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Context: The planting and use of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) to fatten cattle is both practical and profitable for smallholder farmers in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Currently smallholder farmers feed leucaena as the primary component of a cattle fattening diet. However, the high protein content in leucaena could be more effectively used if combined with a fermentable energy source, such as cassava (Manihot utilissima). Aim: An experiment was conducted to determine the ratio of leucaena to cassava corresponding to largest average daily gain and most efficient feed conversion for gain. Methods: Thirty growing male Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) ~18 months of age with an initial live weight of 164 ± 1.8 kg (mean ± s.e.) were allocated to one of six experimental treatments in a randomised block design. Bulls were held in individual stalls and had access to experimental diets and water ad libitum. The diets were 20% rice straw + 80% leucaena hay (A), 20% rice straw + 65% leucaena hay + 15% cassava meal (B), 20% rice straw + 50% leucaena hay + 30% cassava meal (C), 20% rice straw + 35% leucaena hay + 45% cassava meal (D), 20% rice straw + 20% leucaena hay + 60% cassava meal (E) and 20% rice straw + 5% leucaena hay + 75% cassava meal (F). A mineral mix was provided at 1% DM of total diet and urea was added to the cassava meal at 2% DM. In consideration of animal welfare concerns, the trial was concluded on Day 77 due to observations indicating that bulls receiving the highest level of cassava (F) were experiencing significant weight loss. Key results: The optimum level of inclusion of cassava was 29.5% (based on the quadratic response curve) but there was little difference in average daily gain up to 45% inclusion. Feeding a high level of cassava meal (more than 45% of diet) reduced feed intake, average daily gain and income over feed cost. Conclusion: Cassava meal can be successfully and profitably incorporated into leucaena-based rations of Bali bulls for fattening. Implications: Formulating rations with cassava meal and leucaena can be economically beneficial in cattle fattening systems. Supplementing Bali cattle rations in leucaena-based smallholdings with locally available cassava as an energy source, provides an opportunity to increase cattle live weight gain, extend the utilisation of leucaena and increase farmer profitability. Weight gain and profitability were maximised up to 45% cassava, but higher levels reduced feed intake, average daily gain and income over feed costs. Feeding cassava meal to leucaena-based diets is an important strategy to preserve leucaena as well as to increase profitability and meat production nationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of bacterial enzyme additives on the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters, and economic benefits of Liaoning Heishan cattle. Thirty-six Liaoning Heishan cattle with an average weight of about 273 kg were randomly divided into three groups with four replicates in each group and three cattle in each replicate. The control group was fed with basal diet, the experimental group A was fed with basal diet + 5 g/(head·d) of bacterial enzyme additive, and the experimental group B was fed with basal diet + 10 g/(head·d) of bacterial enzyme additive. The pre-test period was seven days, and the formal test period was 60 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the final weight and average daily gain of the experimental group B increased significantly ( P<0.05), the feed-to-weight ratio decreased significantly ( P<0.05), and the incidence rate decreased by 63.04%. The incidence rate of the experimental group A decreased by 27.52% ( P>0.05). The apparent digestibility of crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber in the experimental group B was significantly higher than that in control group ( P<0.05). Ammonia nitrogen and the ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid in rumen fluid of the experimental group B were significantly lower than those of the control group ( P<0.05), while the concentrations of propionic acid and microbial protein were significantly higher than those of the control group ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the daily net profit of each cow in the experimental group A increased by 1.10 yuan, and the experimental group B increased by 7.27 yuan. The study indicates that adding 10 g/(head·d) microbial enzyme additive to the basal diet can effectively improve the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility, improve the rumen fermentation function, reduce the occurrence of diseases, and improve the economic benefits of Liaoning Heishan cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the calcaneus and talus bones of 20 male and female adult Simmental and Angus cattle were used. The age and sex of these animals were recorded before slaughter, and carcass weights were taken after slaughter. Calcaneus and talus morphometric measurements were used to obtain multipliers that allow the estimation of the carcass weight. These multipliers were found to be mean values of 3.346 and 4.642, respectively. Thus, multipliers were obtained that can be used in the evaluation of chronological differences in archaeological cattle size and consequently carcass weight. LSM (Least Square Means) analysis of calcaneus and talus GL values revealed the effect of sex but not of breed. Proportional factors were obtained for calcaneus and talus pairings and associated bone size (GL) estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Thai native cattle grazing in the lowland or mountain forest