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Prediction of cull cow carcass characteristics from live weight and body condition score measured pre slaughter
Minchin, William Buckley, Frank Kenny, David A. Keane, Michael G. Shalloo, Laurence O'Donovan, Michael
Minchin, William
Buckley, Frank
Kenny, David A.
Keane, Michael G.
Shalloo, Laurence
O'Donovan, Michael
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2009
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W. Minchin, F. Buckley, D.A. Kenny, M.G. Keane, L. Shalloo1 and M. O’Donovan. Prediction of cull cow carcass characteristics from live weight and body condition score measured pre slaughter. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 48: 75–86, 2009
Abstract
A study was conducted to provide information on the degree of carcass finish of Irish
cull cows and to investigate the usefulness of live animal measurements for the prediction beef breeds (albeit with a moderate R2 value compared to the carcass weight prediction)
using objective, non-intrusive and easily measured live animal measurements, should
be of benefit to farmers finishing cull cows in Ireland.
of cull cow carcass characteristics. Live weight (LW) and body condition score
(BCS) were recorded on cows entering an Irish commercial slaughter facility between
September and November, 2005. Data pertaining to sire breed, age and carcass characteristics
were collected and subsequently collated for each cow. For analysis, cows
(n = 2163) were subdivided into three breed categories: dairy breed sired by Holstein/
Friesian (FR), sired by early-maturing beef breeds (EM) and sired by late-maturing
beef breeds (LM). The proportion of cows slaughtered at the desired (TARGET)
carcass standard (cold carcass weight ≥ 272 kg, carcass conformation class ≥ P+ and
carcass fat class ≥ 3) was low (on average 0.30), but did differ (P < 0.001) between the
dairy and beef breed categories (0.22, 0.47 and 0.53 for FR, EM and LM categories,
respectively). Regression procedures were used to develop equations to predict cold
carcass weight, carcass conformation score, carcass fat score and proportion in the
TARGET category from LW and BCS. Equations predicting cold carcass weight had
high R2 values for all breed categories (0.81, 0.85 and 0.79 for the FR, EM and LM,
respectively). Equations predicting carcass fatness had moderate R2 values for the beef
breed categories (0.65 and 0.59 for the EM and LM, respectively). Equations predicting
carcass conformation and the TARGET category yielded lower R2 values. The successful
prediction of carcass weight for all breed categories and of carcass fatness for the