Abstract
Selection for a reduction in time taken to reach slaughter weight and adult weight whilst adult weight remains unaltered would improve the biological and economic efficiency of meat production. However, time taken to grow is strongly correlated with adult weight and attempts to select for the former have usually led to changes in the latter so that efficiency of growth to adult weight has remained largely unchanged. The animal kingdom includes many examples of species which, after accounting for differences in weight, grow more rapidly than the domestic meat animals. A model is developed which describes how, if time taken to reach adult weight is to be reduced whilst adult weight remains unchanged, then energy intake per unit body weight may increase throughout growth. It is postulated that relatively high intakes are associated with relatively large digestive systems. Gut sizes and intake rates during growth in four species whose growth rates differ widely are examined in relation to this hypothesis. It is suggested that little progress will be made in reducing time taken to grow without changes in pattern of development.
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