What management practices will improve marbling in beef?
First cattle must have the genetics for marble, or no management practice will improve marbling. Assuming the cattle have the genetics to marble, anything that reduces stress and not limit the intake of high quality feed will allow for the continuous deposition of intramuscular fat, resulting in increased marbling. A few management things to do are: castrate early, creep feed, low stress wean, and vaccinate to reduce the likelihood of sickness. Understanding the differences between subcutaneous and intramuscular fat deposition and managing animals to continuously deposit intra-muscular fat can improve marbling grades.
