Beef-on-dairy: current and potential meat quality of dairy-based beef production with culled Holstein cows and Danish Blue × Holstein crossbred calves

TY - JOUR

T1 - Beef-on-dairy

T2 - current and potential meat quality of dairy-based beef production with culled Holstein cows and Danish Blue × Holstein crossbred calves

AU - Drachmann, F. F.

AU - Johansen, K.

AU - Kargo, M.

AU - Buitenhuis, A. J.

AU - Therkildsen, M.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - This study characterizes rosé veal from 412 Danish Blue × Holstein heifer and bull calves and beef from 183 highly marbled culled Holstein dairy cows. Furthermore, it investigates the potential for breeding higher meat quality in dairy crossbreeds via genetic parameter estimation. Carcasses were split between the 5th and 6th thoracic vertebra and the meat quality of M. longissimus thoracis was evaluated for pH, color, cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and chemical intramuscular fat concentration (IMF%). Genetic parameters were estimated using an animal model. The crossbred bull calves outperformed heifers in carcass characteristics, while heifers were superior in redness, cooking loss, WBSF and IMF%. Heritability was significant for WBSF, cooking loss, and IMF%, indicating that meat quality can be improved through selective breeding. The meat quality of highly marbled Holstein cows did not vary across parities, highlighting them as an under-utilized potential source of high-quality beef from a beef-on-dairy system.

AB - This study characterizes rosé veal from 412 Danish Blue × Holstein heifer and bull calves and beef from 183 highly marbled culled Holstein dairy cows. Furthermore, it investigates the potential for breeding higher meat quality in dairy crossbreeds via genetic parameter estimation. Carcasses were split between the 5th and 6th thoracic vertebra and the meat quality of M. longissimus thoracis was evaluated for pH, color, cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and chemical intramuscular fat concentration (IMF%). Genetic parameters were estimated using an animal model. The crossbred bull calves outperformed heifers in carcass characteristics, while heifers were superior in redness, cooking loss, WBSF and IMF%. Heritability was significant for WBSF, cooking loss, and IMF%, indicating that meat quality can be improved through selective breeding. The meat quality of highly marbled Holstein cows did not vary across parities, highlighting them as an under-utilized potential source of high-quality beef from a beef-on-dairy system.

KW - Belgian blue cross

KW - dairy beef

KW - genetic parameters

KW - heritability

KW - Intramuscular fat

KW - responsible consumption and production

KW - shear force

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85203980239&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/09064702.2024.2403656

DO - 10.1080/09064702.2024.2403656

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85203980239

SN - 0906-4702

JO - Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica A: Animal Sciences

JF - Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica A: Animal Sciences

ER -