Jacques Agabriel

Effect of grass or concentrate feeding systems on lamb carcass and meat quality

Thirty-two male Ile de France lambs were divided into four equal groups at age 37 days. Two groups were allowed to graze a natural pasture in France each at a different growth rate (grass high and grass low groups). The other two groups were raised in stalls and fed concentrates to achieve the same growth rates (stall high and stall low groups, respectively) as from the grass groups. The animals were slaughtered when they attained 35 kg and their carcass and meat quality were evaluated. Animals from the two high growth rate groups were slaughtered at an average age of 129 days while those from the low growth rate groups were slaughtered at 163 days. Carcasses from stall-fed lambs were heavier than those from grass-fed lambs as the digestive tract percentage was higher in the grass lambs. Carcasses from stall lambs had better muscular conformation score (P <0.05) and were fattier than those from grass-fed animals. Subcutaneous fat was more yellow and harder in grass-fed lambs (P <0.05). Meat from grass-fed lambs was darker (P <0.05) in colour (lower L*) than meat from stall animals up to 24 h of display. Meat from stall fed animals was more tender and juicier than meat from grass-fed animals (P <0.01), as judged by a trained panel of assessors. Typical lamb flavour was higher in stall-fed lambs (P <0.01). Meat from grass-fed animals had more pronounced liver flavour (P <0.05) and less fatty flavour (P <0.01) than stall-fed lambs. Overall the difference in meat quality between the two different growth rates was minimal.

Meta-analysis of the effect of animal maturity on muscle characteristics in different muscles, breeds, and sexes of cattle

The effect of animal maturity on fiber cross-sectional area, percentage of fiber types, activities of isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total and insoluble collagen and lipid concentration was investigated in the longis-simus thoracis (LT), semitendinosus (ST), and triceps brachii (TB) muscles. The analysis considered 2,642 muscle samples from bulls, steers, and cows of Aubrac, Charolais, Limousin, Montbéliard, and Salers breeds. For the bulls, the fiber cross-sectional area, percentage of slow oxidative fibers, and ICDH activity showed a quadratic relationship (P < 0.05), and the percentage of fast oxidative-glycolytic and fast glycolytic fibers and LDH activity showed a cubic relationship (P < 0.05) with increased maturity. A linear relationship was observed for the collagen and lipid muscle characteristics. The response equation coefficients for different muscles indicate that development of muscle characteristics is different for each muscle. Compared with the other muscles, ST muscle had a greater fiber cross-sectional area, proportion of fast glycolytic fibers, LDH activity, and collagen content. The LT muscle had a greater proportion of slow-oxidative fibers and lipid (P < 0.05). Within the ST muscle, all characteristics except lipid concentration showed different development between the breeds. Steers showed greater changes in muscle fiber cross-sectional area, percentage of fast oxidative-glycolytic and fast glycolytic fibers, and total lipid in the muscle with increasing maturity compared with bulls. The mean fiber cross-sectional area and percentage of fast glycolytic fibers was greater and the mean lipid concentration was less in bulls compared with steers (P < 0.05). Data for cows were from more mature animals. Muscle characteristics in cows did not show large changes with increasing degree of maturity. Muscle type accounts for a greater proportion of the variation in the muscle characteristics than breed and sex of the animal.

Young Salers suckled bull production: effect of diet on performance, carcass and muscle characteristics and meat quality

The aim of this work was to improve the knowledge on young suckled Salers bull production and to study the effect of forage type and concentrate level on performance, carcass and muscle characteristics as well as on meat quality. Twenty-four Salers male calves of 150 days of age were assigned to six groups: C0 (fed exclusively with hay and dams milk and slaughtered at approximately 6 months of age), and HH (hay - high concentrate), HL (hay - low concentrate), GH (cut grass - high concentrate), GL (cut grass - low concentrate) and CP (control pasture: pasture - high concentrate) groups differing in feeds received until slaughter and slaughtered unweaned at approximately 10 months of age. Carcass weights averaged 210 kg at 10 months of age at slaughter. Average daily weight gain (ADWG) in HH and GH groups tended to be higher (P = 0.09) than in HL and GL groups (1354 v. 1248 g/day). ADWG in CP group (1542 g/day) was higher (P < 0.05) than in the other groups. Carcass weight in CP group (230 kg) tended to be higher (P < 0.1) than in HL (198 kg) and GL (200 kg) groups. Carcass muscle weight was higher (P < 0.05) in GH (155 kg) and CP groups (165 kg) than in HL (141 kg) and GL (142 kg) groups. Carcass and offal fatty tissue weights and carcass fatness did not differ between groups. Neither forage type nor concentrate level had significant effect on the area of muscle fibres or on muscle metabolic enzyme activities (namely, lactate dehydrogenase - LDH, phosphofructokinase - PFK, isocitrate dehydrogenase - ICDH, citrate synthase - CS and cytochrome-c oxidase - COX). semitendinosus muscle of CP group presented higher CS enzyme activities (8.10 μmol/min per g) than HH (5.30 μmol/min per g) and GL (4.52 μmol/min per g) groups. Neither total nor insoluble collagen content significantly differed between groups. Lipid content in rectus abdominis muscle was relatively low (average 67.5 mg/g dry matter) and was not affected by diet (P > 0.05). The ratio between n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content was lower (P = 0.01) in the low-concentrate-fed than in the high-concentrate-fed group (3.95 v. 5.37, respectively). Sensory analysis noted that longissimus thoracis muscle from CP animals was more tender and juicy than that from HH and GH animals (P < 0.05).

Effects of hay quality on intake, growth path, body composition and muscle characteristics of Salers heifers

A comparison between continuously (CG group, n = 9) and discontinuously (DG, n = 14) growing Salers heifers during a two year growth period after weaning was performed. Feed was available to all animals ad libitum throughout the experiment. Growth differences in the winter resulted from a different quality of the offered hay. In the summer, the animals were conducted indoors and offered the same good quality hay. Serial slaughter was carried out in order to estimate the evolution of body composition and muscle characteristics (fibre type and area, collagen) which may influence meat quality. This experimental scheme made it possible to simulate two types of nutritional environment (poor and rich) and to study their impact on intake, growth, body composition and muscle characteristics of the animals. DG heifers always underwent a summer compensatory growth, even though not complete, when compared with CG animals. The final slaughter was carried out at the same live weight, approximately 700 kg. On average, DG heifers were therefore slaughtered 56 days later than CG animals. The differences in mean daily weight gains always neared 300 g.d–1, respectively in favour of CG in the winter and DG in the summer. Growth compensation was attributable to an increased intake (between +6 and +7%) in the summer and a tendency for a higher growth efficiency of DG animals. No significant major difference was detected between CG and DG body composition at the final slaughter at which final carcass was approximately 400 kg and total adipose tissue weight reached approximately 130 kg (21.5% of the empty body weight). Final muscle characteristics were not modified by growth type either. It was concluded that growth path can vary according to food availability, without affecting the characteristics of the finished carcasses at constant weight. growth path / heifer / body composition / muscle characteristics / hay intake * Corresponding author: hoch@vet-nantes.fr Present address: UMR ENV Nantes INRA Gestion de la Santé Animale, Atlanpole-Chantrerie, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes Cedex 03, France. Article published by EDP Sciences and available at http://www.edpsciences.org/animres or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/animres:2005022

On-Farm Weather Risk Management in Suckler Cow Farms: A Recursive Discrete Stochastic Programming Approach

