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Effects of some anabolic agents on the growth, carcass and tissue composition of barley-fed entire and castrated male Friesian cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. V. Fisher ,
J. D. Wood  and
M. V. Tas
A. V. Fisher
Affiliation:
ARFC Food Research Institute — Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
J. D. Wood
Affiliation:
ARFC Food Research Institute — Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
M. V. Tas
Affiliation:
ADAS, Drayton Experimental Husbandry Farm, Stratford-on-Avon CV37 9RQ
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Abstract

Thirty-eight barley-fed entire and castrated male Friesian calves were used to examine the effects of different implanted anabolic agents on growth and carcass and tissue composition. Entire males were implanted with trenbolone acetate plus hexoestrol alone or following an earlier implantation of zeranol, or with zeranol alone. Control bulls (no implant) and steers treated with trenbolone, acetate plus hexoestrol were also studied. The anabolic agents tended to increase growth rate in bulls, and caused an increase in fat deposition. Treated steers had more abdominal fat than all bulls, but did not have more carcass fat. However, the carcasses contained less saleable meat and had a lower retail value because of lower lean-to-bone ratio. There were no significant differences between any of the groups in the proportions of lipid and water in the lean tissue. Transporting the bulls resulted in a high pH and a dark colour in m. tongissimus. The results suggest that anabolic agents have small biological effects which directly modify the quantitative and qualitative meat production characteristics of bulls.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 42 , Issue 2 , April 1986 , pp. 195 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1986

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References

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