 Nevada
County Podcast
March 30, 2010
Beef Carcass Quality Effect of Animal Age on Beef Quality (2:55 minutes)
Audio/Video Script:
Melissa Beck
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
[Title Slide] Animal Science Podcast Series; picture of cows grazing and beef
carcasses; Beef Carcass Quality Effect of Animal Age on Beef Quality; U of A University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture]
[Slide - Beef Carcass Quality Effect of Animal Age on Beef Quality;
Dr. Jason Apple, Professor Animal Science; Dr. Shane Gadberry, Assistant
Professor Animal Science; Dr. Brett Barham, Assistant Professor Animal
Science; Dr. Paul Beck, Associate Professor Animal Science; Melissa
Beck, C E A Nevada County; U of A University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture; www.uaex.edu]
[Melissa Beck, narrator] Age of animal at slaughter has a large
impact on beef quality and consumer acceptance. [Picture of a cow
feeding] As animals mature, the
lean tends to become darker and less tender. [Picture of hanging beef
carcasses] Most cattle are slaughtered
at less than 30 months of age which places them in the A maturity class.
When chronological age is not known, [Picture of a beef grader examining
carcasses] the beef grader will examine the
bone and cartilage of the animal to estimate age. As maturity, or age,
increases beyond 30 months, an increase in marbling is required in order
to maintain quality grade levels.
[Slide - Age Requirements for Beef Exports; most countries: Animals must be
less than 30 months of age; Japan: Animal must be less than 21 months of age. U
of A University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture;
www.uaex.edu] Concerns regarding BSE or "mad cow disease" have resulted in trade
restrictions on the age of beef at slaughter by many importers of U.S. beef. Most
countries require beef animals be less than 30 months of age at slaughter, while
Japan has a more stringent requirement of less than 21 months of age.
[Line chart showing percent choice from 1935 to 2005] In an effort to determine the causes of declining quality grades the U.S. beef
industry has considered the age of animal at finishing in research studies.
[Pictures of a beef cows] Research from the University of Arkansas has been conducted to determine the
effect of feeding calves entering the feedlot at 10 months of age and
slaughtered at 14 months of age, compared to feeding yearlings entering the
feedlot at 14 months of age and slaughtered at 17 months of age.
[Pictures of a cows in a feedlot]
Meat Scientist, Dr. Jason Apple, with the University of Arkansas Animal
Science Department is a member of this research team.
[Dr. Jason Apple] "Well, we're talking about age of calf entering the feedyard and there is a
lot of argument these days based on whether they should be yearlings possibly
after going through the stocker phase or should be calf fed, in other words
directly from weaning into the feedyard. That argument persists on a number of
reasons, primarily yearlings being a little longer and a little older and the concern over
exportation; the thirty months of age and those type of deals.
Recently some research, conducted at the University of Arkansas down at Hope with Paul Beck's group we compared looking at calf-fed
versus yearling-fed cattle and how their performance was both in backgrounding
phase and in the feedyard. We really and truly have not found any difference
whether from the standpoint of percent choice [Bar chart showing age of
finishing and percent choice - calf fed around 85% and yearling around 93%] and quality grade and yield grade
aspects.
[Bar chart showing age of finishing and shear force - w b shear force,
pounds, calf fed and yearling, 5] Also when we looked at the sheer force and the
sensory panel data they could find absolutely no differences whatsoever in the
cooked palatability or tenderness of beef from yearlings or calf-fed." [Bar
chart showing age of finishing and beef quality (sensory rating 1 to 9 scale) -
tenderness calf fed around 6.3, yearling around 6.5; juiciness calf fed around
6.5, yearling around 6.3; beef flavor calf fed and yearling around 6.5]
[Slide - Beef Carcass Quality Effect of Animal Age on Beef Quality; Dr. Jason
Apple, Professor Animal Science; Dr. Shane Gadberry, Assistant Professor Animal
Science; Dr. Brett Barham, Assistant Professor Animal Science; Dr. Paul Beck,
Associate Professor Animal Science; Melissa Beck, C E A Nevada County; Arkansas
Beef Checked; U of A University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture;
www.uaex.edu]
[Melissa Beck, narrator] When animals are well managed and slaughtered at
less than twenty months of age beef quality, tenderness and juiciness is not
affected by age at feeding or the pre-feeding growing program. For more
information contact your county Extension agent.
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