A COMPARISON OF BIRTH GROWTH AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN STEERS AND CHAROLAIS × HOLSTEIN (F1) CROSSBREDS

The growth and carcass characteristics of 12 purebred Holstein-Friesian steers were compared with 18 (12 steers and 6 heifers) Charolais × Holstein, F 1 crossbreds. The rates of growth were similar for the three groups except for the 400- to 500-kg growth phase when the females, Holstein and crossbred steers gained 1.25, 1.47 and 1.69 kg/day, respectively. After slaughter at 500 kg, the crossbreds were found to have significantly (P < 0.05) heavier hides and hindquarters and lighter stomachs and livers than the purebreds. The females had the greatest amount of offal fat (stomach, kidney, cod plus channel) (35.1 kg), and the crossbred males the least (24.3 kg). The crossbreds were significantly (P < 0.05) shorter in body length, wider at the shoulders and rumps and had greater circumference in the round than the purebreds. Since the average birthweights were similar in all three groups (47 ± 0.6 kg), these structural differences appeared to be the major cause of dystocia in the crossbreds, particularly in the case of primiparous heifers.