Expert opinion
Kosheleva Maria Andreevna
Farmer with 15 years of experience raising goats and cows.
When talking about the body weight of cattle, they use the phrase “slaughter yield of meat.” However, farmers with little experience face difficulties when determining the weight of an animal. In this article we will talk about how many kg of meat are in a cow.
At what age is a bull slaughtered for meat?
Traditionally, young cattle aged 17-18 months with a live weight of 1 head within 400 kg are sold for slaughter.
Numerous studies have proven the following. It is this age and body weight that are most attractive from a consumer and economic point of view. Although at present, with a huge shortage of beef, and given the long reproductive period of livestock, there is an urgent need to reduce the turnover of livestock for a certain period.
And thus extend the production cycle of raising (and fattening) calves in order to stop the ongoing decline in the number of cattle. This is precisely where we see the relevance and great economic significance of our proposals.
Standard
The average weight of newborn calves is 30-40 kg, heifers are slightly lighter at birth than bull calves. Over the next 3 days there is active weight gain. Every day the calf gains 800-1000 g. The calf is still too small, its stomach cannot accommodate more than 1.5 liters of food at one feeding. Overfeeding does not have the best effect on young animals: excess milk is thrown into the intestines and often leads to disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of this feature, small feedings five times a day are recommended.
By the end of the 2nd month of life, the calf already weighs about 80 kg, that is, the weight with which it was born doubles. During the same period, there is a reduction in milk in his diet; he is gradually transferred to the usual feed for cows. This is done so that by 6 months the young animals eat adult food. So at 6 months, calves already weigh 120-180 kg. This is the best time to keep them on pastures, as young animals learn to eat grass. From such food they can get all the substances the body needs in abundance.
By the age of one year, bull calves and heifers weigh up to 400 kg, the daily weight gain becomes somewhat less and amounts to 600-700 g per day. Thus, with normal development, a calf can weigh up to 1000 kg by the age of 3 years. Most often, slaughter occurs at the age of 15-18 months; meat during this period is particularly tender, beneficial for the body and easy to digest.
Meat yield
To determine the meat yield, you need to know the average weight of a bull or cow. Bulls weigh more - up to 850 kg. And the average weight of a cow is 300-400 kg. In this way, the class of meat can be determined. Livestock weight is divided into the following categories:
- Class A, or selective category. It includes animals weighing from 500 kg
- Class B, or 1st grade. This category includes cows weighing 400-500 kg. It is necessary to pay attention to the physique of the animal. It must be proportional. The cow should not have any visible protruding shoulder blades, spinous processes of the vertebrae or ischial tuberosities. There should be a layer of fat throughout.
- Class C, or 2nd grade. This includes animals up to 450 kg. These cows have satisfactory body development. There are protruding shoulder blades and are also a little angular. The fat layer is not found everywhere.
- Class D, or 3rd grade. The weight of such cows does not exceed 300 kg. Such animals have underdeveloped muscles. The bones of the skeleton can be easily seen. But there is no fat layer at all. Such animals are usually not taken to slaughter.
How long to raise bull calves for meat?
In our article we tell you how bulls are fattened for meat. What are bull calves fed from birth?
We carried out research and production experience in the breeding community of the Magdalinovsky district of the Dnepropetrovsk region. Where, in accordance with the accepted methodology, 5 groups of analogue bulls (15 heads each) were formed.
Dairy bulls
- red steppe breed
- black and white breed
Meat
- Hereford breed
- Charolais breed
- Ukrainian meat breed
The conditions for their adequate feeding and optimal maintenance were the same.
Fattening of dairy and beef bulls for meat
For a more complete description, the relative growth rate indicator was used. Compared to newborns, the live weight of experimental animals increased by 8-10 times by the age of one year, by 13-15 times by the age of 18 months, and by 18-20 times by the age of 30 months. Which also indicates the continued growth of bulls. Interbreed differences are explained by the specialization of breeds and the intensity of metabolic processes in their bodies.
In dairy breed bulls, the average daily gains were slightly lower than in analogues of meat breeds. And yet, these indicators remain high throughout the growing period. As it turns out, the combination of high growth energy and multiple increases in live weight should be used in beef production and raised to an age while this process occurs.
Slaughter weight
Slaughter weight (weight) in cattle is the weight of the carcass without skin, head, entrails and lower parts of the legs.
The slaughter weight for sheep is the weight of the carcass without entrails and lower parts of the legs, and for pigs without bristles.
In poultry, the slaughter weight depends on the characteristics of the post-slaughter processing of the carcass: in uneviscerated poultry it is the highest, since it includes the weight of the bloodless and plucked carcass with fat, head, legs and internal organs; for semi-gutted - the mass of the carcass with fat, but without intestines; with complete evisceration, not only blood, feathers, fluff and intestines are removed; but also all internal organs, also the head to the second cervical vertebra, legs to the tarsus and wings to the elbow joint.
Economics of raising cattle
The profitability of raising cattle is largely determined by the cost of feed per 1 kg of live weight gain. It is quite natural that as the age of the animals increases, the consumption of feed per unit of growth also increases. This is especially felt with an increase in the live weight of bulls. Since the consumption of nutrients to maintain life-supporting processes in the body increases.
With the extension of the growing period, the increase in costs per 1 kg of live weight gain is compensated by reducing the share of costs for the reproduction of livestock and the maintenance of broodstock. This is especially important in beef cattle breeding. You can get a live weight of 700 kg from 1 calf, and not from two (350 kg each). The economic feasibility of this is also determined by the fact that the cost of feed during the dairy growing period is higher than during the final fattening period.
