IT'S true - flighty cattle really do grow more slowly and produce tougher meat.
Recent research has found that an animal's temperament has a bearing on its carcass and meat quality, as well as its long-term growth rates.
The findings are from a Beef Co-operative Research Centre project by NSW Department of Primary Industries technical officer Linda Cafe.
"Temperamental or flighty cattle grow more slowly and produce smaller, leaner carcasses with tougher meat than calmer animals," Ms Cafe said.
The study, on Brahman steer and heifer weaners backgrounded and finished on grain, showed that while all cattle became calmer with more handling, 'flighty' cattle still recorded the poorest temperamental results.
"The flighty cattle also had lower individual feedlot intakes," Ms Cafe said.
"But there was no difference in feed conversion ratio or net feed efficiency between the three groups.
"It simply appears that the poorer growth rates in the 'flighty' cattle were related more to a lower motivation to eat."
After 120 days on grain the flighty animals yielded carcasses 10 per cent lighter than quiet animals, and with 18 per cent less rib fat.
The flighty animals were also about 500g higher in shear force, or meat toughness, and were less likely to yield tender meat.
Ms Cafe said the results confirm selecting cattle with better temperaments rather than culling those with poor temperaments can not only improve productivity but can improve safety for the cattle and their handlers.
"The benefits may be more apparent in intensive systems such as the feedlot, but they apply to any animal going to an abattoir," she said.
