Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T06:33:02.432Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A note on the comparative performance of beef steers implanted with the anabolic steroids trenbolone acetate and oestradiol-17β, alone or in combination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. J. Heitzman ,
Diana N. Gibbons ,
W. Little  and
Lynne P. Harrison
R. J. Heitzman
Affiliation:
ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 0NN
Diana N. Gibbons
Affiliation:
ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 0NN
W. Little
Affiliation:
ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 0NN
Lynne P. Harrison
Affiliation:
ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 0NN
Get access

Abstract

Five groups of six Hereford × Friesian steers, approximately 1 year old and weighing 363 kg at implantation, were individually fed according to body weight and slaughtered 100 days after implantation. Group 1 was sham-implanted subcutaneously in the ear. Group 2 was implanted with 20 mg of the steroid oestradiol-17β group 3 with 140mg of the steroid trenbolone acetate; group 4 with oestradiol-17β in one ear and trenbolone acetate in the other; and group 5 with oestradiol-17β and trenbolone acetate as a single implant in one ear.

Groups 1 to 5 had mean overall live-weight gains (±s.e.) of 0·79, 0·88, 0·89, 0·98 and 1 15±0·067kg/day; mean feed conversion ratios of 9·30, 8·78, 8·45, 8·13 and 6·92 + 0·61; and mean cold carcass weights of 236, 246, 250, 252 and 257 ± 6.4kg, respectively. Oestradiol-17/? reduced omental (P <0·05) and kidney (P <001) fat. The two steroids appeared to produce independent and additive effects except when used together as a single combined implant (group 5), when the effect on live-weight gain was more prolonged. The mean concentrations of oestradiol-17/i in plasma in groups 2, 4 and 5 were greater than in the control group at 28, 28 and 91 days after implantation respectively (P < 0·001). Trenbolone acetate was present in the plasma in groups 3, 4 and 5 throughout the experimental period.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , April 1981 , pp. 219 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Galbraith, H. and Watson, Helen B. 1978. Performance, blood and carcase characteristics of finishing steers treated with trenbolone acetate and hexoestrol. Vet. Rec. 103: 28–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heitzman, R. J. and Harwood, D. J. 1977. Residue levels of trenbolone and oestradiol- 17/J in plasma and tissues of steers implanted with anabolic steroid preparations. Br. vet. J. 133: 564–571.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heitzman, R. J., Harwood, D. J. and Mallinson, C. B. 1977. Liveweight gain in steers treated with single or repeated implants of trenbolone acetate and hexoestrol. J. Anim. Sci. 45: Suppl. 1, p. 44 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheriesand Food, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. 1975. Energyallowancesand feeding systems for ruminants. Tech.Bull. 33. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Rus, P. M. and Suresh, T. P. 1976. The effect of a synthetic steroid (trienbolone) on the rateof releaseand excretion of subcutaneously administeredestradiol incalves. Steroids 27: 5–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roche, J. F., Davis, W. D. and Sherington, J. 1978. Effect of trenbolone acetate and resorcylic acid lactone alone or combined on daily liveweight and carcass weight in steers. Ir. J. agric. Res. 17: 7–14.Google Scholar
Stollard, R. J., Kilkenny, J. B., Mathieson, A. A., Stark, J. S., Taylor, B. R., Sutherland, J. E. and Williamson, J. T. 1977. The response to anabolic steroids in finishing steers. Anim. Prod. 24: 132 (Abstr.).Google Scholar