Carcass characteristics of feedlot-finished Nellore heifers slaughtered at different weights

• Autor(a) principal: Rezende, Pedro Leonardo de Paula
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Restle, João, Bilego, Ubirajara Oliveira, Fernandes, Juliano José de Resende, Missio, Regis Luis, Guimarães, Tiago Pereira
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng; por
• Título da fonte: Acta Scientiarum. Animal Sciences (Online)
• DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v41i1.44826
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/ActaSciAnimSci/article/view/44826
• topic: beef cattle; carcass yield; conformation; marbling; slaughter weight

Carcass and meat characteristics of 48 Nellore heifers at 24 to 30 months of age, with an initial weight of 263.4 ± 13.9 kg, were evaluated. The experiment was set up as a completely randomized design with four treatments, which consisted of four slaughter-weight classes, namely <340, 340-370, 370-400, or >400 kg. Back fat thickness was not influenced (p > 0.05) by slaughter weight in any of the forms it was expressed (mm or %), averaging 5.3 mm. Loin eye area in cm2 increased (p < 0.05) with the increase in slaughter weight. Animals slaughtered at a live weight (LW) of more than 400 kg showed better (p < 0.05) carcass conformation than the other experimental groups (9.8 points). Heifers slaughtered at over 400 kg LW had a more compact (p < 0.05) carcass (1.65 cm kg-1 cold carcass). The marbling degree of meat was lower (p < 0.05) in the animals slaughtered at less than 340 kg LW. In conclusion, cull heifers must not be slaughtered at a LW of less than 340 kg and slaughter weights greater than 400 kg have positive implications on important carcass characteristics, notably conformation and marbling.