Effects of implant status and breed type on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, sera metabolites, and immunohistochemical responses in finishing steers.

The number of beef × dairy animals entering feedlots has increased, but the response of beef × dairy cattle to growth-promoting implants has not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of breed type and implant administration on live performance, carcass characteristics, sera metabolites, and immunohistochemical (IHC) outcomes. Forty-eight steers (average body weight [BW] = 417±22 kg) were sorted by breed into groups of predominantly Angus (B), black-hided beef × primarily Holstein (B×D), or Holstein (D), and half of the steers within each breed type were administered a steroidal implant.

A pre- and postnatal immune challenge influences muscle growth and metabolism in weaned pigs.

The in utero environment is key to both fetal and postnatal growth and development. The objective of this study was to determine if administration of an acute low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to gestating sows during mid to late gestation and postweaning would alter the offsprings metabolomic profile of the longissimus dorsi (LD) and muscle ultrastructure. Pregnant Camborough sows were randomly assigned to receive LPS (LPS; n = 7) at a dose of 2.

Body, carcass, and steak dimensions of straightbred Holstein calves and Angus-sired calves from Holstein, Jersey, and crossbred beef dams.

Beef genetics are used with increasing frequency on commercial dairies. Although use of beef genetics improves calf value, variability has been reported in beef × dairy calf phenotype for traits related to muscularity and carcass composition. The objective of this study was to characterize morphometric and compositional differences between beef, beef × dairy, and dairy-fed cattle.

Beef embryos in dairy cows: calfhood growth of Angus-sired calves from Holstein, Jersey, and crossbred beef dams.

Improved reproductive management has allowed dairy cow pregnancies to be optimized for beef production. The objective of this sire-controlled study was to characterize the effects of beef or dairy maternal genetics and the dairy management system on calf growth. Pregnancies were created with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dam breed (Holstein or Jersey) and mating type (artificial insemination or implantation of an in vitro produced embryo from a commercial beef cow oocyte).

Effects of the F94L myostatin gene mutation in beef × dairy crossed cattle on muscle fiber type, live performance, carcass characteristics, and boxed beef and retail cut yields.

Producer live performance data and carcasses from steers (n = 116) resulting from the mating of four Limousin/Angus sires heterozygous for the F94L myostatin mutation to Jersey/Holstein dams were utilized to evaluate the effects of one copy of the F94L allele on live performance, carcass traits and USDA grades, and boxed beef and retail yields. Slaughter data were collected at time of harvest and carcass data were collected 48 hours postmortem. One side from each of the 58 carcasses was fabricated into boxed beef and retail cuts by experienced lab personnel 5-8 d postmortem.

Beef embryos in dairy cows: feedlot performance, mechanistic responses, and carcass characteristics of straightbred Holstein calves and Angus-sired calves from Holstein, Jersey, or crossbred beef dams.

Improved reproductive management has allowed dairy cow pregnancies to be optimized for beef production. The objective of this sire-controlled study was to test the feedlot performance of straightbred beef calves raised on a calf ranch and to compare finishing growth performance, carcass characteristics, and mechanistic responses relative to beef × dairy crossbreds and straightbred beef cattle raised in a traditional beef cow/calf system. Tested treatment groups included straightbred beef steers and heifers reared on range (A × B; n = 14), straightbred beef steers and heifers born following embryo transfer to Holstein dams (H ET; n = 15) and Jersey dams (J ET; n = 16) The finishing trial began when cattle weighed 301 ± 32.

Semi-automated technique for bovine skeletal muscle fiber cross-sectional area and myosin heavy chain determination.

Myosin heavy chain (MyHC) type and muscle fiber size are informative but time-consuming variables of interest for livestock growth, muscle biology, and meat science. The objective of this study was to validate a semi-automated protocol for determining MyHC type and size of muscle fibers. Muscle fibers obtained from the longissimus and semitendinosus of fed beef carcasses were embedded and frozen within 45 min of harvest.

A Pilot Study: the Development of a Facility-Associated Microbiome and Its Association with the Presence of Spp. in One Small Meat Processing Facility.

Microbial communities which persist in food processing facilities may have a detrimental impact on food safety and spoilage. In meat processing, Listeria monocytogenes is an organism of concern due to its ability to cause significant human illnesses and persist in refrigerated environments. The microbial ecology of spp.

Cecal microbiota of feedlot cattle fed a four-species Bacillus supplement.

As commercial fed cattle consume large amounts of concentrate feedstuffs, hindgut health can be challenged. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a commercially available Bacillus feed additive on cattle health outcomes and cecal microbiota of fed cattle at the time of harvest. Commercial cattle from a single feedlot were identified for characterization of cecal microbial communities using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing.