Body traits, carcass characteristics and price of cull cows as affected by farm type, breed, age and calving to culling interval

Abstract

Beef production from cull cows is an additional source of income for dairy farms and greatly contributes to red meat production, but the sources of variation of live animal characteristics and the carcass traits of cull cows have rarely been examined. This study investigated the effects of the farm type, breed, age at slaughter (AGE) and calving to culling interval (Calv_Cull) on the body traits and carcass characteristics of dairy and dual-purpose cull cows. Data from 555 cull cows from 182 herds belonging to five farm types, characterised by a combination of housing and feeding systems, were recorded and analysed. Dairy breeds, such as Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss, and dual-purpose breeds (Simmental, Rendena) were included in the trait assessments. The day before slaughter, the cows were weighed and scored for body condition (BCS) and fleshiness, and then, their heart girth and wither height were measured. At the slaughterhouse, the carcass weight (CW), dressing percentage (DP), carcass conformation and fatness scores, carcass price per kg and carcass total value were obtained. On average, the cows were slaughtered at nearly 71 ± 27 months of age, 285 ± 187 days after the last calving; 615 ± 95 kg BW; and provided a 257 ± 51 kg CW. Nearly 50% of the cows fell within the BCS range of 2.75 to 3.50, and the carcasses were mostly graded in the lowest class of conformation and fatness scores. Cull cows from free-stall farms had a higher DP, carcass conformation score and price than those from traditional tie-stall farms. The breed influenced the AGE, live animal characteristics and carcass traits. Cows from dairy breeds were younger at slaughter, had a lower BCS and fleshiness, and greater body measurements, but a lower DP and carcass price than those from dual-purpose breeds, although differences between the breeds were found within both groups. The age of the cows at slaughter influenced the Calv_Cull and increased the BW, body measurements and CW, but not the fleshiness and fatness appreciation (both in vivo and postmortem) or carcass price. The increasing Calv_Cull improved the BW, BCS, fleshiness, CW and carcass conformation and fatness. In conclusion, the decision to cull dairy cows should also take into account the factors that affect their carcass value in regards to improving the carcass price of cows.

Body and milk quality traits of purebred Holstein and three-generation crossbred cows from Viking Red, Montbéliarde, and Holstein sires

“…The reason for this may be different feeding, environmental and farming conditions. Average HW and HG found in the present study for purebred HO were comparable with the figures reported for HO cows by Hazel et al (2017b) and Gallo et al (2017). Purebred HO had greater body size than crossbred cows, and this is consistent with the results of Hazel et al (2017b).…”

Short communication: Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Weight and value of calves

“…The effect of dam breed on the characteristics of crossbred calves was negligible. Only calves from dualpurpose Simmental cows fetched a higher price than calves from Holsteins (Table 1), confirming the results obtained in the previous survey on mountain areas (Dal Zotto et al, 2009) and the market values of cull dairy cows (Bazzoli et al, 2014;Gallo et al, 2017) and young bulls (Gallo et al, 2014).…”

A Study on the Effects of Rumen Acidity on Rumination Time and Yield, Composition, and Technological Properties of Milk from Early Lactating Holstein Cows

“…Rumen fluid was collected once from each cow through rumenocentesis on the 3rd day of the recording session. On the same day as the rumenocentesis, the cows’ milk yield was recorded, a milk sample was collected and a body condition score (BCS), evaluated according to Edmonson et al 1989 [14] on a scale ranging from 1, very thin, to 5, very fat, in 0.25 increments, was assigned by a skilled university technician having vast experience on scoring dairy cows for experimental purposes [15].…”