Growth of beef cattle as prediction for meat production: A review

Abstract

Increased interest in the breeding of beef cows results from the trends of society, especially in the consumption of quality raw materials of animal origin. Breeding of beef cattle is often encountered as part of a modern rural lifestyle. The good growth ability of calves is a decisive factor in the profitability of breeding of suckling cows and decides on the breeder's satisfaction in setting purchase prices. This quantity is expressed mainly by the average daily gains and the live weight of calves under one year of age. In addition to the achieved weight of beef, is very important shaping of individual body parts representing the most valuable meat parts of animal, to which the body measurements of sires must correspond. Weight gains point to the degree of adaptation of a specific breed to the farming conditions. Equally, the genetic basis of an individual influences the achieved weight of animal. Genetic improvement of meat performance depends on breeding programs that exploit genetic variability between breeds and within the breed. Moreover, the breeding conditions and animal handling could influence the increasing of live weight. Breeding efficiency will always be a summary of factors that determine the own cost and the purchase price of weaned calves. In view of the above, this review is focuses on the main intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the growth characteristics of different cattle breeds as well as its relationship with slaughter characteristics.