Bovine Compositional Interrelationships

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Abstract
Thirty-one steers varying in degree of muscling (angular to bulging) and genotype (Angus, Brown Swiss, Charolais, Hereford, Holstein, Longhorn, Crossbred, double-muscled) were full-fed for 132 days. After slaughter, all major components (i.e., blood, ingesta, messentery fat, etc.) were weighed separately. Each thoracic cavity was filled with water, the water weighed and expressed per unit carcass weight to estimate thoracic cavity capacity. One side of each carcass was separated into soft tissues and bone. The soft tissues were homogenized and analyzed for total lipid by ether extraction. Dressing percentage was expressed on a live, empty body weight (LEBW) basis. The results indicated that more muscular steers (holding LEBW and fatness constant) yielded heavier (P>01) carcasses, whereas fatter steers (holding LEBW and degree of muscling constant) did not yield heavier carcasses. Dressing percentage was negatively related to thoracic cavity capacity (r = −.78, P>01) and positively to calculated lipid-free muscle/bone ratio (r = .79, P>01). These results suggested that heavier muscled cattle had higher dressing percentages because their body cavities were proportionately smaller, whereas fatter cattle did not have higher dressing percentages because increased quantities of mesentery fat in the non-carcass component compensated on a proportional basis for increased quantities of fat that accumulated on the carcass. Copyright © 1976. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1976 by American Society of Animal Science.