Influence of Widely Diverse Finishing Regimens and Breeding on Depot Fat Composition in Beef Cattle1

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Abstract
TWO trials were conducted with beef cattle to study differences in depot fat composition associated with the use of widely differing finishing diets. A third trial was conducted to determine the influence of genetic background on fat composition. Alfalfa and timothy all-forage diets were associated with typically saturated depot fat. An all-concentrate diet increased the total unsaturated acids by 20% over the all-forage diets, and most of the increase was in oleic acid. Feeding all-forage the first half and all-concentrate the second half of the finishing period or vice versa produced a fat of similar saturation as when all-concentrate was fed continuously. Selecting cattle for growth irrespective of genetic base did not influence depot fat composition. However, fat composition varied significantly among inbred lines established from different genetic bases. In all trials, an increase in unsaturation was reflected most consistently by an increase in C18:1. These trials indicate that unsaturation of depot fat in cattle is influenced to a limited extent by current diets and that genetic selection for growth is not associated with changes in fat composition in beef cattle. Copyright © 1972. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1972 by American Society of Animal Science.

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