Yield Evaluation Of Dressed Carcass Meat, Fat And Bone In Commercial Bovine Crossings Part icipating In Cattle Feeding Contests In Colombia

Abstract

In Colombia there is a contest of Cattle feeding where producers from different regions show their animals to be evaluated in dressed carcass traits and bovine measurements. This research had a total population of 384 animals; the first sample had 192 different breed animals from national contests carried out from 1999 to 2006. They were evaluated and the following variables were compared: dressed carcass weight, hot and cold dressed carcass yield, and meat, fat and bone yield regarding weight of cattle on the hoof, and weight of the dressed carcass. The second sample had 287 animals and the following variables were evaluated: dressed carcass length, leg length, leg perimeter, and compactness and proportionality indices. The animals were 28 months old. A descriptive statistical analysis and a Tukey test were carried out in order to compare variable averages and to select breed groups with a better performance. As a result the general averages for these variables were: LC = 129,46 cm., LP = 73,22 cm., PP = 82,29 cm., compactness index = 2,00 and proportionality index = 0,56. The crossings Brahman x Simmental stands out in bovine measurements due to different phenotypic proportions, they had higher values than the general average. For the characteristics of the dressed carcasses the averages were: PCC = 269 kg, PCF = 261 kg, TCA = 184,43 kg, RCC = 59,63%, RCF = 57,36%, RCPV = 40,57%, RGPV = 4,25% and RHPV= 11,02%. The crossing Normando x Limousin x Hereford stands out due to different phenotypic proportions with higher values than the general average. For these variables, it can be affirmed that the crossings of Brahman (Bos índicus) with European breeds: English and continental (Bos Taurus) have a higher performance than the general average. Therefore in contest evaluation the Brahman x Simmental crossing and its different phenotypic proportions stands out