The 4.3 million French suckler cows represent more than one third of all European suckler cows and supply around 60% of the beef production in France. They also participate in rural development, as few economic alternatives to livestock farming exist in these production areas and they help in maintaining large areas under grassland which favors biodiversity and limits pollution and erosion (Le Goffe 2003), even if their complete environmental impact should be taken into account (FAO 2006). However, these farms rely on grassland production which is very sensitive to weather conditions (Gateau et al. 2006). Currently the EU and France are thinking at introducing a risk management framework into their agricultural policy. Since farmers individual risk-management strategies can supplement or replace public compensation policies and private insurance, they have to be well understood. Farm risk management aims at profitably securing and improving farms potential of profit over time. It encompasses two stages. The first one, prior to the realisation of a random event, deals with the mitigation of future risks of loss. The second stage, subsequent to the realisation of this uncertain event, corresponds to decisions adjustments in order to take advantage or to limit damages caused by the random event. These two stages are interlinked since first stage decisions can reduce for instance farm exposure or increase adjustments capacity.

Impact of animal and management factors on collagen characteristics in beef: a meta-analysis approach.

The aim of this paper was to identify pre-slaughter factors that modify total and insoluble collagen contents in bovine muscle to construct a model of collagen dynamics. The meta-analyses were performed with primary data of total (n = 1165) and insoluble (n = 1145) collagen contents from INRA experiments obtained from different muscles in young bulls, cows and steers. According to both the bibliography and meta-analyses, total collagen content and solubility were greatly affected by the muscle (type). Moreover, the pattern of the evolution of collagen characteristics was similar among Longissimus, Semitendinosus and Triceps brachii muscles in young bulls. In cows, collagen contents in the Triceps brachii muscle had delayed dynamics compared with the other muscles. Collagen characteristics differed among breeds because of variation in the maturity of the breed. Similarly, according to the meta-analyses, total and insoluble collagen content evolutions with the degree of maturity (DOM; proportion of adult weight reached at slaughter) were different in dairy and rustic breeds from those of beef breeds, especially in bulls. Although the relationships between collagen content and DOM were quantified in different muscles and sexes, the precision of the fitted equations was not sufficient for prediction. Consequently, relying on the hypotheses raised by the meta-analysis and the literature, an approach to further develop a dynamic mechanistic model of soluble and insoluble collagen content is proposed.

Traceability of grass feeding in beef: terpenes, 2,3-octanedione and skatole accumulation in adipose tissue of young bulls.

The development of analytical methods to verify the production system of meat products requires the identification of biomarkers that can trace the products origin, and secondly the factors that govern the deposition of these markers in animal tissue need to be defined. In this study, 2,3-octanedione, skatole and terpenes were selected as biomarkers, and their deposition was investigated in bull calves reared under three different strategies. All of the animals were reared indoors until approximately 150 days of age. They were suckled twice a day by their mothers, and both calves and cows had free access to cocksfoot hay. Then the first two groups of animals were kept indoors, suckled by their mothers twice a day and received either cocksfoot hay (HL) or freshly cut-green herbage (GL) and a limited quantity of concentrate. The third group of calves (PH) was kept on pasture with their mothers and offered concentrate ad libitum. The pasture supporting the PH animals was highly diversified, containing several terpene-rich plant species, whereas the herbage for the GL animals contained no species known to be aromatic. Perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissues were analysed for volatile compounds. The perirenal fat was found to be more responsive to the treatment and a more reliable substrate than the subcutaneous adipose tissue. Higher levels of 2,3-octanedione (P < 0.05) were found in PH and GL than in HL fat (6.56, 6.51 and 5.77 area arbitrary units, respectively, in perirenal fat), confirming the ability of this molecule to trace green herbage feeding. Skatole was detected in the perirenal and subcutaneous fat of all the animals. Animals receiving high concentrate level (PH group) presented lower (P < 0.05) skatole values (5.83 area arbitrary units in perirenal fat) than animals receiving low concentrate level (HL and GL groups, 6.23 and 6.71 area arbitrary units, respectively, in perirenal fat). Terpenoids, and especially sesquiterpenes, were found at higher levels and diversities in the PH than in the GL and HL animals. Two monoterpenoids allowed group discrimination considering perirenal or subcutaneous fat without distinction, whereas 11 and 5 sesquiterpenoids from perirenal and subcutaneous fat, respectively, allowed it.