on carcass characteristics, meat quality, sensory palatability, and chemical composition. Methods: Twelve male Thai native cattle with an average weight of 110±10 kg are allowed to be grazing in the lowland or Phu Phan mountain forest during the rainy season in northeastern Thailand. Results: The carcass characteristics, meat pH, and meat color were unaffected by treatment (p>0.05). The boiling loss was lower in the cattle grazing on the mountain forest (p = 0.027). The cattle grazing in the mountain forest had increased shear force (p = 0.039), tenderness (p = 0.011), and flavor intensity (p = 0.003). The protein and fat were higher (p<0.001 and p = 0.035, respectively) in cattle grazing in the mountain forest. The different grazing systems of the cattle had no effect (p>0.05) fatty acids in meat, except for capric acid (C10:0) and lauric acid (C12:0), which were higher (p = 0.046 and p = 0.049, respectively) when the cattle were grazing in the mountain forest. The different grazing systems did not influence (p>0.05) the unsaturated fatty acids in meat. Conclusion: Thai native cattle grazing in the Phu Phan mountain forest in the rainy season improves meat quality, sensory evaluation, and chemical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Wagyu Feeder Check is a genomic-based tool designed to provide genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) for five feedlot growth and carcase traits. At present, Wagyu Feeder Check is based on a reference population of 8316 genotyped and phenotyped Australian fullblood (FB; N = 2120) Wagyu and Wagyu-crossed (XB; N = 6196) cattle, principally Wagyu × Angus F1 animals. Aims. We provide technical details behind the development of the Wagyu Feeder Check and validate the ability of its GEBV to predict differences in performance of Wagyu cattle in daily weight gain at feedlot, carcase weight, carcase eye muscle area, carcase marbling score and carcase rump fat at the P8 site. Methods. Data supplied from eight commercial supply chains across Australia was used to generate GEBV using mixed-model equations that incorporated a genomic relationship matrix build with 82 504 autosomal markers. The bias, dispersion, and accuracy of the GEBV were evaluated using a four-way cross-validation scheme where, in each turn, the phenotypes from a random 1549 (or 25%) XB cattle were set as missing. Key results. The genomic estimate of the Wagyu content in the FB and XB population averaged 99.12% and 59.55%, respectively, and with most of the non-Wagyu content associated with Angus. The estimates of heritability (± s.e.) were 0.497 ± 0.016, 0.474 ± 0.004, 0.347 ± 0.014, 0.429 ± 0.003 and 0.422 ± 0.003 for daily weight gain at feedlot, carcase weight, eye muscle area, marbling and rump fat, respectively. Averaged across the four XB validation populations, the accuracy of GEBV was 0.624, 0.634, 0.385, 0.620, and 0.526 for the same set of traits. Conclusions. Genomic predictions generated by Wagyu Feeder Check can predict differences in feedlot and carcase performance of Australian Wagyu cattle. Given the large content of Angus in the XB population, further research is required to determine the predictive ability of GEBV in Wagyu × Bos indicus and Wagyu × dairy animals. Implications. Commercial feedlot operators finishing animals with a strong Wagyu breed component will benefit from using Wagyu Feeder Check for decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef is an indispensable source of protein for humans. The production is increased in recent years with the effect of increasing population. Besides of beef cattle breeds, male calves of dairy breeding and combined productive animals are also been fattened. The aim of the study investigate the carcass yield and characteristics of the some beef cattles. In the study hot carcass weights, carcass characteristics and skin weights of 588 male Holstein, Brown-Swiss, Simmental and Montbeliarde cattle breeds raised in Amasya region were used. For this purpose, the hot carcass weight data was taken at the slaughterhouse shortly after dressing and the weights of mince, cubed meat, steak, tenderloin, ribeye at the chilled carcass and skin weights of the beef cattle raised by the members of the Amasya Cattle Breeders Association were investigated. Slaughtered animals were fed mainly concentrated feed with commercial fattening feed. The hot carcass weights of slaughtered animals in Holstein, Brown-Swiss, Simmental and Montbeliarde cattle breeds were 343.70±3.12 kg, 319.80±15.50 kg, 336.56±3.58 kg and 349.44±6.06 kg respectively. The hot carcass weights of the animals according to age of 13-15 months, 16-18 months, 19-21 months, 22-24 months and +24 months were 316.44±8.20, 337.44±3.18, 342.00±3.62, 339.98±5.48 and 370.35±9.11 kg respectively. While the effect of breed on hot carcass weight was insignificant (p>0.05), the effect of age was significant (p<0.05). The breed and age interaction were significant (p<0.05). The highest skin weight was determined in the Simmental breed, and the lowest in the Holstein breed. While the effect of breed on mince, cubed meat, steak, tenderloin fillet was insignificant (p>0.05) and it was significant on ribeye (p<0.05). However, while the effect of age on mince, cubed meat, steak, tenderloin was significant (p<0.05), it was not significant on ribeye (p>0.05). As a result of the study, it was evaluated that different breeds reached their target slaughter weights in different times, and that breeders determine the target slaughter time according to carcass yield rather than age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation arose from the current problem in the entire territory of the Department of Atlántico in the Republic of Colombia, in which