Summary
This peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of Animal Science, compared the effects of finishing beef cattle on different forage species (e.g. cool- and warm-season grasses or legumes) or conventional concentrate-based diets on production performance, carcass traits, and meat quality. Forage-finished cattle are generally expected to show slower growth rates and leaner carcasses than concentrate-finished animals, but may produce beef with more favourable fatty acid profiles, including higher proportions of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid. The paper provides evidence relevant to understanding trade-offs between production efficiency and nutritional quality of beef under contrasting finishing systems.
UK applicability
Although conducted in the United States, the findings are broadly applicable to UK grass-based beef finishing systems, where forage finishing is common and there is growing interest in the nutritional and environmental credentials of pasture-fed beef relative to concentrate-finished alternatives.
Key measures
Liveweight gain (kg/day); carcass weight (kg); dressing percentage (%); marbling score; shear force (tenderness, kg); fatty acid profile (% of total fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6); intramuscular fat (%)
Outcomes reported
The study measured animal growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality attributes in cattle finished on different forage species or grain-based concentrate diets. Likely outcomes include liveweight gain, dressing percentage, marbling score, tenderness, and fatty acid composition of the longissimus muscle.
Topic tags
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