• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.332-344
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate slaughtering performance, carcass grade, and quantitative traits of cuts according to seasonal influence by each month in pigs slaughtered in livestock processing complex (LPC) slaughterhouse in Korea, 2017. A total of 267,990 LYD ($Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Duroc$) pig data were used in this study. Results of slaughter heads, sex distribution, carcass weight, backfat thickness, grading class, total weight, and fat and lean meat percentages of each cut predicted by AutoFom III were obtained each month. The number of slaughtered pigs was the highest in early and late fall but the lowest in midsummer. Only in midsummer that the number of females was higher than that of castrates. During 2017, carcass weight was the lowest in late summer. Backfat thickness was in the range of 21-22 mm. In mid and late spring, pigs showed high 1+ grade ratio (37.05% and 36.15%, respectively). For traits of 11 cuts predicted by AutoFom III, porkbelly showed lower total weight, lean weight, and fat weight in midsummer to early fall but higher lean meat percentage compared to other seasons. Weights of deboned neck, loin, and lean meat were the highest in midfall compared to other seasons (p<0.05). In conclusion, characteristics of slaughtering, grading, and economic traits of pigs seemed to be highly seasonal. They were influenced by seasons. Results of this study could be used as basic data to develop seasonal specified management ways to improve pork production.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.1064-1075
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• 2021

Recently, a high level of dietary crude protein (CP) has become of interest as a possible practice to improve the carcass quality of beef cattle, and its level has been increasing in the field. However, there is little scientific evidence that supports this. This study was conducted to test whether a high dietary CP level would improve growth performance, body metabolism, and carcass traits in Hanwoo beef cattle. A total of 32 Hanwoo finishing beef cattle (18 multiparous cows, six heifers, and eight steers) participated in a 12-weeks feeding trial. Two kinds of total mixed rations were prepared to contain two different CP; 156 g/kg for the control (CON) and 173 g/kg of CP for the treatment (HCP), while maintaining a similar level of metabolizable energy. The experiment was ended when more than half of the steers reached the target body weight (730 kg). Blood was collected at the end of the experiment. After harvesting, the carcass trait was evaluated at the slaughterhouse according to Korean standards. The carcass yield score and grade were also calculated based on revised criteria. Overall, dry matter intake, average daily gain, blood metabolites concentration, and the carcass traits, except for backfat thickness and the yield score, did not differ between the treatments. The HCP had lower backfat thickness than those of CON. There was no difference in the carcass yield grade, but the yield score was higher in the HCP treatment. According to the newly revised carcass grading criteria, both yield score and grade were higher in HCP than in CON. Increasing CP supply decreased the carcass's backfat thickness without altering growth performance and body metabolism, resulting in improved yield score and grade. Therefore, feeding a high CP diet may be beneficial in the farm income, although it may also increase feed cost and nitrogen excretion to the environment.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.437-444
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• 2008

Pneumonia is one of the important diseases in commercial pig. In order to delineate the relationships with pneumonia and productions traits, five different economic traits including carcass weight(CW), backfat thickness(BF), meat quality(MQ), carcass characteristics(CC) and pork belly thickness(PB) were measured in 6,362 commercial pigs. Significant differences were observed in all the traits with pneumonia(P<0.01). Carcass weight and backfat thickness decreased significantly as the symptom of pneumonia was severed (P<0.01). Also, when the pneumonia was severed, the carcass characteristics and meat quality became worse compared with normal unaffected animals(P<0.01). In case of pork belly thickness, the significant decrease was observed in pneumonia infected animals compared with normal animals(P<0.01). Based on this study, the pneumonia infection affects most of the important economic traits in pigs and it is ultimately needed to pay more attention to prevent this disease.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.606-614
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• 2018

It is important to understand how marbling traits and tenderness differ among beef steaks from the carcass grading site and other regions within the longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle, as these characteristics are closely associated with consumer acceptability and willingness to purchase. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the marbling fleck traits and objective tenderness parameters in the groups classified by the coarseness index (CI) of marbling fleck (high and low groups) at the carcass grading site ($13^{th}$ thoracic vertebra; 13T) and three different locations (13T, 9T, and 6T) within the LT muscle from well-marbled (marbling score 7 to 9) Hanwoo steer. Image analysis showed that the longitudinal locations had a significant effect on marbling fleck traits. The total area of large marbling fleck divided by the total marbling area (coarseness) was higher at the central region (13T to 12T) compared to the front thoracic region (6T to 5T) in the high CI group (0.23 vs. 0.17, p<0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed in the total number of marbling fleck within the LT muscle in the high or low CI groups (p>0.05). Location effect on objective tenderness parameters within the LT muscle was somewhat limited, although the high CI group had a lower Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS) value than did the low group (p<0.05). Taken together, the degree of coarseness of marbling fleck decreased from the carcass grading site to the front thoracic site, whereas the objective tenderness parameters, including WBS and hardness, of the grading site did not differ from the other regions within the LT muscle.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.206-215
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• 2010

