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Performance and carcass yield of crossbred dairy steers fed diets with different levels of concentrate

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of diets with increasing concentrate levels (170, 340, 510 and 680 g/kg of total dry matter) on dry matter intake, digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics of 25 Holstein-Zebu crossbred dairy steers in a feedlot. A completely randomized design was used, and data were submitted to analysis of variance and regression. The dry matter intake and digestibility coefficients of all nutrients increased linearly. The total weight gain and average daily gain added 1.16 kg and 9.90 g, respectively, for each 10 g/kg increase in concentrate. The empty body weight, hot carcass weight and cold carcass weight responded linearly to increasing concentrate. The hot carcass yield and cold carcass yield, gains in empty body weight and carcass gain were also influenced, as were the efficiencies of carcass deposition and carcass deposition rate. It is concluded that increasing concentrate levels in feedlot diets increase the intake and digestibility of dry matter and other nutrients, improving the feed efficiency, performance and physical characteristics of the carcass. Furthermore and of importance concerning the climate change debate, evidence from the literature indicates that enteric methane production would be reduced with increasing concentrate levels such as those used.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil

    Gabriel Santana da Silva, Antônia Sherlanea Chaves Véras, Marcelo de Andrade Ferreira, Wilson Moreira Dutra Jr., Maria Luciana Menezes Wanderley Neves & Francisco Fernando Ramos de Carvalho

  2. Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, PE, 56900-000, Brazil

    Evaristo Jorge Oliveira Souza

  3. Campus Arapiraca, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa, s/n, Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca, AL, Brazil, 57309-005

    Dorgival Morais de Lima Jr.

Authors
  1. Gabriel Santana da Silva
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  2. Antônia Sherlanea Chaves Véras
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  3. Marcelo de Andrade Ferreira
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  4. Wilson Moreira Dutra Jr.
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  5. Maria Luciana Menezes Wanderley Neves
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  6. Evaristo Jorge Oliveira Souza
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  7. Francisco Fernando Ramos de Carvalho
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  8. Dorgival Morais de Lima Jr.
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Correspondence to Dorgival Morais de Lima Jr..

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da Silva, G.S., Chaves Véras, A.S., de Andrade Ferreira, M. et al. Performance and carcass yield of crossbred dairy steers fed diets with different levels of concentrate. Trop Anim Health Prod 47, 1307–1312 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0864-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0864-x

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