@conference {69502,
	title = {Crossing Angus cattle with Limousin as a method of increasing meat yield},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {70},
	year = {2010},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {189-193},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {The myostatin mutation in Limousin cattle affects both dressing percent and meat yield, without a negative impact on calving difficulty. A trial was designed to introgress this mutation into Angus cattle, using double-copy Limousin bulls to produce F1 Limousin x Angus. Crossing the F1 individuals would produce F2 individuals with a quarter carrying two copies of the mutation. A pure-bred Angus herd was maintained as a Control, for breed and genotype comparisons. A total of 269 F1, 34 F2 and 129 Angus calves were born in the first four years of this trial, before a lack of funding led to early closure. A total of 112 surplus bulls were slaughtered, and measurements taken over three years, including a {\textquotedblleft}butchers{\textquoteright} dissection{\textquotedblright} into saleable meat, fat and bone of one hind-quarter per animal. Limousin crosses were 9\% heavier as yearlings, 7\% heavier at slaughter and had 2.3\% higher dressing percent (55.3\% vs. 53.0\%) than Angus. Hindquarters from Limousin crosses were 14\% heavier than from Angus, and their meat yields were greater by 1.8\% (77.0\% vs.75.2\%), due mainly to breed differences in bone weight. Overall, the Limousin-cross advantage was 6.5 kg (17\%) of saleable meat per hind-quarter, with most of the extra meat in high-value cuts.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Cullen NG and Morris CA and Taukiri KR and Hill SW}
}
