Double muscling I. – Perfomance and carcass characteristics in beef cattle

Abstract

Double muscling or muscular hypertrophy is a genetic inherited found in many species of economic interest, such as cattle, sheep and pigs. The highest frequency in cattle is found in Belgian Blue and Piedmontese breeds. However it is also found in Charolais, Rubea Galega, Marchigiana and others breeds. The superior carcass characteristics and higher proportion of prime cuts have been responsible by the increase in the number of animals with muscular hypertrophy around the world, due to either the systematic selection of animals for double muscling or the use of double muscled animals in crossbreeding. Despite of the fact that double muscling is associated with reduced fertility and dystocia, in the economic context, the gains in feed conversion and meat quality (leaner and more tender beef) are outweighing the costs of these problems.