A total of 582 gilts and barrows were analyzed to investigate the regressive relationships to slaughter weight (SW) of variables related to production efficiency and pork quality. Average initial weights and SW were 88.6 and 122.5 kg, respectively, for gilts and 88.7 and 121.4 kg, respectively, for barrows. Average daily gain and gain:feed ratio were not affected by SW. Backfat thickness, which was significantly greater (p<0.01) in barrows (23.3 mm) than in gilts (20.7 mm), increased with increasing SW (0.21 mm/kg; p<0.001). When the 4-notch carcass yield and quality grades were quantified according to an arbitrary 1 point-per-1 notch scale, the former, but not the latter, regressed on SW (-0.64/10 kg; p<0.01). The percent yield of the belly per total lean (overall mean=20.7%) increased with increasing SW (0.37%/10 kg; p<0.001), whereas in other cuts, the SW effect was negligible. The redness of the loin also increased with increasing SW (p<0.05), but other physicochemical characteristics were minimally influenced by SW. In sensory evaluation, effects of SW for fresh and cooked loin, ham, and belly were mostly considered insignificant in terms of quality, albeit statistically significant in several cases. However, positive regressions on SW (p<0.01) of the marbling and acceptability scores of fresh loin as well as the fat:lean ratio of fresh belly were noteworthy. Collectively, SW of approximately 125 kg was maximal for both sexes under the current carcass yield grading, in which 94 kg is the upper weight limit for grade A carcass. However, if the carcass weight limit of the grading was to be removed or broadened, the SW for gilts (but not that for barrows because of their excessive fat content at above 125-kg SW) could be increased to 135 kg or greater without compromising carcass quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1690-1698
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• 2011

Feedlot and in vitro ruminal experiments were conducted to assess the effects of saponin-containing surfactant applied during tempering of barley grain on cattle growth performance and on ruminal fermentation. In the feedlot experiment, treatments with three barley grain/barley silage based diets were prepared using barley grain at 7.7% moisture (dry, D), after tempering to 18% moisture (M), or after tempering with a saponin-based surfactant included at 60 ml/t (MS). Each treatment was rolled at settings determined previously to yield optimally processed barley. A total of 180 newly weaned British${\times}$Charolais steers were fed three diets in 18 pens for a 63-d backgrounding period and 91-d finishing period to determine feed intake, growth rate and feed efficiency. Cattle were slaughtered at the end of the experiment to measure the carcass characteristics. Tempering reduced (p<0.001) volume weight and processing index, but processing characteristics were similar between MS and M. Tempering increased (p<0.05) growth during backgrounding only, compared with D, but did not affect feed intake in either phase. During backgrounding, feed efficiency was improved with tempering, but during finishing and overall this response was only observed with the surfactant. Tempering did not affect carcass weight, fat content or meat yield. Surfactant doubled the proportion of carcasses grading AAA. In the in vitro experiment, barley (500 mg; ground to <1.0 mm or steam-rolled) was incubated in buffered ruminal fluid (40 ml) without or with surfactant up to 20 ${\mu}l/g$ DM substrate for 24 h. Surfactant increased (p<0.05) apparent DM disappearance and starch digestibility but reduced productions of gas and the volatile fatty acid and acetate:propionate ratio, irrespective of barley particle size. Compared with feeding diets prepared with non-tempered barley, tempering with surfactant increased the feed efficiency of feedlot steers. This may have arisen from alteration in processing characteristics of barley grain by surfactant rather than its direct effect on rumen microbial fermentation.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.109-114
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of environments (farms born, testing groups, age at the tests, date at slaughter, ages at slaughter) on body weights at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of ages, body type measurements at 18 months of age and carcass characteristics in Hanwoo steer populations that were collected from commercial farms and reared in a progeny testing station. Performances of a total of 1,838 steer calves set for tests from 2004 to 2008 were recorded. Carcass characteristics were the carcass grading results evaluated and data collected slaughter scores at 24 months of age. For growth traits of all age classes and body type traits measured at 18 months of age, farms born, test group and linear covariate of age at test were fit in the models. For carcass traits, date at slaughter and linear covariate of ages at slaughter were fit in the models. Effect of farm at birth was not significant for body weight at 24 months of age. Carcass weight, eye muscle area, yield score and back fat thickness were affected by dates at slaughter but not by the ages at slaughter. Marbling score, however, was affected by these two effects. Farms at birth did not seem to affect body type measures greatly. This study will be utilized for Hanwoo Steers genetic evaluation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.905-910
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• 2013

