ABSTRACT
Performance, carcass traits, and meat attributes of steers finished on tropical pasture under increasing supplementation levels

Daniele Soares Barroso1, Fabiano Ferreira da Silva1, Jos? Augusto Gomes Azev?do2, Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho3, Geraldo Trindade J?nior1, João Wilian Dias Silva1, Tarc?sio Ribeiro Paixão1, Fabr?cio Bacelar Lima Mendes1, Dorgival Morais de Lima J?nior4*, and Rob?rio Rodrigues Silva1
 
Concentrate supplementation during the finishing phase in tropical pastures improves the average daily gain and carcass characteristics of the animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of concentrate supplementation level (% of body weight, BW) on intake, apparent digestibility, performance, carcass traits, and meat attributes of steers finished on tropical pasture during the dry season. Forty male, uncastrated Girolando steers, weighing 439.25 ± 36.67 kg and aged 20 mo, were utilized. Treatments involved levels of concentrate supplementation: 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5% BW for steers finished on Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R.D. Webster ‘Marandu’ pasture over an 84-d period in the dry season. The DM intake from the supplement (9.00 to 7.49 kg d-1) and total digestible nutrients (5.99 to 7.29 kg d-1) linearly increased (P < 0.05) with the rising level of concentrate supplementation. The average daily gain of the steers (0.44 kg d-1) remained unaffected (P > 0.05) by the increasing levels of concentrate supplementation. Hot carcass weight (228.62 to 257.20 kg) and yield increased linearly (P < 0.05) with the levels of concentrate supplement. The 0.3% BW level of supplement resulted in carcasses with a thicker (P < 0.05) backfat layer (4.75 mm). Protein and cholesterol contents in the steers’ meat were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the level of concentrate supplementation. In conclusion, we recommend a concentrate supplementation level of 0.5% BW for steers finished on pasture during the dry season.
Keywords: Crude protein level, dry-season finishing, early-weaned steer, supplement supply.
1Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Primavera Square, Primavera, 45700-000, Itapetinga, Bahia, Brasil.
2Universidade Estadual De Santa Cruz, Jorge Amado Square, Salobrinho, 45662-900, Ilh?us, Bahia, Brasil.
3Universidade Federal da Bahia, Augusto Viana Street, Canela, 40110-909, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.
4Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-?rido, Francisco Mota Street, Costa e Silva, 59625-900, Mossor?, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil.
*Corresponding author (juniorzootec@yahoo.com.br).