A COMPARISON OF GROWTH AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF PUREBRED SHORTHORN AND CROSSBRED BEEF STEERS

The influence of breed of sire on carcass traits was examined by studying data collected on 134 steers produced by mating Shorthorn cows with Shorthorn, Angus, Hereford, and Charolais bulls. The steers were fed out in two groups: one group was slaughtered at 18 to 23 months as they reached a live weight of 900–1000 lb and the other group at approximately 30 months of age. In each group the steers sired by Charolais bulls gained more rapidly, possessed more bone, produced heavier carcass weight, and showed largest eye muscle measurements. There were no appreciable differences among the crosses within the sire groups represented by the British breeds except that Hereford × Shorthorn surpassed Angus × Shorthorn and Shorthorn in growth rate significantly and for a slight superiority in marbling for the Angus compared with the Shorthorn.