An academic at an Australian university has challenged some assumptions after conducting research on dairy beef at a recent International Dairy Week leaders breakfast.
Professor Jane Quinn is a professor of veterinary physiology at Charles Sturt University.
While often a major component of beef supply in many countries, dairy beef is less commonly utilised in Australia.
Reasons for opinions about dairy beef have included a processor belief that dairy carcases were of below premium quality compared to beef breed carcases, whereas dairy farmers believed that the prices offered for dairy steers of similar weight to beef were non-viable.
Consequently, many male calves have been euthanised at birth with others sold within five days of age as ‘bobby calves’.
Prof Quinn noted these options raise social license and animal welfare concerns, but also reflected the loss of considerable potential beef supply.
Her research project evaluated two growth rate pathways from birth to veal and mature beef end points.
Holstein, Holstein-Jersey crosses and Jersey dairy breeds were evaluated together with lesser numbers of British and European beef breeds.
All pathways produced beef of Meat Standards Australia acceptable quality, at least equal to the beef breed cohorts.
However, there were some issues raised, including higher pH levels.
Meat & Livestock Australia has set maximum pH levels in relation to MSA grading.
Dairy tended to have a higher pH, but that may not have been an issue for eating quality as Jersey and Holstein MEQ was better or equivalent to beef and correlated to marble score.
Prof Quinn could find no evidence for grounds to discriminate between Holstein and beef breeds and that growth rates for Holsteins matched beef breeds under similar conditions.
Jersey beef showed the highest meat eating quality scores, with Holstein and Holstein-Jersey cross equivalent to traditional beef breeds.
Although the pH levels were high, that did not influence the meat-eating quality.
She found a dairy veal pathway was viable and had high eating quality. Consumer analysis showed high eating quality.
MLA and Dairy Australia have funded a Growing Beef from Dairy project designed to increase the adoption of economically sustainable dairy beef production as an alternative to early life slaughter of surplus calves through the adoption of best practice breeding and feeding for identified markets.
The project, based in Gippsland, will develop a bespoke extension and adoption package to assist farmers to make better informed decisions on the management of surplus calves with a focus on the target market for the calves.
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