30 Years of Proof: Why Muscular Cows Mean More Meat, More Profit with Dr Linda Cafe and Brett Littler
Join us for another insightful episode of "Genetics in the Paddock with Emily" as we welcome Dr. Linda Cafe, a research scientist from NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Brett Littler, Senior Land Services Officer with Local Land Services. In this episode, we dive deep into a remarkable Australian study that ran from 1992 to 2020, exploring muscle scoring in beef cattle and its impacts on herd productivity and profitability.Linda and Brett share fascinating insights from almost three decades of research, demonstrating how selecting cows for higher muscle scores significantly increases meat yield and carcass efficiency—without compromising maternal productivity, fertility, or calving ease. We discuss the genetics behind muscle traits, the role of the myostatin gene, and practical strategies producers can use today to enhance herd resilience, efficiency, and profitability.Whether you're a producer, geneticist, or someone passionate about beef cattle, this episode offers valuable insights that challenge old myths and reveal new opportunities to optimise your herd's performance.To provide feedback, comments, suggestions for future topics, or guest speakers you'd like to hear from, please email:
[email protected] information is for informative and educational purposes only and does not constitute advice.This episode is produced by the Extensive Livestock Team within the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.Resources:Cafe LM, McKiernan WA, Robinson DL (2014) Selection for increased muscling improved feed efficiency and carcase characteristics of Angus steers. Animal Production Science 54: 1412-1416. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14316  Cafe LM, McKiernan WA, Robinson DL (2018) Selection for increased muscling is not detrimental to maternal productivity traits in Angus cows. Animal Production Science 58: 185-192. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13023 Cafe LM, Polkinghorne R and Robinson DL (2021) Increased muscling and one copy of the 821 del11 myostatin mutation did not reduce meat quality in Angus steers. Animal Production in Australia 33. 2021AAAS_Cafe_Linda (animalscienceconference.com.au) Greenwood PL, O’Rourke BA, Brunner J, Johns WH, Arthur PF and Cafe LM (2019) Cellular development in muscle differs between Angus steers from low and high muscle score selection lines. Journal of Animal Science 97: 3199-3212. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skz144 McGilchrist P, Pethick DW, Bonny SPF, Greenwood PL, Gardner GE. (2011) Beef cattle selected for increased muscularity have a reduced muscle response to adrenaline and increased adipose tissue response to adrenaline. Animal 5:875-884. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731110002508 McKiernan WA, Richardson E, Wilkins JF (2004) Effect of selection for increased muscling on early female reproductive potential. Animal Production in Australia 25:283. https://www.publish.csiro.au/SA/pdf/SA0401128 McKiernan WA (1995) Growth, carcass value and body measurements from high and low muscled bulls. M.Sc. thesis, University of New South Wales, Australia. Growth carcass value and body measurements from high and low muscled cattle (unsw.edu.au) O’Rourke BA, Dennis JA, Healy PJ, McKiernan WA, Greenwood PL, Cafe LM, Perry D, Walker KH, Marsh I, Parnell PF and Arthur PF (2009) Quantitative analysis of performance, carcass and meat quality traits in cattle from two Australian beef herds in which a null myostatin allele is segregating. Animal Production Science 49:297-305. https://doi.org/10.1071/EA08206 Robinson DL, Cafe LM, McKiernan WA (2014) Heritability of muscle score and genetic and phenotypic relationships with weight, fatness and eye muscle area in beef cattle. Animal Production Science 54: 1443-1448. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14347 Walmsley BJ, McKiernan WA (2011) Observed trends in estimated breeding values in response to selection using visual muscle score in beef cattle. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics. 19:123-126. walmsley123.pdf (aaabg.org)Â