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Crossbred beef heifers (N  = 1,394; initial shrunk body weight [BW] 291 ± 9.9 kg) were used to investigate the efficacy of 10-G Armor (Life Products, Inc. Norfolk, NE; 10-G) upon feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and fecal and subiliac lymph nodes Salmonella prevalence. Heifers were blocked by day of arrival and allocated to 1 of 20 pens (N  = 70 heifers/pen) and assigned one of two treatments (10 pens/treatment): no direct-fed microbial (CON) or 2 g/heifer/d of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum , respectively (Life Products, Inc. Norfolk, NE; 10-G). Twenty-four animals were randomly selected from each pen for Salmonella sampling. Recto-anal mucosal swab samples (RAMS) were obtained at initial processing and harvest; subiliac lymph nodes were collected at harvest. In addition, pen surface fecal pats were collected and composited by pen (10 pats per composite, 5 composites per pen) on days 0, 52, 120, and 192. Data were analyzed as a generalized complete block design, and pen served as the experimental unit. No differences were observed in live growth performance metrics (P  ≥ 0.55). Yield grade distributions did not differ between treatments (P  ≥ 0.62); however, cattle fed 10-G tended (P  = 0.06; 14.6% vs. 18.9%) to have fewer USDA Select carcasses and more (P  = 0.09; 73.6% vs. 78.0%) USDA Choice carcasses. Cattle fed 10-G tended (P  = 0.10; 9.2% vs. 12.3%) to have fewer liver abscesses and had fewer (P  = 0.04; 5.3% vs. 8.5%) severe liver abscesses. Salmonella prevalence of RAMS did not differ between treatments at initial processing (P  = 0.97; CON = 11.6%, 10-G = 11.5%) or at harvest (P  = 0.91; CON = 99.0%, 10-G = 98.6%); however, RAMS differed (P  < 0.01) in Salmonella prevalence between the two collection times. Cattle fed 10-G had a lower frequency of Salmonella positive lymph nodes (P  = 0.01; CON = 15.8%, 10-G = 7.4%) than CON. However, Salmonella log (mpn/g) of lymph nodes did not differ between treatments at harvest (P  = 0.34; CON = 0.73, 10-G = 0.34). These data indicate that cattle fed 10-G have decreased rates of severe liver abscesses without altering live animal performance or carcass characteristics. Supplementation of 10-G significantly reduced the prevalence rate of Salmonella recovered from the subiliac lymph nodes. The factors responsible for the observed difference in the effects of 10-G on Salmonella warrant further investigation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred and eighty beef bulls (BW = 337 ± 10.9 kg) were blocked by BW (6 blocks) and assigned randomly to one of three treatments on day 0: 1) INJ; received 1 mL (100 mg Zn) of a Zn solution in each testis, 2) BAN; received blood-restrictive rubber band placed upon the dorsal aspect of the scrotum, and 3) BUL; bulls with testicles remaining intact. Cattle were grouped by weight block in a randomized complete block design (three treatment pens/block and 10 cattle/pen) and harvested by block on three separate dates when blocks reached similar BW and visual subcutaneous fat thickness depth. Striploins were removed from the left carcass sides, vacuum packaged and aged for 14 d, and then frozen at −20 °C. Frozen striploins were sliced into 2.54-cm-thick steaks and remained frozen until analyses. Steaks (n = 3/animal) were used to assess consumer acceptability via consumer taste panel (n = 152 panelists), Warner-Bratzler shear force, percentage cook loss, and cooked color values. Data were analyzed using mixed model procedures; pen was the experimental unit for all dependent variables. Hot carcass weights and LM area were greater (P < 0.01) for the INJ and BUL treatments compared with BAN. Mean yield grade did not differ between treatments (P = 0.12), although BAN carcasses had smaller LM area (P < 0.01) than BUL or INJ carcasses. Percentage of USDA Choice or better carcasses was greater (P < 0.01) for BAN than INJ and BUL treatments. Consumer panelists detected a difference in perceived tenderness; BAN steaks had greater (P = 0.02) tenderness scores than BUL steaks, whereas INJ steaks were intermediate. Panelists rated juiciness of BAN steaks greater (P < 0.01) than either BUL or INJ steaks. Panelists rated beef flavor greater (P = 0.01) for BAN and BUL steaks than INJ steaks. Overall