BEEF-PRODUCTION FROM HEREFORD AND ANGUS X HEREFORD STEERS GRAZED SEPARATELY AT 2 STOCKING RATES

An experiment was conducted to examine the relative postweaning growth and carcass characteristics of Hereford and first-cross Angus X Heref ord steers at 21 months of age. Twenty steers of each type were bred f rom Hereford cows calving in autumn (March) and weaned in December 198 1 at 9 months of age. Thereafter, the 2 groups were grazed separately and set-stocked at 1.64 or 2.73 steers/ha until the following January, at 21 months of age. The experiment was repeated using the same desig n for the 1982 calves but with groups interchanging paddocks at the st art. The breed types did not differ significantly in liveweight gain ( for 1982 and 1983, respectively, Herefords gained 138 and 202 kg, and Angus X Herefords 139 and 217 kg) or in carcass characteristics in eit her year. Herbage mass was very similar in the paddocks grazed by the 2 groups (e.g. at the end of the first and second years grazing, respe ctively, pasture mass was 1.7 and 3.2 t/ha for Herefords, and 1.7 and 2.8 t/ha for Angus X Herefords). There were no differences between the breed types for digestibility and intake of pasture, or in body compo sition. These results show that no penalty is incurred in the growth a nd carcass composition of steer progeny if Hereford cows are crossed w ith Angus bulls.