OPTIMISING FEED SUPPLY, REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY AND PROGENY GROWTH TO MEET MARKET SPECIFICATIONS. 4. EFFECT OF FINISHING GROWTH PATHS ON CARCASE QUALITY

摘要

Due to the strong seasonality of the Mediterranean climate in the south west of Western Australia, beef production systems are based on finishing of 9 month autumn-born calves that are weaned in summer and subsequently turned off feedlots in autumn oroff pasture the following spring and summer. This results in peaks and troughs in the turnoff that are not conducive to the development of export markets that require a consistent supply of carcases that meet specifications. A strategy that may extend the turnoff period is to produce calves in winter so that they are younger and lighter at weaning for the available finishing systems. This project evaluated the meat quality of carcases derived from autumnand winter-born calves subjected to 3 different finishing regimes.x