the livestock sector currently lacks a reliable modernization that contributes to the planning and profitability of meat production, translated into weight gain. The main focus of the study gravitated around the ignorance of the real effect exerted by meteorological and nutritional factors on the weight gain of cattle. As a possible solution, it was proposed to carry out a statistical analysis by means of a multiple linear regression model where cattle weight gain was the dependent variable to study under the influence of the following independent variables: accumulated precipitation for two weeks (mm), average daily precipitation for two weeks (mm), average daily forage height consumed for two weeks (cm), percentage daily average of forage consumed during two weeks (%), average protein percentage of forage consumed during two weeks (%), the average maximum temperature recorded during two weeks (°C), the average minimum temperature recorded during two weeks (°C), average daily temperature variation recorded for two weeks (°C) and average relative humidity recorded for two weeks (%). All independent data values were collected in the field. Once the analysis was carried out, it was concluded that there was statistical evidence to affirm that only the independent variables "accumulated precipitation", "average precipitation", "average minimum temperature" and "relative humidity" significantly influenced the changes observed in profit of cattle weight, being formulated a multiple linear regression model that contained only the mentioned variables, the rest were discarded. On the other hand, for the constructed linear regression model, the coefficient of determination R2 = 89.3691% was obtained, that is, for the significance level α = 0.05 (95% confidence level), this determined that the model of Multiple linear regression (A) explained the behavior of the average monthly cattle weight gain by 89.3691%. It was concluded, therefore, that the present work gives veracity to the determination of previous investigations where it is also concluded that the meteorological variables directly affect the changes associated with the weight of cattle for meat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cattle farming in Indonesia, especially in North Sumatra, is still a secondary livelihood for breeders. Treatment and processing of beef are generally done in the traditional way. The success of the beef cattle business is very dependent on the fulfillment of nutrients that affect livestock health. Therefore, quality and sustainable feed is an important factor in livestock cultivation technology. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of fermented feed on cattle weight at a small cattle farm in Pondok Rawa Village, Deli Serdang Regency, Sumatera Utara. Fermented feed is formulated by mixing corn ash and palm oil cake (5:1), coarse salt, molasses, and EM4 into chlorine-free water. The feed was stored in PP plastic and incubated for 7 days. Five cows chosen randomly were given fermented feed every day for 1 month while the other 5 cows were only given forage. All test cattle were about 4 years old and weighed weekly and the data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA in JASP 0.16.4. The results showed that the average weight gain of one cattle fed with fermented feed (1.54 kg/week) was higher than forage treatment (0.69 kg/week). This result was validated and substantiated by ANOVA test result showing that value of p < 0.05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Body and carcass weight are important economic characteristics for beef cattle production systems because the value of market cattle is based on weight. The possibility of predicting body and carcass weight through biometric measurements obtained from three-dimensional digital images favor the development of the production system. Predictive approaches, such as artificial neutral network, showed better predictive quality for body weight, while the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and partial least square models were the most suitable for predicting carcass weight. The objective of this study was to evaluate different methods of predicting body weight (BW) and hot carcass weight (HCW) from biometric measurements obtained through three-dimensional images of Nellore cattle. We collected BW and HCW of 1350 male Nellore cattle (bulls and steers) from four different experiments. Three-dimensional images of each animal were obtained using the Kinect® model 1473 sensor (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, USA). Models were compared based on root mean square error estimation and concordance correlation coefficient. The predictive quality of the approaches used multiple linear regression (MLR); least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO); partial least square (PLS), and artificial neutral network (ANN) and was affected not only by the conditions (set) but also by the objective (BW vs. HCW). The most stable for BW was the ANN (Set 1: RMSEP = 19.68; CCC = 0.73; Set 2: RMSEP = 27.22; CCC = 0.66; Set 3: RMSEP = 27.23; CCC = 0.70; Set 4: RMSEP = 33.74; CCC = 0.74), which showed predictive quality regardless of the set analyzed. However, when evaluating predictive quality for HCW, the models obtained by LASSO and PLS showed greater quality over the different sets. Overall, the use of three-dimensional images was able to predict BW and HCW in Nellore cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the live weight of cattle helps us monitor the health of animals, conduct genetic selection, and determine the optimal timing of slaughter. On large farms, accurate and expensive industrial scales are used to measure live weight. However, a