Fattening Performance and Some Carcass Characteristics of Hereford and Angus Steers Fed a High Roughage

This study was carried out to compare the fattening performances, some slaughter and carcass characteristics of 10-month-old Hereford (HER) and Angus (ANG) steers fed a high roughage with the same care and feeding conditions in Tiirkiye. A total of 40 steers, 20 HER and 20 ANG from the same herd, were selected as homogeneously and randomly divided into two groups. The average body weights of the breeds were determined as 276.85 +/- 9.70 and 288.10 +/- 9.86 kg, respectively, and the differences between the breeds were insignificant (P>0.050). All animals were fed ad-libitum with two different Total Mixed Rations (TMRs) prepared with a concentrate: roughage ratio of 34:66% during the fattening. In the experiment, fattening feed containing 14.12% crude protein (CP) and 2671 kcal/kg metabolic energy (ME) for the first 300 days and fattening finisher feed containing 14.11% CP and 2717 kcal/kg ME for the last 45 days were used. At the end of the study, which lasted for a total of 345 days, the 1 kg live weight costs of the animals were calculated. Differences were insignificant between the two breeds in terms of body weights, final weights (slaughter weights), total weight gains, daily live weight gains, daily dry matter consumption, feed conversion ratios, hot and cold carcass weights, head weight to carcass ratio and longissimus muscle area (LMA) during fattening (P>0.050). Head and skin weights (P=0.000 and P=0.003) and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) (P=0.000) were higher in the HER breed. The profit ratio with the cost did not change. It was concluded that both breeds had similar characteristics.