acceptability was greater (P < 0.01) for BAN compared with INJ steaks, whereas BUL steaks were intermediate. Percentage cook loss of striploin steaks (P = 0.47) and Warner-Bratzler shear force values (P = 0.11) did not differ. Cooked color lightness (L *) and redness (a *) values were not affected (P ≥ 0.23) by treatment. Striploin steaks from BAN and BUL treatments had greater (P = 0.02) yellowness values (b *) than INJ steaks. The ratio of red-to-brown (630:580 nm) of cooked striploin steaks was greater (P = 0.05) for INJ than either BAN or BUL treatments. Carcass and palatability outcomes of INJ were more similar to BUL than BAN, suggesting limited efficacy of INJ in mature beef bulls at feedlot entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cloning of beef carcasses that grade United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Prime-yield grade (YG) 1 (P1) has produced a sire that ranked well against high-performing bulls from multiple breeds. An F1 (P1 × P1 - first generation offspring) sire would ideally outperform its high-performing parents. A terminal sire study was conducted comparing progeny of an F1 (P1 × P1) sire (AxG1) against progeny (heifers and steers) of four high-performing sires of varying breeds {P1 (ALPHA); Angus; Simmental; Angus × Simmental}. Production traits included morbidity and mortality frequencies, weaning weight, feedlot arrival weight, and days on feed; carcass traits included frequency of abscessed liver and lung health, quality grade and YG parameters, total carcass value (US$), and carcass value per hundredweight (CWT [45.4 kg]; US$). A completely randomized experimental design was used; data were analyzed using a mixed model with a fixed effect of sire and random effects of harvest date, sex, and pen. AxG1 sired heifers had the highest ( P  < 0.01) marbling score, the highest ( P  < 0.01) carcass value per CWT, and numerically had the lowest calculated YG and highest frequency of YG one carcass. Steers sired by AxG1 had the least ( P  = 0.05) backfat, lowest ( P  < 0.01) calculated YG, highest ( P  < 0.01) marbling score, highest ( P  < 0.01) frequency of USDA Prime carcasses, the greatest ( P  < 0.03) total carcass value, and greatest ( P  < 0.01) carcass value per CWT. Collectively, AxG1 steer and heifer carcasses exhibited the least 12th rib fat thickness and lowest USDA YG in addition to the largest longissimus muscle area, highest marbling score, and greatest frequency of USDA Prime. These data suggest that AxG1 performed comparably to other high-performing industry terminal sires in carcass quality and YG outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The National Beef Quality Audit - 2022 serves as a benchmark of the current fed steer and heifer population of the U.S. beef industry and allows comparison to previous audits as a method of monitoring industry progress. In-plant cooler assessments and collections of beef carcass data took place from July 2021 to November 2022. During in-plant evaluations, 10% of 1-d production was surveyed for quality and yield indicating characteristics of fed beef carcasses ( n =  9,746 beef carcasses). Distributions of sex classes among sampled carcasses were steer (65.0%) and heifer (35.0%), whereas distributions of breed type were native (87.7%), dairy (11.3%), and Bos indicus (0.9%). Mean values were observed for USDA Yield Grades ( YG ; 3.3), USDA Quality Grade ( QG ; Choice 16 ), marbling score (Small 98 ), ribeye area (91.0 cm 2 ), adjusted fat thickness (1.49 cm), hot carcass weight (401.9 kg), and KPH (2.5%). Mean overall maturity was A 66 , with a mean lean maturity of A 56 and mean skeletal maturity of A 72 . There were 28.1% of carcasses identified for use in a USDA-certified beef G-Schedule Program. Defects, such as dark cutting and blood splash, were observed at 1.8% and 0.5%, respectively. Distributions of USDA YG were YG 1 (8.2%), YG 2 (30.7%), YG 3 (40.2%), YG 4 (16.6%), and YG 5 (4.3%). USDA QGs were observed at 7.5% Prime, 69.2% Choice, 16.4% Select, and 6.8% other. The results of this study provide an updated look at the current grading trends of beef carcasses in the United States to drive progress in the fed beef industry., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of the direct-fed microbial 10-G upon cattle growth performance, liver