promising alternative is to estimate live weight using morphometric measurements of livestock and then apply regression equations relating such measurements to live weight. Manual measurements on animals using a tape measure are time-consuming and stressful for the animals. Therefore, computer vision technologies are now increasingly used for non-contact morphometric measurements. The paper proposes a new model for predicting live weight based on augmenting three-dimensional clouds in the form of flat projections and image regression with deep learning. It is shown that on real datasets, the accuracy of weight measurement using the proposed model reaches 91.6%. We also discuss the potential applicability of the proposed approach to animal husbandry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Phytoestrogens are secondary plant metabolites that play a role in plant defense, and when ingested by livestock have numerous functions related to reproduction, metabolism, immunological functions and livestock growth and performance. Phytoestrogens are found across various plant species, with the most biologically active of these, isoflavones and coumestans, abundant in legume species. Understanding the overall potential health and reproductive effects that may occur in livestock grazing phytoestrogenic pastures is essential to mitigate any potential risks attributed to fertility loss or to introduce proactive management strategies to aid in improving growth and development. A review of their interactions with livestock systems will provide updated information for the agricultural and veterinary industries. Legume crops and pastures have a high economic value in Australia. However, legume species commonly used for grazing enterprises have been identified to produce high concentrations of phytoestrogens. These compounds are heterocyclic phenolic, and are similar in structure to the mammalian estrogen, 17β-estradiol. The biological activity of the various phytoestrogen types; isoflavones, lignans and coumestans, are species-specific, although at concentrations of 25 mg/kg of dry matter each of the phytoestrogen types affect reproductive functions in grazing livestock. The impacts upon fertility in grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep, vary greatly over length of exposure time, age and health of animal and the stress stimuli the plant is exposed to. More recently, research into the other effects that phytoestrogens may have upon metabolism, immune capacity and growth and performance of grazing livestock has been conducted. Potential new benefits for using these phytoestrogens, such as daidzein and genistein, have been identified by observing the stimulation of production in lymphocytes and other antibody cells. Numerous isoflavones have also been recognized to promote protein synthesis, increase the lean meat ratio, and increase weight gain in cattle and sheep. In Australia, the high economic value of legumes as pasture crops in sheep and cattle production enterprises requires proactive management strategies to mitigate risk associated with potential loss of fertility associated with inclusion of pasture legumes as forages for grazing livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "multidimensional" nature of the concept of welfare is reflected in the definition proposed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), according to which an animal is in a satisfactory state of welfare when it is healthy, comfortable, and well-fed, can express its innate behavior, and does not suffer pain, fear, or distress. Many of these aspects, in the real context of a cattle farm, are not considered, and most of the farmers' decisions are based on their experiences. In this proposal, we establish a many-objective optimization model for rotational grazing allocation based on six objectives that consider cattle weight gain and travel, as well as their welfare. The model is solved using the NSGA-III algorithm, and its performance is evaluated using a simulation study of 90 days of rotational grazing in which it is compared with the traditional grazing strategy. Average weight gains of up to 36.7 kg per animal are achieved at the end of the three months of simulated grazing using the proposed model. The results indicate that the allocation model generates an average weight gain that is statistically greater than that generated by the traditional rotation method but also guarantees improved animal welfare, the main contribution of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aubrac is a French breed of domestic beef cattle, becoming a major interest for cattle breeders in our country. Being a large breed of cattle, cows weigh is between 650-800 kilograms and bulls between 1,000-1200 kg. Body conformation is one of the main criteria for assessing bovine animals from a zootechnical and economic point of view. The notion of body conformation in cattle means the overall external appearance of the examined bovine, with reference to the development of each body region separately. The method of body measurements consists in the direct measurement, on the animal, of the different body and mass dimensions. With the help of these measurements, we can appreciate the development and connection of different body regions or segments that make up the whole body and the general development of the animal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growth of animals is important for milk and meat production. In developing countries record keeping is difficult and usually complete recording cannot be obtained from the cattle farming. Mathematical models are used to predict values from incomplete or partially recorded data and reduces the confusion for calculating