This study was performed to determine the influence of pig breed and gender on the ultimate pH and physicochemical properties of pork. The correlations between pH and pork quality traits directly related to carcass grade, and consumer's preference were also evaluated. The pH and meat grading scores for cold carcasses of 215 purebred pigs (Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire) from four different farms were obtained. Meat quality parameters of the pork loin were analyzed. Duroc and female animals were more affected compared to other breeds and male pigs. Duroc animals had the highest ultimate pH, carcass back fat thickness, marbling scores, yellowness, and fat content (p<0.05). Landrace pigs had the highest color lightness and cooking loss values (p<0.05). Among all trait parameters, marbling scores showed the highest significant differences when evaluating the impact of breed and gender on meat quality characteristics (p<0.001). Ultimate pH was positively correlated with carcass weight (0.20), back fat thickness (0.19), marbling score (0.17), and color score (0.16) while negatively correlated with cooking loss (-0.24) and shear force (-0.20). Therefore, pork samples with lower ultimate pH had lower cooking loss, higher lightness, and higher shear force values irrespective of breed.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.574-585
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate effects of a potato byproduct on growth performance, blood metabolites, and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo steers. The palm oil coated potato byproduct was supplemented to the diet of Hanwoo steers to estimate the effect on growth performance, blood metabolites, and carcass characteristics during the late fattening period. Thirteen steers with initial body weight of control ($676.8{\pm}31.7kg$), treatment 1 ($671.8{\pm}46.2kg$) and treatment 2 ($672.8{\pm}31.1kg$) were used for 60 days, respectively. Average daily gain of steers in treatment 2 and control was greater than that in treastment 1 (p > 0.05). All steers in treatment 2 had a grade quality grading system than B in meat quantity and had a meat quality higher than the $1^{st}$ grade. According to the physicochemical analysis of longissimus muscle, treatment 2 had high brightness resulting from high meat quality (p > 0.05), and a decrease in redness and yellowness is seen as a dilution effect due to muscle hypertrophy (p > 0.05). The fatty acid composition showed low levels of linoleic acid (p = 0.039) and arachidonic acid (p = 0.008) in treatment 2. This resulted in lower polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels (p = 0.034). On the other hand, high levels of oleic acid resulted in high levels of MUFA (p > 0.05). These results indicate that potato byproduct had similar effects with ${\beta}_2-adrenergic$ agonist (${\beta}_2-AA$). And there was no negative effect on the intramuscular fat. In conclusion, palm oil coated potato byproduct could be potentially used as an alternative growth enhancer.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.107-114
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding whole crop barley silage (WBS) on the growth performance, carcass grade, and beef quality of Hanwoo steers. Twelve Hanwoo steers (12-mon-old) were allocated into either a control (rice straw fed) or WBS (whole crop barley silage fed) group (six animals per group) and fed for 540 d until the animals reached 30-mon-old. Concentrates and roughage were fed according to the feeding stage phases; finisher I (12.16-monold), II (17.21-mon-old), and III (22.30-mon-old). A significant increase in growth was observed during the finisher I stage for the steer fed WBS, whereas a significant increase in growth occurred during the finisher II stage in the control group. The yield grade of the WBS group increased significantly with a 15.6% increase in the longissimus dorsi area and a 25.7% reduction in back fat thickness. Marbling scores improved 52.4% in the WBS group compared with the control group. A significant difference in treatments was observed for the proximate chemical composition of the crude fat content. The results regarding palatability traits in the WBS group showed a significant improvement in appearance. The results indicate that the WBS group had improved longissimus muscle and marbling scores on carcass grading compared to the control.