weight. When age-of-dam and age-at-slaughter were covariate factors, area of the longissimus dorsi from 1/4-Brahman calves was larger by 13.5 and 8.7% than those from cattalo and Hereford. Fat thickness over the 1. dorsi did not differ among groups. Carcass weight and age at slaughter were covariates for the weights of meat cuts. Weights of loin, round, or plate cuts did not differ among groups. However, the rib cut from the 1/4-Brahman was lighter than that from the cattalo and Hereford, and the chuck cut was heavier. The Hereford exceeded the 1/4-Brahman in total weight of the more expensive rib–loin–round cuts. Warner-Bratzler shear estimates of tenderness did not differ among groups. Average fat thickness over the 1. dorsi was not significantly correlated to any of the means of the shear test on raw or broiled samples. In general, 1/4-Brahman and Hereford groups each exhibited superiority over the other two groups for several traits, while cattalo bulls did not exceed the other two groups in any of the traits considered in this study.