the yield. Therefore, a study was conducted to know the growth of cattle by comparing three non-linear models and predicts the mature live weight. Methods: The live weight of cattle at 15 day intervals from 15 to 365 days was recorded and calculated the yearly live weight and weight gains of three genotypes (Red Chittagong cattle, Non-descriptive deshi and their cross) of cattle. Three nonlinear model (Brody, Gompertz and von Bertalanffy model) was fitted to weight-age data of 120 female cattle from 15 to 365 days in three locations. Result: The average live weight and weight gain of three genotype cattle ranging from 198.5 to 207.89 kg and 306 to 361 g/day, respectively. The brody model provides better goodness of fit than other models in all genotypes and Gompertz and the von Bertalanffy model showed better matched between the observed and estimated weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weighting the Hanwoo (Korean cattle) is very important for Korean beef producers when selling the Hanwoo at the right time. Recently, research is being conducted on the automatic prediction of the weight of Hanwoo only through images with the achievement of research using deep learning and image recognition. In this paper, we propose a method for the automatic weight prediction of Hanwoo using the Bayesian ridge algorithm on RGB-D images. The proposed system consists of three parts: segmentation, extraction of features, and estimation of the weight of Korean cattle from a given RGB-D image. The first step is to segment the Hanwoo area from a given RGB-D image using depth information and color information, respectively, and then combine them to perform optimal segmentation. Additionally, we correct the posture using ellipse fitting on segmented body image. The second step is to extract features for weight prediction from the segmented Hanwoo image. We extracted three features: size, shape, and gradients. The third step is to find the optimal machine learning model by comparing eight types of well-known machine learning models. In this step, we compared each model with the aim of finding an efficient model that is lightweight and can be used in an embedded system in the real field. To evaluate the performance of the proposed weight prediction system, we collected 353 RGB-D images from livestock farms in Wonju, Gangwon-do in Korea. In the experimental results, random forest showed the best performance, and the Bayesian ridge model is the second best in MSE or the coefficient of determination. However, we suggest that the Bayesian ridge model is the most optimal model in the aspect of time complexity and space complexity. Finally, it is expected that the proposed system will be casually used to determine the shipping time of Hanwoo in wild farms for a portable commercial device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research in Mexico has been active for decades in researching genetic improvement in beef cattle. This review uses master theses, congress papers and scientific articles published from 1987 to 2020 to summarize much of the relevant research, and addresses research challenges and outlook over the short-, medium- and long-term in this area. Research done over the last 34 yr has evaluated the productive and reproductive performance of Bos indicus and Bos taurus x Bos indicus beef cattle raised under tropical conditions. Multibreed genetic evaluations have been done for Simmental-Simbrah and Charolais-Charbray populations in Mexico. Analyses have quantified the importance of maternal effects on growth traits, and estimated heritability and genetic correlations for growth and reproductive traits in male and female Bos taurus and Bos indicus animals. The genotype-environment interaction has been confirmed to influence expression of weaning weight in Simmental cattle. Age adjustment factors have been developed for maternal age for weights at birth and weaning, and prototypes of national genetic evaluation were developed for stayability and heifer fertility. Genetic diversity has been quantified for Simmental, Charolais and Simbrah populations, and SNPs identified that are associated with growth traits in Simmental and Simbrah populations. Short-term goals include development of selection indices and prediction of the genetic merit of carcass traits. Over the medium-term, emphasis is needed on genomic evaluations for tolerance to heat stress, residual feed intake and health traits, while in the long-term the goal is to make interbreed genomic predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) crops have been extensively researched for grazing in Australian farming systems, with a focus on grazing by sheep. In some regions, dual-purpose crops have been grazed by cattle, but there have been reports of animal health problems. Aims: This paper sought to collate all known experiments conducted throughout Australia of cattle grazing dual-purpose crops, in order to evaluate grazing management options for cattle on dual-purpose crops that result in high growth rates and good animal health outcomes. Methods: There were six experiments. In Expts 1–3, cattle were grazed on wheat crops with and without available mineral supplementation of NaCl and MgO in a 1:1 ratio. In Expt 3, lime was also added to the mineral mix. In Expts 4 and 5, dual-purpose crops were grazed in combination with annual pastures to determine whether strategic use of dual-purpose crops could increase whole farm livestock productivity. In Expt 6, cattle were introduced to dual-purpose canola with different periods of adaptation (0, 4 and 7 days). Liveweight gain was monitored regularly to assess differences between adaptation treatments. Key results: Liveweight gain was increased by 0–27% when