and lung health, carcass quality, and yield outcomes, as well as prevalence and enumeration of Salmonella in feces and lymph nodes. Fed beef heifers ( N  = 1,400; initial shrunk body weight [ BW ] 343.3 ± 36.2 kg) were blocked by the day of arrival and randomly allocated to one of two treatments (0 [negative control, CON] or 2 g of a direct-fed microbial [10-G] that provided 1 billion CFUs per animal per day of Lactobacillus acidophilus , Enterococcus faecium , Pediococcus pentosaceus , L. brevis , and L. plantarum ) with 10 pens per treatment. Recto-anal mucosal fecal samples ( RAMs ; n  = 477) and subiliac lymph nodes ( SLNs ; n  = 479) were collected longitudinally at harvest from 23 to 25 heifers per pen. Data were analyzed using mixed models; pen served as the experimental unit; block and harvest date were random effects. No differences were detected in dry matter intake ( P  = 0.78), final BW ( P  = 0.64), average daily gain ( P  = 0.51), gain to feed ( P  = 0.71), hot carcass weight ( P  = 0.54), dressed carcass yield ( P  = 0.52), 12th rib fat depth ( P  = 0.13), longissimus muscle area ( P  = 0.62), calculated empty body fat ( P  = 0.26), or marbling score ( P  = 0.82). Distributions of liver scores ( P  ≥ 0.34), quality grades ( P  ≥ 0.23), and yield grades ( P  ≥ 0.11) were also not different between treatments. A tendency was detected for more normal lungs ( P  = 0.08; 10-G = 65.96%, CON = 61.12%) and fewer inflated lungs at harvest for cattle fed 10-G ( P  = 0.10; 10-G = 0.29%, CON = 1.16%); other lung outcomes did not differ ( P  ≥ 0.54). Salmonella prevalence did not differ for RAM samples ( P  = 0.41; 10-G = 97.74%, CON = 96.82%) or SLN ( P  = 0.22; 10-G = 17.92%, CON = 13.66%). Salmonella concentration of RAM samples ( P  = 0.25; 10-G = 3.87 log CFU/g, CON = 3.32 log CFU/g) or SLN ( P  = 0.37; 10-G = 1.46 log CFU/g, CON = 1.14 log CFU/g) also did not differ between treatments at harvest. These results do not demonstrate any difference in live animal performance, carcass characteristics, or Salmonella carriage for heifers fed 10-G., Competing Interests: Kevin Martens is an employee of Life Products, Inc., the manufacturer of 10-G. Remaining authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA)-2022 serves as a benchmark of the current market cow and bull sectors of the U.S. beef industry and allows comparison to previous audits as a method of monitoring industry progress. From September 2021 through May 2022, livestock trailers ( n  = 125), live animals ( n  = 5,430), and post-slaughter hide-on animals ( n  = 6,674) were surveyed at 20 commercial beef processing facilities across the U.S. Cattle were transported in a variety of trailer types for an average distance of 490.6 km and a mean transport time of 6.3 h. During transit, cattle averaged 2.3 m 2 of trailer space per animal indicating sufficient space was provided according to industry guidelines. Of all trailers surveyed, 55.3% transported cattle from an auction barn to a processing facility. When surveyed, 63.6% of all truck drivers reported to be Beef Quality Assurance certified. The majority (77.0%) of cattle were sound when evaluated for mobility. Mean body condition scores (9-point scale) for beef cows and bulls were 3.8 and 4.4, respectively, whereas mean body condition scores (5-point scale) for dairy cows and bulls were 2.3 and 2.6, respectively. Of the cattle surveyed, 45.1% had no visible live animal defects, and 37.9% had only a single defect. Of defects present in cows, 64.6% were attributed to an udder problem. Full udders were observed in 47.5% of all cows. Nearly all cattle were free of visible abscesses and knots (97.9% and 98.2%, respectively). No horns were observed in 89.4% of all cattle surveyed. Beef cattle were predominantly black-hided (68.9% and 67.4% of cows and bulls, respectively). Holstein was the predominant dairy animal observed and accounted for 85.7% of the cows and 98.0% of the bulls. Only 3.1% of all animals had no form of identification. Findings from the NBQA-2022 show improvements within the industry and identify areas that require continued education and research to improve market cow and bull welfare and beef quality., Competing Interests: There are no known conflicts of interest by any of the authors., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)