Yr. Xie et al., EFFECTS OF BREED AND SIRE ON CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND FATTY-ACID PROFILES OF CROSSBRED WAGYU AND ANGUS STEERS, Meat science, 43(2), 1996, pp. 167-177
In a two-year experiment, 54 steers siren by seven Wagyu bulls [Americ
an Wagyu Association (AWA) sire numbers 331, 384, 388, 411, 429, 433 a
nd 488] and 15 steers sired by two Angus bulls, all out of Angus-Heref
ord cows, were used to evaluate the effects of sire and breed on carca
ss characteristics and fatty acid composition. Steers were given ad-li
bitum access to a high-concentrate diet (15% alfalfa cubes and 85% bar
ley supplement) for at least 170 days. Breed and individual sire effec
ts were analysed. Wagyu-sired steers had higher marbling, maturity and
quality scores, more estimated kidney, pelvic and heart fat, larger l
ongissimus dorsi muscle areas, lower fat thicknesses and yield grades
than Angus-sired steers (p < 0.05). Steers sired by 388, 411 and 433 h
ad lower fat thicknesses than steers sired by Angus, 429 and 488 (p <
0.05). Steers sired by 384 and 388 had higher marbling scores per cm s
ubcutaneous fat than steers sired by Angus, 429 and 488, and lower fat
thickness per 100 kg of carcass weight than Angus-sired steers (p < 0
.05). For both subcutaneous fat and longissimus dorsi muscle, Wagyu-si
red steers had higher (p < 0.05) percentages of 14:0, 14:1, 16:0, 16:1
, and lower percentages of 18:0 than Angus-sired steers. The genetic d
ifferences in carcass characteristics among Wagyu sires may enable us
to select for improved marbling with less fat in the Wagyu breed. Some
statistically significant (p < 0.05) but small differences existed in
fatty acid profiles between breeds and among sires. Copyright (C) 199
6 Elsevier Science Ltd