Agricultural News
Higher Grades Matter to Beef Cattle Producers
Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:45:13 CDT
Dr. Brad Johnson of Texas Tech is working on how to maximize marbling without getting beef cattle too fat. At the recent 64th Reciporal Meat Conference that was held on the campus of Kansas State University, Johnson told fellow researchers about his work that has been done in conjuntion with Steve Smith of Texas A&M. Johnson says that for the cattle industry, grade does matter, expecially if you look at the historical difference in choice versus select carcasses.
On today's Beef Buzz, we hear about Johnson's efforts to look at interventions that could result in adding marbling without having to extend the number of days on feed once a beef animal has reached its full potential for expressing marbling.
One obvious fact that Johnson discusses today is that grass feeding is a slow way of getting a beef animal to marble, while feeding grain provides starch which speeds the process. According to the Texas Tech website, Dr. Johnson "is working on projects that include research to find certain agents to enhance marbling. He looks to use steroidal implants and beta agonists as a model to find natural techniques for increased muscle volume and intramuscular fat."
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the listen bar below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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