cattle grazing high quality, dual-purpose wheat were provided with mineral supplement. Cattle had an initial lag in growth rate when introduced to dual-purpose canola for grazing and this was not affected by the adaptation strategy used. Cattle that experienced a shorter adaptation period achieved higher weight gains more quickly. After the lag phase, average daily gain (ADG) was ≥2 kg/head.day, with an ADG over the entire grazing period for all treatments of 1.75 kg/head.day. The effect on the farm system was determined by extending the length of the grazing period on the dual-purpose crops. Grazing periods of shorter duration did not increase overall liveweight gains compared with grazing only pasture, whereas extending the period of dual-purpose crop grazing resulted in increased cattle weights. Conclusions: Cattle benefit from the addition of mineral supplements when grazing a dual-purpose wheat crop, with a response similar to that previously demonstrated in sheep. Cattle can safely graze dual-purpose canola and achieve high ADG. Inclusion of dual-purpose crops can improve overall cattle performance in the farming system. Implications: The potential area for production of dual-purpose crops within the Australian mixed farming zone is large and there may be insufficient livestock numbers within the zone to utilise the potential forage production. Cattle from other regions could be introduced during autumn and winter to realise this large forage potential during a period that is commonly a feed deficit on grazing-only properties. Estimates suggest that up to two million young cattle could be supported for 60 days, increasing liveweight by 90 kg/head. Beef cattle grazing dual-purpose crops on mixed farms can achieve high liveweight gains during periods of pasture deficit. Use of dual-purpose crops for beef production offers significant opportunity for the southern Australian beef industry. Growth rates of young cattle can be improved by appropriate mineral supplementation and livestock management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to explore genetic polymorphisms of the CCKAR gene and their relationship with the growth and development of Qinchuan cattle which could be used as molecular markers for the improvement of the breeding of Qinchuan cattle. Results: Here, we have identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at loci g. 1463 C>G; g. 1532 T>A; g. 1570 G>A; g. 1594 C>A; g. 1640 T>C; g. 1677 G>C; and g. 1735 C>T in the coding region of the bovine CCKAR gene. The frequencies identified on allelic and genotypic characteristics have shown that all seven SNPs diverged from the Hardy-Weinberg-Equilibrium. The SNP2, SNP3, SNP6 and SNP7 had the lowest polymorphism information content values, and remaining SNPs were found to be moderate (0.25 < PIC < 0.50). The genotype CG in SNP1 at loci g.1463 C>G had the greatest association with WH, HW, CD and CCF, while the genotype TA at the very same loci was associated with BFT, ULA and IMF content in Qinchuan cattle. The CCKAR gene expression level in adipose tissue, small intestine, liver and skeleton muscle was found to be higher, whereas, the expression level of mRNA in organs of other digestive system including reticulum, abomasum and omasum was moderate. Some expression of CCKAR mRNA was found in the large intestine, kidney and rumen. Conclusions: In summary, our finding suggested that the CCKAR gene could be used as a potential candidate for the improvement of carcass quality and body measurements of Qinchuan cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments were conducted to assess the morphometric traits in four indigenous cattle breeds (n=300) namely; Keteku, Muturu, N'dama and White Fulani, so as to determine the effects of breed and sex on the body measurements in cattle and prediction of the linear body relationship among body parameters using linear, quadratic and cubic functions, results of the morphometric traits data analyses showed that breeds and breed*sex were important sources of variation and significantly (P<0.05) influenced linear traits such as Body length (BL), Heart girth (HG), Height at withers (HW) and Head circumference (HC); N'dama had higher linear body dimensions than other breeds in this study as indicated by determination coefficients (R2) of regression equation that included all body measurements which were higher in White Fulani and Muturu (97.5 and95.0 %, respectively), it was found that the best and highest R2 value for White Fulani was obtained from the equation contained heart girth, height at withers and head circumference was found as97.5 %, followed by the R2 value obtained from the equation contained heart girth and height atwithers which was found as 91.8 % while the poorest relationships were found in Keteku with highest R2 value found in withers height (69.5%) and the lowest in the head circumference (37.9%), based on the R2, body length and other linear relationships were fitted best by linear, followed by quadratic and cubic functions while cubic term was not statistically significant for withers height and heart girth (P>0.05), the coefficients correlation gave the best and highest relationship between HW and HC in N'dama with a value of 0.94, and the coefficients correlation in the Muturu were generally lower as compared with other breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipogenesis is closely related to human health, livestock growth, and meat quality. A previous study identified that bovine lncFAM200B promoter has high activity in 3T3‐L1 mice preadipocytes. Thus, lncFAM200B was a candidate gene for regulating adipogenesis. This study aimed to uncover the role of lncFAM200B in bovine adipogenesis and identify novel genetic