CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF STEERS WEANED AT 91 AND 160 DAYS PASTURE FINISHED AND SLAUGHTERED AT SIXTEEN MONTHS WITH DIFFERENT WEIGHTS

Authors

  • Ricardo Zambarda Vaz PROGEPEC
  • Jose Fernando Piva Lobato Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Fabiano Nunes Vaz UNIPAMPA
  • João Restle UFG
  • Leonir Luiz Pascoal Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/cab.v12i1.10642

Keywords:

Animal production

Abstract

Carcass quantitative characteristics of 68 Braford steers previously submitted to two weaning ages: 91 days, early weaning (EW); 160 days, conventional weaning (CW), classified at slaughter in three live weight groups: light (? 350 kg), medium (351 a 370 kg) and heavy (? 371 kg), were evaluated. Steers were finished on summer pasture (Pennisetum americanum) and slaughtered at 16 months of age. No significant differences were observed between weaning ages for final weight (EW = 360.0 kg; CW = 359.2 kg), hot dressing percentage (EW = 53.76%; CW = 53.84%) and cold dressing percentage (EW = 52.45%; CW = 52.54%), hot carcass weight (EW = 193.0 kg; CW = 193.2 kg) and cold carcass weight (EW = 188.6 kg; CW = 188.5 kg).  Steers were also similars in carcass conformation, hindquarter and forequarter percentages and others measures of carcass development. The average slaughter weight of steers classified as light, medium and heavy was 338.7, 358.6 e 381.6 kg, respectively. Heavier steers produced carcasses with dressing percentage of 52.55% and subcutaneous fat thickness of 4.54 mm, similar to medium (52.65 and 4.39 mm, respectively) and light steers (52.93% and 3.99 mm, respectively). Weight increase did not affect the hindquarter and forequarter percentages, but cushion thickness was significantly increased when the weight increased from 338.7 to 381.6 kg. It can be concluded that early weaning doesn’t alters the weight and finishing of steers carcasses.

KEYWORDS: Carcass weight, conformation, carcass dressing, early weaning, subcutaneous fat

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Author Biography

João Restle, UFG

Professor Visitante da UFG

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Published

2011-03-31

How to Cite

VAZ, R. Z.; LOBATO, J. F. P.; VAZ, F. N.; RESTLE, J.; PASCOAL, L. L. CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF STEERS WEANED AT 91 AND 160 DAYS PASTURE FINISHED AND SLAUGHTERED AT SIXTEEN MONTHS WITH DIFFERENT WEIGHTS. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 12, n. 1, p. 90–100, 2011. DOI: 10.5216/cab.v12i1.10642. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/10642. Acesso em: 30 jun. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2011)

Section

Animal Production

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