title: Effects of fish meal in beef cattle diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fatty acid composition of longissimus muscle.
abstract: We investigated the effects of fish meal (FM) in beef cattle diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fatty acid (FA) composition of longissimus muscle in 63 yearling steers (335 +/- 23 kg). High-moisture corn and alfalfa silage diets were supplemented with either a corn gluten/blood meal mixture or FM at 10% of the diet. Fish meal contained (as-is basis) 5.87 g/kg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 9.84 g/kg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Seven strategies were developed to feed either a control diet (no FM) or diets containing 5 or 10% FM with FM fed for either 56, 112, or 168 d before slaughter. Average daily gain and feed efficiency were not affected (P > .10) by FM feeding but DMI decreased. Within FM diets, cattle fed 5% FM consumed more (P < .01) DM and gained more (P < .02) than cattle fed 10% FM. Carcass traits were not affected (P > .05) by feeding strategy except for fatter (P < .05) and lower (P < .06) yielding carcasses in cattle fed 5 vs 10% FM diets. Fish meal feeding increased (P < .01) concentrations of (n-3) FA, including EPA and DHA, and decreased (P < .05) concentrations of arachidonic acid. Increasing the amount of dietary FM further increased (P < .01) concentrations of EPA and DHA and decreased (P < .05) concentrations of (n-6) FA. We estimate that a 114-g steak from cattle fed 10% FM would supply 35 to 90% of the current average daily intake of EPA and DHA in North America. The results indicate that FM may have a role in niche marketing of beef provided that eating quality is not compromised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Mandell
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Buchanan-Smith
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Holub
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis; D005396:Fish Products / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000592:standards; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011897:Random Allocation; D003313:Zea mays / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid