The Relationship of Ration and Inheritance to Certain Production and Carcass Characteristics of Yearling Steers

Abstract

THE variation in market price of steers is associated with the market value of the carcasses which in turn are valued according to their presumed eating qualities. There is a dearth of reported data concerning the variables affecting eating quality of beef; therefore, breeders have no proven selection criteria for improving the eating quality of beef. To understand more fully the relationship of the eating quality of beef to ration, inheritance and other influences, it is necessary to understand the relationship of these variables to each other. The data reported by Cover et al. (1957) were suitable for giving evidence of some of these inter-relationships. Materials and Methods Available for study were 18 Hereford steers and 20 F₁ (Brahman sires x Hereford dams) steers born on the McGregor Station. They were treated similarly until after weaning when equal numbers of each breed or cross were self-fed a high-concentrate and a low-concentrate ration in the feed lot for a period consisting of 14 days adjustment, 140 days test and 13 to 16 days holding after the test before slaughter. Copyright © . .