The efficiency of beef production in terms of carcass-weight increase as influenced by the ration concentration and the age of steers

Abstract

The carcass-weight increase of beef steers of various ages receiving fattening rations of different roughage: concentrate ratios was calculated by making use of the average dressing percentage of a control group slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment.It is shown that, in terms of t.d.n./100 lb. carcass-weight increase, which is probably the more accurate measure of efficiency, the 2-year-olds were better feed converters than the calves. When the criterion was t.d.n./100 lb. live-weight increase the calves were superior. Ration B (1 concentrates: 1 roughage) was utilized most efficiently in terms of calculated carcass-weight increase, followed in a descending order by the high-concentrate ration C and the high-roughage ration (ration A).The relationship of live-weight increase to carcass- weight increase as calculated is discussed. The proportion of live-weight gain laid down as carcass varied with age, growth rate and type of ration. This percentage variation ranged from 57% in slow-growing calves to 81% in fast-growing 3-year-olds. On the average, calves converted 61% of their live-weight gain into saleable carcass, the 2-year-olds 70·8% and the 3-year-olds 75·9%. The steers on the A (high roughage) ration converted 65·7% of live-weight gain into carcass, those on the C (high concentrate) ration 71·5% and those on the B (1 concentrate: 1 roughage) 69·2%. Reasons for these differences are discussed in terms of so-called differential growth.The live weights and carcass weights of steers were plotted and the regression equationwhereYis carcass weight andXis live weight, was derived. The correlation coefficientr= 0·98 and the slope of the curve indicated that for an increase of 1% in the live weight of the steers, the carcass weight increased by 1·13%.Several methods of expressing ‘efficiency of the fattening’ were applied to the data and the results are discussed. The methods were unanimous in selecting the steers on the B ration as the most efficient followed by those on ration C and the poorest were those on the A ration. Methods based on live-weight increase showed the calves, but those based on carcass-weight increase the 2-yearolds, as the most efficient. Results obtained by applying the Efficiency Quotient and Efficiency Index suggested that the older animals wero the more efficient. They differed from all other methods since these indicated that efficiency declined with age.Efficiency values calculated by different formulae vary and no efficiency index has yet been evolved that will embrace all the variable factors which may have an influence on the efficiency of growth and fattening.