<b>Carcass phisycal composition and meat quality of charolais and crossbreed charolais x nellore young bulls</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v28i4.609

Abstract

The physical composition of the carcass and the qualitative characteristics of the meat of 12 young bulls from the genetic groups Charolais (C), 5/8 Charolais 3/8 Nellore (5/8CN) and 11/16 Charolais 5/16 Nellore (11/16CN) were evaluated. The animals were feedlot finished and slaughtered at 17 months, with a diet containing roughage:concentrate relation of 70:30 during the first 84 days and 55:45 during the last 44 days, with 13% of crude protein. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three repetitions. There was no observed of the genetic group effect on carcass composition as for weights in kg of muscle (P= 0.7611), fat (P=0.5451) and bone (P=0.2638), on percentages of muscle (P= 0.2252), fat (P=0.5229) and bone (P=0.4053). The eatable portion was not influenced (P= 0.3707) by the genetic group. The meat color was classified as "lightly dark red", and there was no significant difference (P=0.5191) between the studied genetic groups. The meat of C steers presented marbling (P=0.373) classified as traces (3.0 points) in relation to genotypes 5/8CN and 11/16CN, classified as light (5.0 and 5.5 points, respectively). The genetic group did not influence in the juiciness (P=0.9390), tenderness (P=0.3636) and on the shear force (P=0.6632).