Due to the fact that the share of feed in the cost structure exceeds 50%, the younger the animal and the lower its live weight, the higher the cost of 1 kg of its live weight. Bulls weighing 600 kg consume 2 times more feed per 1 kg of growth than those weighing up to 300 kg. However, the cost of the daily ration of this increased part with a weight of 600 kg is 3 times cheaper than the diet of animals with a live weight of up to 300 kg.
Measuring cows
Options for determining the body weight of cattle without weighing:
- Trukhanovsky's method, in which the animal's parameters are measured.
- By the circumference of the abdomen and chest.
- Regression analysis for checking live weight. To do this, the girth of the sternum is determined, and the resulting value is substituted into a mathematical equation.
- Clover-Strauch method. A person takes two measurements - the length of the oblique line of the torso and the circumference of the chest behind the shoulder blades. Then it is checked with a special table in which both numbers intersect.
Raising bulls of different breeds for meat
In order to clarify the feasibility of slaughtering bulls of the Red Steppe and Ukrainian beef breeds at 2.5 years of age, we conducted a comparative analysis of their development up to 18 and 30 months. Up to 1.5 years of age, the growth energy of animals is higher than in the subsequent period.
However, due to the fact that the continued additional rearing of bulls (365 days) excludes the embryonic period (285 days), the total absolute and average daily gains for 30 months are higher than for 18. During the embryonic period, gains are 6-7 times lower than in postembryonic. This confirms the possibility of extending the growing period of bulls of both breeds.
Slaughter rates are directly dependent on the age and breed of animals. From one year to 2.5 years of age, slaughter yield and carcass yield increases.
Pulp yield
Meat breeds have a heavier weight and better morphological composition of carcasses. The yield of pulp in the carcass, the meatiness coefficient and the yield of internal fat increase more intensively in the period of 12-18 months. However, later these indicators stabilize or tend to decrease.
Beef cattle are characterized by the phenomenon of bonification. This convinces us of the need to clarify the standard for the yield of paired carcasses depending on the direction of the breed’s productivity and to increase the material interest in raising animals of specialized meat breeds. Age and interbreed differences in the specific gravity of first, second and third grade meat in carcasses are insignificant. This is reflected in the research of other scientists.
Organoleptic evaluation showed the following. As animals age, the aroma, taste, tenderness, juiciness, and color of meat and broth tend to deteriorate. Or remains at the same level. The overall score also decreases. However, the differences are not that significant. In all age periods, both meat and broth had a good score (4-4.5 points).
In the structure of the increase in live weight and carcass weight, a large share is occupied by the increase in pulp. There are interbreed differences in the weight and specific gravity of protein and fat in the carcass. As the age of bulls increased, the rate and weight of fat gain outpaced similar indicators of protein gain. The growth rate of offal is lower than the growth rate of pulp and internal fat.
Beef quality assessment
Intensive rearing of bull calves ensures that they produce full-fledged beef. For all groups of animals at 2.5 years of age, the dry matter content in meat exceeded 25%, protein – 22%. The proportion of intramuscular fat was 1.2-4.0%. And the protein quality indicator was at the level of 4.3-4.5%. A decrease in pH is a good prerequisite for the preservation of meat. Due to the rapid growth of muscle tissue, the specific gravity of bones decreases. Which is very important for the processing industry. All paired skins are classified as heavy - more than 25 kg.
Many scientists believe that the final criterion for the economic assessment of animals is the yield of nutrients in edible slaughter products. Our research has established the following. Per 1 kg of pre-slaughter live weight, the total energy value of bull calves increases up to 30 months of age. The proportion of protein increased until the age of two. And then it stabilized. The intensity of lipogenesis increased until the end of the experiment. This contributes to a dynamic increase in the calorie content of beef. As the age of bulls increases, the costs of raising them increase. However, sales revenue exceeds them by 1.5 times.
Raising bulls profitability
The rate of increase in the cost of 1 centner of pulp is lower than the rate of increase in the cost of 1 centner of live weight. Analysis of daily gains, costs of feed and material resources for their production confirms the advisability of intensively raising bulls of dairy and beef breeds up to 2.5 years of age. The level of profitability from 18 to 30 months of age increases by 1.4-1.9 times.
Weight record holders
The largest representative of the last century was the Donetto bull from Switzerland. At the age of 8, the animal reached 1.85 cm at the withers and weighed 1.78 tons. The huge bull was distinguished by a kind, non-conflict character.
In 2008, the largest bull in England was considered to be the Field Marshal of the Charolais breed. At that time, his weight was 1.7 tons and his height was 1.9 m.
A powerful representative of the Podolsk breed, Repp, weighing 1.5 tons, lives in Ukraine, in the Cherkasy region. Repp is ranked among the most prolific breeding bulls. Over the course of a year, more than 50,000 calves are produced artificially from him.
Accurate determination of the weight of cattle helps to solve many problems - from identifying diseases to planning insemination and diet. To do this, various methods are used that involve calculation based on measurements. The error in the indicators is 20–30 kg.
However, these methods are not suitable for determining meat yield from slaughter.
conclusions
In order to prevent a further decrease in the number of cattle, increase the production of high-quality beef and, on this basis, improve the supply of meat to the population, increase the profitability of the industry, it is considered possible to reduce the turnover of livestock and extend the production cycle of raising dairy and beef bulls in the steppe zone to 2.5 years age, live weight 650-700 kg.
During this additional 365-day fattening period, a bull can be inseminated into a cow, in whose womb the fetus will develop in parallel for 285 days. Thus, the agricultural formation will ultimately have two growing heads of livestock during the additional growing period. In the future, this process will continue consistently. The disadvantage of this proposal is a certain time delay in the sale, and therefore in the supply of beef to the market, which can be compensated for once by imports and thereby prevent a reduction in the number of domestic livestock for its subsequent increase.
Author: V. KOZYR, Doctor of Agriculture. Sciences, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
