Meat Analysis

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:01 pm

How is this topic coming along? You have talked about Omega 3 and fatty acids, but are there measurements from other breeds to compare with, or just from oily fish? Without results from a cross section of breeds, how can any claims be made in favour of Dexter results?
It would be very interesting to hear if any further information has been forthcoming.

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 5:09 pm

As I understand it, any breed of cattle will have higher levels of omega 3 (and other healthy fats) if they are fed no grain or silage. Therefore, testing a grass-finished Dexter for healthy fat content, in my opinion, proves nothing that we don't already know. The Dexter is supposed to carry the "tenderness" gene. Has anyone heard of this? It is also famous for marbling but that may not be a selling point with some consumers/cultures. For example, I have read that the French eat beef from older, leaner animals that we Canadians would probably not like that much. Also, correct me if I am wrong, but aren't Highland cattle known for "leanness"? Is that then an indication they do not marble very much? All I have heard about the Highland breed around here is it is so lean it is tough.

So it would be misleading for any breed of cattle to lay claim to healthy beef just because it is grass-finished. The same could be said of Jerseys and Holsteins because grain-free milk is also very high in healthy fats! In fact, there are dairies springing up in the US that don't grain their milk cows.

I think you don't have to resort to expensive testing just to show your grass-finished Dexter is high in healthy fats. That's a given. I think you have to emphasize that because it is naturally well-marbled meat (and the consumer can see that for themselves) it has more fat to carry all those health-giving Omega 3's etc. A lean meat cannot make this claim.

It seems to me that the Galloway and Highland breeders in Switzerland simply have good advertising not necesisarily more facts.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:27 am

I have been waiting for the results of another bull to come through, from Genetic Solutions, before I got into this subject, but think that I should perhaps reply to your posting now, Kathy.

The following is a letter that I wrote to Beryl on Feb 22:-

"The new Genestar results for Hedgehog & Salty came in today. Hedgehog has none of the 8 desirable genes for marbling, but he does have 4 of the 8 for tenderness, and 4 of the 8 for feed efficiency. Salty (Hiyu Salty Rambler) has 5 of the 8 for marbling, 4 of the 8 for tenderness, and 4 of the 8 for feed efficiency. I think it will be found that Salty is exceptional. Even so, although initially these results appear a bit disappointing, it does not take much looking into the beef results to realise that Hedgehog's results are at least as good as average, possibly better, and Salty's are a lot better than most, (except for the Wagyus).
There is a huge variation within breeds, according to the lady at Genestar. The one thing I do know is that Dexter people should no longer be running around spruking marbling and tenderness without the science to back it up. I don't know if lack of a marbling gene means that an animal can't put any fat into it's muscles, even given enough feed; but the presence of tenderness genes doesn't mean that you can run a steer in a harness for 12 months, underfeed it, and get it stressed, and still expect it to be tender.
The way the genes are grouped, Hedgehog will pass on 2 for tenderness, and 2 for feed efficiency. Salty will pass on 2, and can pass on a 3rd, for marbling; will pass on 2 for tenderness; will pass on 1, but could pass on another 2 more for feed efficiency."

Kathy, I agree that preference for lean and marbling will be subjective. Perhaps someone can give me the objective scientific answer as to whether there can be fat deposits in animal's muscles if they don't have any marbling genes, or if it is all just deposited around the outside of the muscle. Perhaps I will make some enquiries tomorrow to find out.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:45 am

Hi All

With regard to fatty acid tests. In short, I am lambing round the clock and will be back on to it shortly after sleeping for a couple of days! Just about to deliver quads with a prolapse, etc, etc! If you don't do sheep, stay that way.

There are test results for other breeds because they use the results for strategic marketing I am told, but maybe not in the UK.

Adrian - Can you provide results for Highland and others that you mentioned are used in Switzerland?

Ditto for oily fish and I have figures somewhere.

I am in contact with a lab.

Clive

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:26 am

Could I make an educated guess that your sheep aren't Shetlands, Clive. We start lambing in April, I'm saying nothing about this year but in the last 6 years have had no sleepless nights, no triplets, no quads, 1 visit to the vet, I've given simple help to about one or two a year. As light lambs the returns aren't as good as for commercial sheep but you can't have it all ways! (Their fleeces are worth more!)

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:46 am

I shall seriously look into Shetland's. We have Shropshire's, because we're in Shropshire, and a commercial flock of Lleyn's, all shearlings. Quads, and more, are common, we've had only one.

Do Shetland's do OK on good grass because that's all we've got?

Bit cheeky talking about sheep on this site. Don't tell anyone.

Clive

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:49 am

I expect we will both get our wrists slapped soon, Clive, but never mind. Our Shetlands do fine down here in Wales where heavy rainfall gives us good grass in abundance. They work well with Dexters, tidying up what the Dexters leave. Last year we finished all the lambs on grass only and sent them in December. The price (for light lambs) was very satisfactory and the person who bought them was pleased with them. The ewes get ewe nuts and hay/haylage while they are in the barn for lambing . If it snows they get hay in the field, also if the grass starts to look a bit poor in Winter we give them hay but we seldom have to do that. They are smart sheep, come when we call them (with or without a bucket) and are easy to handle, including the rams. Like Dexters they haven't been 'improved' into something they were not supposed to be. As you can tell, I like the breed a lot. Wouldn't have commercial sheep, that's for sure.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 12:02 pm

Sylvia

Very interesting. Thank you. Our Shropshire's are smart as well though. They run the other way when you call and they also have the added advantage that they don't eat Christmas Trees. We haven't got any Christmas Trees but we might one day. I'm only joking, they're great and yummy lamb.

Clive

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:56 pm

Yeah, Shetlands (sheep that is). Mine start lambing mid-March. Check them at 11 pm then at around 6 am. They will rarely lamb after dark. I checked them around the clock the first two years then gave up. The same has been true with the Dexters. :D

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:42 pm

OK, I get the point. Shetland's it is. I'm still waiting for my LLeyn quad with a prolapse to start. Out of 170 ewe's, she's last, would you Adam & Eve it! I'm really fed up, seriously tired, and I've been lambing for weeks. We've had 6 dexter calves in the same time and I didn't even see them till they were born. Next year I'm going to buy all the Shetlands I can lay my hands on.

Clive

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:52 am

Good morning

I have decided to have the fatty acids profile of grass-fed dexter beef testing and reported on. It will actually be grass-fed and haylage-finished (using the same grass to make the haylage). I will then almost certainly carry out another test on 100% grass-fed-grass-finished, and also on grass-fed-grain-finished later on.

The results will be publicised and hopefully also compared to other breeds of cattle where we can.

The test will take a few weeks.

Many thanks

Clive

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:43 am

Good afternoon,
already, having injected B12 & selenium into 25 cattle this morning, to counteract local deficiencies. More to do tomorrow.

Testing will most likely be the way of the future for all kinds of claims regarding anything, in our case Dexters. Having the Genestar results for Hedgehog and Salty, I have now sent 3 other bulls off to be tested, two of them a lot more widespread throughout the international Dexter herd.

'Putting one's money where one's mouth is' is proving to be very expensive. These tests are for marbling, tenderness and feed efficiency. Clive, your fatty acid tests will be most interest, but only by comparison, as are the Genestar tests, by comparison.

Margaret

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:09 am

Hi Margaret

Yes, the tests are only on a certain animal, but that applies to any tests really, whether a car or food. I am really hoping that the test will show an exceptionally high omega-3 content compared to other beef, and it would be a dream if it were up there with oily fish! Who knows, nothing ventured....we shall see shortly.

Clive