variations within the bovine lncFAM200B gene. An expression analysis found that lncFAM200B was expressed higher in fat than that in muscle, but the difference was not related to the total methylation level of the promoter active region. Moreover, the expression of lncFAM200B exhibited a significant positive correlation with the expression of C/EBPa during bovine adipocyte differentiation. To uncover the function of lncFAM200B, the full‐length lncFAM200B was cloned, and four kinds of transcript variants were found. Protein‐coding potential prediction and prokaryotic expression system analysis showed that these four transcript variants were noncoding RNAs. The quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction and 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine assay showed that the transcript variants decreased the messenger RNA expression of Cyclin D1 and inhibited the proliferation of bovine preadipocytes. Considering the important role of lncFAM200B in adipogenesis, we identified genetic variations in lncFAM200B. Three single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were revealed, and two of them (SNP1 and SNP3) were associated with Nanyang cattle body measurement traits. In conclusion, this study found that bovine lncFAM200B inhibited preadipocyte proliferation, and two genetic variations of lncFAM200B could be used in cattle breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perilipin 2 (PLIN2) is a cytosolic protein that regulates intracellular lipid storage and mobilization. However, research reports of the relationship between PLIN2 gene and growth traits in cattle are rare. Here, five novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)（g.3036G > C, g.3964C > T, g.6458G > T, g.6555C > T and g.8231G > A）were identified within the bovine PLIN2 gene using DNA sequencing and PCR-SSCP methods in 820 individuals from four Chinese indigenous bovine breeds. Overall, five common haplotypes were identified based on the 5 SNPs, with the most common haplotypes (GCGCG) occurring at a frequency of 69.0%. In addition, The 5 novel SNPs were associated with growth traits at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months in Nanyang population, and significant associations were found in body weight and heart girth. These results suggest that PLIN2 possibly is a strong candidate gene marker for body weight in cattle breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth weight and calving interval are included of productivity traits that can be increased by selection program. However, the standard of desirable birth weight in cattle during the selection program is important to prevent dystocia incident risk. This study was aimed to select Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) based on Estimated Breeding Value of birth weight (EBVBW) and Most Probable Producing Ability of birth weight (MPPABW) and calving interval (MPPACI). Total of 758 records data of BW were collected from Lombok and Sumbawa islands, West Nusa Tenggara Province. Research showed the average of BW in Bali calves were 15.69±1.70 kg (Lombok) and 13.49±1.89 (Sumbawa). The average of CI in Bali cows at both islands were about 385 days. In addition, the heritability (h2) values of BW in both islands was about 0.90. The repeatability (r) values of BW in both islands were about 0.30. Meanwhile, the r value of CI in Sumbawa island was 0.39. The highest of EBVBW for sire was +4.25 kg by bull's ID: 0838 (Sumbawa). Meanwhile, the highest of EBVBW for calves was +6.07 kg by calf's ID: 0917 (Sumbawa). The highest of MPPABW was +2.67 kg by cow's ID: 0872 (Sumbawa). The lowest of MPPACI was -25.70 days by cow's ID: 02076 (Lombok). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• M. bovis -positive cattle farms were associated with more lung lesions detected during meat inspection than control farms. • Meat inspection records can be used alongside other methods to identify M. bovis -positive cattle farms. • Mixing cattle from M. bovis test-positive and M. bovis -free farms should be avoided to reduce prevalence of lung lesions. Detecting Mycoplasma bovis on cattle farms represents a challenge in the absence of an outbreak or cases of M. bovis mastitis, yet identification of an infection is essential to control the spread of the disease successfully. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine whether meat inspection records can aid identification of cattle farms supporting M. bovis infection, and (2) to compare the average daily weight gain estimated from carcass weight for cattle originating from farms differing in M. bovis test-status. Meat inspection records were collected from two abattoirs in 2015; 80 677 animals in total. All the dairy and mixed breed cows and bulls used for meat production were categorized according to known M. bovis infection status of the farms from which the cattle were derived; positive, contact or control farms. The associations between animals from different M. bovis categories and lung lesions of bulls and cows (pneumonia and pleuritis), identified during meat inspection, and estimated average daily gain (ADG) of bulls, were investigated. The odds ratios for lung lesions, especially pleuritis, were higher in M. bovis test-positive or contact farms compared with control farms. Additionally, odds ratios for pleuritis were higher among animals from M. bovis test-positive farms and animals from contact slaughtering farms originating from M. bovis- free rearing farms. Bulls originating from M. bovis test-positive farms had higher estimated average daily gain than cattle from control farms. Meat inspection records can be used alongside other methods to detect M. bovis -positive farms where M. bovis causes lung lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Input parameters for decision support tools are comprised of, amongst others, knowledge of the associated factors and the extent of those associations with the animal-level feature of interest. The objective of the present study was to quantify the association between animal-level factors with primal cut yields in cattle and to understand the extent of the variability in primal cut yields independent carcass weight. The data used consisted of the weight of 14 primal carcass cuts (as well as carcass weight, conformation, and fat score) on up to 54,250 young cattle slaughtered between the years 2013 and 2017. Linear mixed models, with contemporary group of herd-sex-season of slaughter as a random effect, were used to quantify the associations between a range of model fixed effects with each primal cut separately. Fixed effects in the model were dam parity, heterosis coefficient, recombination loss, a covariate per breed representing the proportion of Angus, Belgian Blue, Charolais, Jersey, Hereford, Limousin, Simmental, and Holstein–Friesian and a three-way interaction between whether the animal was born in a dairy or beef herd, sex, and age at slaughter, with or without carcass weight as a covariate in the mixed model. The raw correlations among all cuts were all positive varying from 0.33 (between the bavette and the striploin) to 0.93 (between the topside and knuckle). The partial correlation among cuts, following adjustment for differences in carcass weight, varied from −0.36 to 0.74. Age at slaughter, sex, dam parity, and breed were all associated (P < 0.05) with the primal cut weight. Knowledge of the relationship between the individual primal cuts, and the solutions from the models developed in the study, could prove useful inputs for decision support systems to increase performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this work was to perform balances of energy, nitrogen, and phosphorus in pre-fattening and fattening bovine systems at Turiguanó Livestock Breeding Company, in the province of Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. Materials and methods: The botanical composition of the farms evaluated was determined, and energy, nitrogen, and phosphorus balances were performed. Results: The annual energy, nitrogen, and phosphorus balances were negative on the farms in the study. Conclusions: New strategies are required to enhance energy and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) use to increase beef production during the final stage. Accordingly, improvements in recycling, balance, and efficiency in the use of energy and these minerals are linked to increases in live weight/day, and better final weights for the industry during that stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between birth weights and body measurements of Anatolian Black cattle and to develop linear regression equations to estimate calf birth weights. The animal material of this study, 108 Anatolian Black Cattle were used which were born in 2018. Those animals came from 21 different farms which are located in Osmansin village, Çamlıdere district of Ankara province. In study, birth weights (BW), withers height (WH), rump height (RH), chest girth, (CG), chest depth (CD), body length (BL) and front wrist girth (FWG) were obtained in the order of; 14.451±0.397 kg, 57.775±0.347 cm, 59.843±0.382 cm, 53.510±0.517 cm, 24.137±0.281cm, 49.608±0.581 cm, 7.123±0.068 cm. The effect of calf gender was statistically significant only in FWG (P<0.05), but not statistically significant in other characteristics. The effect of age maternal WH, RH, CG and CD values were significant (P<0.05), on the other hand, there is no significant (P>0.05) effect BW, BL and FWG. The highest correlation was found between BW and CG (r=0.808) however, the lowest correlation was found between BW and FWG (r=0.467).In addition, the highest correlation between body measurements was found between WH and RH with a value of 0.965. Regression analysis was performed between the chest girth and the live weight measurement, which is the measurement value that gives the highest correlation coefficient so that the live weight estimate can be made with the body weight parameters; BW = - 15.53 + 0.5577 CG (R² = 65.3%) formula was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth traits are complex quantitative traits controlled by numerous candidate genes, and they can be well-evaluated using body measurement traits. As the members of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent family of histone deacetylases, class I sirtuin genes (including SIRT1, SIRT2 and SIRT3) play crucial roles in regulating lipid metabolism, cellular growth and metabolism, suggesting that they are potential candidate genes affecting body measurement traits in animals. Hence, the objective of this work aimed to detect novel insertions/deletions (indels) of SIRT1, SIRT2 and SIRT3 genes in 955 cattle belonging to five breeds, as well as to evaluate their effects on body measurement traits. Herein, the novel 12-bp indel of SIRT1 gene, the 7-bp indel of SIRT2 gene and the 26-bp indel of SIRT3 gene were firstly reported, respectively. The association analysis indicated that the indels within SIRT1 and SIRT2 genes were significantly associated with body measurement traits such as body weight, chest circumference, height at hip cross, hip width, body height, etc. (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Therefore, based on these findings, the two novel indel variants within bovine SIRT1 and SIRT2 genes could be considered as potential molecular markers for growth traits in cattle selection practices and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]