This study was aimed at evaluating the differential growth of carcass components of new born dairy calves. Eighteen Friesian calves were slaughtered, at birth or at 50 or 110 days of age; six at each age. The alometric growth of carcass components in relation to cold carcass weight was studied by the use of the equation Y=aXb adjusting linear regressions to the log of the data. From birth to 110 days of age the weight of cold carcass, bone, muscle and fat, forequarter, rib and hindquarter increased (P<0.01). As proportion of the cold carcass weight, the weight of forequarter decreased linearly (P<0.01) but those of hindquarter and fat increased (P<0.01). The growth pattern up to 110 days of age for tissues was isogonic with the carcass for bone and muscle (b=1), and late (b>1) for fat; about carcass components, growth was early for forequarter (b<1), isogonic for rib (b=1) and late for hindquarter (b>1). It was concluded that the characteristic growth pattern of carcass components should be considered at developing a system of calves’ carcasses production.
alometric; bone; fat; muscle
