Table 4.
Post weaning adipose and muscle weights, and Warner–Bratzler shear force values in carcasses from wethers born to ewes consuming endophyte-infected (E+) or endophyte-free (E−) fescue during MID (d 35-85) and LATE (d 86- parturition) gestation.
| Maternal Fescue Treatment 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E−/E− | E+/E− | E−/E+ | E+/E+ | SE | |
| Fat Mass, g | |||||
| Kidney fat | 442.7 d | 393.2 d | 402.1 d | 485.8 c | 127.5 |
| Visceral fat | 1178.4 d | 1010.7 d | 1276.3 c | 1286.4c | 288 |
| Individual Muscles, g | |||||
| Longissimus | 1621.4 b | 1782.1 a | 1585.4 b | 1669.9 a | 183.42 |
| Gluteus medius | 625.9 | 636.5 | 604.4 | 583.9 | 86.70 |
| Semitendinosus | 359.5 | 355.3 | 331.6 | 349.7 | 43.24 |
| Psoas major/minor | 311.4 | 339.2 | 291.4 | 318.9 | 77.00 |
| Biceps femoris | 898.7 | 900.6 | 820.5 | 900.5 | 131.76 |
| Adductor | 353.0 | 374.2 | 342.4 | 358.9 | 48.56 |
| Semimembranosus | 900.7 | 920.2 | 839.5 | 897.0 | 127.76 |
| Quadriceps femoris | 1217.5 | 1205.0 | 1145.3 | 1167.0 | 133.14 |
| Gracilis | 176.4 | 194.8 | 156.0 | 181.5 | 57.76 |
| Total muscle | 6464.4 | 6707.9 | 6116.4 | 6427.3 | 178.66 |
| Warner-Bratzler Shear Force, kg | |||||
| Longissimus muscle | 1.55 | 1.74 | 1.63 | 1.72 | 0.568 |
| Gluteus Medius | 1.42 | 1.44 | 1.63 | 1.44 | 0.301 |
| Semimembranosus | 2.04 b | 2.32 b | 2.61 a | 2.24 b | 0.084 |
| Semitendinosus | 1.92 | 1.94 | 2.10 | 1.75 | 0.381 |
1 Fescue seed treatment: wethers born to ewes fed endophyte-free (E−) or endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue seed during MID gestation (d35 to 85) and/or LATE gestation (d 86 to parturition). a,b Means in the same row with uncommon superscripts differ (p < 0.05). c,d Means in the same row with uncommon superscripts differ (p < 0.10).