Double Muscled??

[k alton]

Been listening to Guest25 (by the way Guest 25, I think "YELLING" is using all caps) share info about some breed I have never heard of. Would one of you seasoned cattlemen please tell me what breeds are "double muscled" and what does it mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages? And don't worry, I don't even own any cattle...YET!

 

[Frankie]

Been listening to Guest25 (by the way Guest 25, I think "YELLING" is using all caps) share info about some breed I have never heard of. Would one of you seasoned cattlemen please tell me what breeds are "double muscled" and what does it mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages? And don't worry, I don't even own any cattle...YET!

Here's a link to the OK State breeds site. Look up Belgium Blue and Piedmontese, Those are the two double muscled breeds that come to my mind, but there are others. When you look at them, you'll understand what "double muscled" means, especially the second picture down of the Belgium Blue. It's my understanding they they actually have the same number of muscles as "normal" cattle, but each muscle has more fibers than "normal" breeds.

Personally, I don't know that there are advantages, but someone can beat me up if I'm wrong in my comments below:

1. The cows are less fertile than normal muscled cows.
2. Double muscled breeds have more calving difficulty than normal breeds.
3. They produce very tender beef.
4. They produce a lot of very tender beef, great yield grades.
5. They don't marble.
6. In the commercial cattle business today, higher quality grade beef is more valuable than lower quality grade. Quality grade is based on marbling. So unless you have a specific market in mind, think twice about getting into them.
7. Some of them get too big and are discounted.

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/

 

[k alton]

Thanks Frankie...went to the link and the Belgian Blue looks like a body builder who overdosed on steroids. What is "shear value"? (Apparently a measure in which the Belgian Blue does not do as well as Herefords/Angus, according to the link).

 

[Frankie]

Thanks Frankie...went to the link and the Belgian Blue looks like a body builder who overdosed on steroids. What is "shear value"? (Apparently a measure in which the Belgian Blue does not do as well as Herefords/Angus, according to the link).

They are extreme, aren't they? The shear value is a measurement of tenderness. Double muscled breeds produce tender meat; it takes less shear force to cut them than other breeds. I think the info on that site is furnished by the breed associations, so you have to read them with care...

 

[k alton]

So I assume low shear value is generally GOOD. Which is why the Belgium Blue association would be stating that it has lower shear value than hereford/angus. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[jerry27150]

thought belgain blues went out in the eighties, when people tried them & had all kinds of calving trouble. havn't heard about them in years. i have seen some buyers cut out a calf that had too much muscle

 

[greenwillowherefords]

thought belgain blues went out in the eighties, when people tried them & had all kinds of calving trouble. havn't heard about them in years. i have seen some buyers cut out a calf that had too much muscle

I've a friend who has observed their calving troubles firsthand. The breeder in this area just schedules the vet for a c-section. The cows can only handle so many c-sections before they have to be shipped.

 

[Beefy]

and he keeps them around because...?

 

[greenwillowherefords]

and he keeps them around because...?

My friend is not the one who has them, he is a close neighbor to the guy who does have them, and helps him. The fellow sells the meat to people on a strict diet etc.

Your question is exactly what my friend and I have discussed many times. Why would anyone put themselves through that is beyond us.

 

[Beefy]

i started to say i bet the vet appreciates him but then i bet cutting out calves gets kind of old, real quick. yet another reason i'm glad i didnt go the vet skoo route.

 

[greenwillowherefords]

i started to say i bet the vet appreciates him but then i bet cutting out calves gets kind of old, real quick. yet another reason i'm glad i didnt go the vet skoo route.

One of my cousins is a vet. Just in the last year or so he completed school, and is the junior associate of a practice in West Plains, MO. He's into the large animal practice. I called him a while back with a question. Pretty handy being able to call a non emegency # at ten o'clock at night. Guess I'm straying from the subject at hand.

 

[4-H fanatic]

Been listening to Guest25 (by the way Guest 25, I think "YELLING" is using all caps) share info about some breed I have never heard of. Would one of you seasoned cattlemen please tell me what breeds are "double muscled" and what does it mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages? And don't worry, I don't even own any cattle...YET!

Here's a link to the OK State breeds site. Look up Belgium Blue and Piedmontese, Those are the two double muscled breeds that come to my mind, but there are others. When you look at them, you'll understand what "double muscled" means, especially the second picture down of the Belgium Blue. It's my understanding they they actually have the same number of muscles as "normal" cattle, but each muscle has more fibers than "normal" breeds.

Personally, I don't know that there are advantages, but someone can beat me up if I'm wrong in my comments below:

1. The cows are less fertile than normal muscled cows.
2. Double muscled breeds have more calving difficulty than normal breeds.
3. They produce very tender beef.
4. They produce a lot of very tender beef, great yield grades.
5. They don't marble.
6. In the commercial cattle business today, higher quality grade beef is more valuable than lower quality grade. Quality grade is based on marbling. So unless you have a specific market in mind, think twice about getting into them.
7. Some of them get too big and are discounted.

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/

I had a belgian blue steer and by the time he ws 6 months old he was so stiff he socould hardly walk

 

[Nesikep]

Digging up this topic from the grave, since It is one I've had questions about... I heard there are some breeds who are occasionally double muscled, depending on the strain... I think one may have been shorthorn actually

 

[CKC1586]

Piedmontese are a "double muscled" breed. They have a naturally occuring 2 copy myostatin gene. However in the Piedmontese this muscling does not manifest until the calves are about a month to six weeks old, so they are long and slim at birth. Calving had been a problem for a period when these cattle first came to North America mainly because there were bulls used that should not have been. Not to claim that there is never a problem calving but I doubt if there is a breed that can honestly claim they never have to pull a calf. These cattle produce low fat low cholesterol beef with high yielding carcasses. It is lean and tender very flavorful beef. There has been many studies done over many years at the MARC center and you can go to their site and read evaluations on how these cattle perform. (United States Department of Agriculture's Meat Research Centers Germplasm Evaluation Program). There is alot of information out there on this breed, just google Piedmontese cattle and look around.