357:("myo" meaning muscle and "statin" meaning stop). Myostatin is a protein that inhibits muscle development. This mutation also interferes with fat deposition, resulting in very lean meat. The truncated myostatin gene is unable to function in its normal capacity, resulting in accelerated lean muscle growth. Muscle growth is due primarily to physiological changes in the animal's muscle cells (fibres) from hypertrophy to a hyperplasia mode of growth. This particular type of growth is seen early in the fetus of a pregnant dam, which results in a calf that is born with two times the number of muscle fibres at birth than a calf with no myostatin gene mutation. In addition, a newborn double-muscled calf's birth weight is significantly greater than that of a normal calf.
364:(FCR) due to lower feed intake compared to weight gain due to an altered composition of body weight gain which includes increased protein and decreased fat deposition. The Belgian Blue's bone structure is the same as normal cattle, albeit holding a greater amount of muscle, which causes them to have a greater meat to bone ratio. These cattle have a muscle yield around 20% more on average than cattle without the genetic myostatin mutation. Because of this breed's increased muscle yield, a diet containing higher protein is required to compensate for the altered mode of weight gain. During finishing, this breed requires high-energy (concentrated) feeds, and will not yield the same results if put on a high-fibre diet.
397:
welfare issue. However, the carcass value of double-muscled animals may be enhanced due to increased dressing yield, lean carcass content, and upgrading of some cuts leading to a higher proportion of higher valued cuts. The slower rate of fat deposition causes slaughtering to be delayed in most cases, which means an increase in maintenance costs in those animals. Belgian Blue cattle require more skilled management and do not thrive in harsh environments. For these reasons and others, the breed's overall production efficiency in an economic sense is still unclear.
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The economics of breeding and raising
Belgian Blue cattle are inconclusive because of complications experienced during parturition and metabolic demand for more concentrated feeds. The breed's increased need to have Caesarean sections when calving means increased cost and added work, and can become a
247:(literally "fat buttocks" in Dutch). Alternative names for this breed include Belgian Blue-White; Belgian White and Blue Pied; Belgian White Blue; Blue; and Blue Belgian. The Belgian Blue's extremely lean, hyper-sculpted, ultra-muscular physique is termed "
376:– difficulty in parturition – even when bred to normal beef bulls or dairy bulls, because of a narrower birth canal; the birth weight and width of the calf also may be higher than in animals without the double-muscling gene. Calves are commonly born by
738:
Hoflack, G.; Van den Broeck, W.; Maes, D.; Van Damme, K.; Opsomer, G.; Duchateau, L.; de Kruif, A.; Rodriguez-Martinez, H.; Van Soom, A. (1 February 2008). "Testicular dysfunction is responsible for low sperm quality in
Belgian Blue bulls".
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quantity and quality are lower than in other cattle, perhaps because of the greater amount of connective tissue in the testicles. however this is less of an issue when compared to the dam's difficulties in calving.
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to the point where the condition was a fixed property in the
Belgian Blue breed. In 1978, Belgian Blue cattle were introduced to the United States by Nick Tutt, a farmer from central Canada who emigrated to
274:. Both of these breeds have an increased ability to convert feed into lean muscle, which causes these particular breeds' meat to have a reduced fat content and reduced
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by twenty-four countries, in Africa, the
Americas, Europe and Oceania. Of these, ten report population data; in 2022 the worldwide population was estimated to be
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278:. The Belgian Blue is named after its typically blue-grey mottled hair colour; however, its actual colour can vary from white to black.
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674:. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2022.
445:. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2022.
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422:. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
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breed. The modern beef breed was developed in the 1950s by
Professor Hanset, working at an
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599:"Mutations in myostatin (GDF8) in double-muscled belgian blue and piedmontese cattle"
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Valerie Porter, Lawrence
Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016).
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The
Belgian Blue has been exported to many parts of the world; it is reported to
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547:. Vol. Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences. Oxford: Elsevier. pp. 396–402.
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De Smet, S (2004). "Double-Muscled
Animals". In Jensen, Werner Klinth (ed.).
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List of breeds documented in the Global
Databank for Animal Genetic Resources
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possibly were cross-bred, as well. Belgian Blue cattle were first used as a
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is a heritable condition resulting in an increased number of muscle fibres (
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The State of the World's Animal
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
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Kambadur, R.; Sharma, M.; Smith, T. P. L.; Bass, J. J. (September 1997).
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This particular trait is shared with another breed of cattle known as
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380:; cows may be able to survive five or six deliveries of this type.
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314:. The breed's characteristic gene mutation was maintained through
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Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties
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220:, both literally meaning "Belgian White-Blue") is a breed of
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Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding
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in the 19th century, from crossing local breeds with a
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Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007).
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Breed data sheet: Blanc-Bleu Belge / Belgium (Cattle)
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and showed the cattle to universities in the region.
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294:breed of cattle from the United Kingdom.
286:The breed originated in central and upper
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18:For the blue bull native to India, see
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785:Cattle breeds originating in Belgium
753:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.09.034
648:Introduction to veterinary pathology
467:(sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI.
235:Race de la Moyenne et Haute Belgique
689:. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset.
707:Educational Vet Video (May 2009).
490:(5th edition). Wallingford: CABI.
360:Belgian Blue cattle have improved
353:gene which codes for the protein,
14:
672:Transboundary breed: Belgian Blue
77:Africa, Americas, Europe, Oceania
709:"Video of Cow Caesarean Section"
383:In bulls, testicular weight and
98:two types, beef and dual-purpose
719:from the original on 2021-11-23
345:The Belgian Blue has a natural
686:Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia
553:10.1016/B0-12-464970-X/00260-9
231:. It may also be known as the
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545:Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences
645:Cheville, Norman F. (1999).
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87:Herd-Book Blanc-Bleu Belge
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513:October 11, 2008, at the
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430:. Archived 23 June 2020.
193:Cow with the scars from
170:Bos (primigenius) taurus
713:VetPulse TV in Practice
683:Marleen Felius (1995).
308:artificial insemination
251:". The double-muscling
25:Belgian breed of cattle
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362:feed conversion ratio
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651:. Wiley-Blackwell.
392:Economic efficiency
218:'Belgisch Witblauw'
58:(2022): not at risk
52:(2007): not at risk
43:Conservation status
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616:10.1101/gr.7.9.910
210:'Blanc-Bleu Belge'
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195:caesarean sections
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378:Caesarean section
185:Belgian Blue bull
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202:Belgian Blue
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74:Distribution
29:Belgian Blue
15:
723:30 December
715:. YouTube.
416:, annex to
272:Piedmontese
265:hypertrophy
257:hyperplasia
89:(in French)
774:Categories
496:085199430X
401:References
321:West Texas
310:centre in
276:tenderness
261:individual
355:myostatin
351:myostatin
292:Shorthorn
253:phenotype
761:18023470
717:Archived
511:Archived
374:dystocia
347:mutation
146:Female:
121:Female:
82:Standard
625:9314496
349:in the
288:Belgium
282:History
229:Belgium
69:Belgium
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328:DAD-IS
243:dikbil
225:cattle
206:French
163:Cattle
139:Male:
133:Height
114:Male:
108:Weight
103:Traits
56:DAD-IS
20:Nilgai
385:semen
300:dairy
239:, or
227:from
214:Dutch
757:PMID
725:2013
691:ISBN
653:ISBN
621:PMID
565:ISBN
492:ISBN
469:ISBN
424:ISBN
304:beef
302:and
222:beef
200:The
749:doi
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557:hdl
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334:875
332:107
267:).
95:Use
50:FAO
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
