Context Nutrition in early life can affect the long-term performance of livestock. Aims The present study evaluated the effects of rearing Wagyu × Holstein Friesian heifer calves either on a concentrate pelleted starter (CS; 90% DM, 19.3% crude protein (CP), and 13.8 MJ metabolisable energy (ME) per kilogram DM) or a forage starter (FS, ensiled alfalfa, Medicago sativa; 45% DM, 18.5% CP and 9.7 MJ metabolisable energy per kilogram DM) on lifetime growth, blood metabolites, carcass traits and meat quality. Methods Calves (n = 60) were allocated either to CS or FS diets. All calves received their solid feeds ad libitum from Week 1 and were fed milk in group pens (n = 10/pen) at 4 L/calf.day until Week 7, then 2 L/calf.day for 2 weeks. Calves were transferred to pasture 1 week after milk removal, with starter feeds removed by Week 15. All heifers were then managed as one group on a pasture-based diet until slaughter at 26–30 months of age (average of 483 kg liveweight). Key results Calves offered the CS diet were 14 kg heavier than were calves on the FS diet at 15 weeks (P 0.1). All blood parameters studied were similar (P > 0.05) between the treatments at 12 months and at slaughter. Depth of eye muscle and subcutaneous fat, measured using ultrasonography before slaughter, carcass weight and meat pH, marbling, shear force, moisture loss during cooking, total fat and fat and meat colour were also similar between the treatments (P > 0.05). Some potential was found for using blood markers to predict carcass traits and meat quality. Conclusions Solid feed type during rearing had little effect on liveweight or meat characteristics from 12 months of age to slaughter of Wagyu × Friesian heifers. Implications Calves can be reared on FS diets with similar long-term production performance as on CS diets.

中文翻译：

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早期饲喂草料或精料开食料对和牛×弗里斯兰牛终生生长、胴体性状和肉质的影响

背景 生命早期的营养会影响牲畜的长期生产性能。目的 本研究评估了饲养和牛 × 荷斯坦弗里斯兰小母牛对浓缩丸状开胃小牛（CS；90% DM、19.3% 粗蛋白 (CP) 和 13.8 MJ 代谢能 (ME)/kg DM）或饲草发酵剂（FS、青贮苜蓿、苜蓿；45% DM、18.5% CP 和 9.7 MJ 代谢能/kg DM）对终生生长、血液代谢物、胴体性状和肉质的影响。方法 小牛（n = 60）被分配到 CS 或 FS 饮食。所有小牛从第 1 周开始随意接受固体饲料，并在第 7 周之前以 4 L/小牛.天的量喂入组栏（n = 10/栏）的牛奶，然后 2 L/小牛.天持续 2 周。牛犊在取奶后 1 周被转移到牧场，在第 15 周前停止喂食。然后将所有小母牛作为一组以牧场为基础的饮食进行管理，直到 26-30 月龄（平均 483 公斤活重）屠宰。主要结果 15 周时，采用 CS 饮食的犊牛比采用 FS 饮食的犊牛重 14 公斤（P 0.1）。研究的所有血液参数在 12 个月和屠宰时处理之间相似（P > 0.05）。在屠宰前使用超声检查测量的眼肌肉和皮下脂肪的深度、胴体重量和肉的 pH 值、大理石花纹、剪切力、烹饪过程中的水分流失、总脂肪和脂肪以及肉的颜色在处理之间也相似（P > 0.05）。发现使用血液标记物来预测胴体特征和肉质的一些潜力。结论 饲养期间的固体饲料类型对 12 月龄至屠宰的和牛 × 弗里斯兰小母牛的体重或肉特性几乎没有影响。含义 小牛可以用 FS 日粮饲养，其长期生产性能与 CS 日粮相似。