The chemical composition of carcasses can be predicted from proxy traits in finishing male beef cattle: A meta-analysis.

Management practices can contribute to improving carcass quality if carcass quality could be simply evaluated under a wide range of conditions. The objective of this study was to derive quantitative relationships between the most accurate (but laborious) measurements of carcass chemical composition and proxy traits easily obtainable at slaughter (yield grade, subcutaneous fat thickness, marbling, ribeye area and hot carcass weight) by meta-analysis. Data from 34 publications using male beef cattle were used to develop and validate the models. The breeds were characterized according to origin, rate of maturity, production purpose and frame size. The results indicated that the changes in carcass fat and protein can be predicted from the yield grade or subcutaneous fat thickness, and hot carcass weight, with prediction errors ranging between 9 and 12%. Including the breed characteristics in the models did not improve the fit. The relationships are applicable to group values of male beef cattle having light and fatty carcasses from early-maturing British breeds.

Subcutaneous body lipids affect cyclicity and estrus behavior in primiparous Charolais cows

Conception rate and the calving interval of beef cows are known to be influenced by body reserves at calving and subsequent postpartum changes. However, few studies have focused on the effect of body reserve dynamics on both postpartum cyclicity and estrus expression. Two successive similar experiments (Year 1: n=14; Year 2: n=16) were carried out on primiparous Charolais cows reared indoors during winter to quantify the effects of adipose cell diameter at calving (ACDca) and their postpartum changes (ACDch) on cyclicity and estrus behavior. Cows were managed to calve with a body condition score (BCS, scale 0-5) of 2.5 (Year 1) and 1.5 (Year 2). After calving cows were assigned to a Low vs. a High energy level diet until turn out to pasture in May. Within years ACDca was similar between Low and High groups whereas calving to turnout changes of body weight (BW), BCS and adipose cell diameter differed (P<0.0001). The interval between calving and resumption of luteal activity was negatively correlated with ACDca (P=0.001). Estrus duration (interval between first and last standing to be mounted (STBM)) was longer in Low than in High groups (P=0.02). Number of STMB was higher in Low than in High cows. Adipose cell diameter at calving and postpartum changes had distinct effects on the components of reproductive performance; emphasizing the need to consider both amounts and changes of body lipids to predict relationships between nutrition and reproduction in cows.

Influence of the calf presence during milking on dairy performance, milk fatty acid composition, lipolysis and cheese composition in Salers cows during winter and grazing seasons

The milking of Salers cows requires the presence of the calf. The removal of the calf would simplify the milking routine, but it could also modify the milk yield and the milk and cheese composition. Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of calf presence during milking during sampling period (winter or grazing periods), on dairy performance, milk fatty acid (FA) composition, lipolysis and cheese yield and composition. Nine and 8 Salers lactating cows were milked in the presence (CP) or absence (CA) of their calves respectively. During winter, the cows were fed a hay-based diet and then they only grazed a grassland pasture. Calf presence during milking increased milk yield and milk 16:0 concentration and decreased milk fat content and milk total odd- and branched-chain FA (OBCFA) concentrations. Calf presence only increased initial lipolysis in milk collected during the winter season. Milk from CP cows compared to CA cows resulted in a lower cheese yield and ripened cheeses with lower fat content. Milk from the grazing season had lower saturated medium-chain FA and OBCFA concentrations and higher 18:0, cis-9-18:1, trans-11-18:1 and cis-9, trans-11-CLA concentrations than that from the winter season. Initial milk lipolysis was higher in the winter than in the grazing season. These variations could be due to seasonal changes in the basal diet. Furthermore, the effect of calf presence during milking on milk fat composition was lower than that on dairy performance, cheese yield and composition. Removing the calf during the milking of Salers cows seems feasible without a decrease in milked milk, and with a positive effect on cheese yield and fat content, under the condition that we are able to select cows having the capacity to be milked easily without the calf.