Abstract
Beef cattle production has a large variety of systems with different performance and technology levels. This study compared young Angus steers carcass and meat quality traits of high growth potential early-finished animals fed exclusively on pasture with low growth potential late-finished animals. Besides the grazed forage, the low growth potential group received corn grain at 0.8% of their body weight right after the slaughtering of the first group. Following weaning, the 20 steers grazed pastures composed of oat, ryegrass, and clovers. At winter’s onset, animals were moved to native pastures improved with fescue and clovers. The supplemented period of late steers began when the first group of ten early-finished animals reached the requirements for slaughter. Supplementation ended when the animals got the slaughter requirements. The high growth potential steers showed a ribeye area (P < 0.0001) and a Longissimus muscle width highly significantly (P < 0.0001) superior to the low growth group. However, corn-supplemented animals showed better dressing percentage (P < 0.0001), subcutaneous fat thickness (P < 0.0001), marbling (P < 0.0001), and muscle (P = 0.0033) scores, but lower shear force (P = 0.0001). The finishing system did impact fat lightness (L*; P = 0.0234) at the slaughter time. Grass-fed animals showed higher red-green color parameter (a*) values than corn supplemented on fat at 24 h (P = 0.0439) but lower hue angle (P = 0.0418). The consumer panel showed better results for tenderness and general acceptability for supplemented animals beef compared to grass-fed. The supplementation resulted in a higher carcass standardization. It also provided higher PUFA: MUFA and n-6: n-3 ratios, and a higher amount of n-3. Supplemental corn grain did not have adverse effects upon the beneficial effects to human health of the grass-fed beef.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Fazenda Buffalo; the Santa Catarina State University; and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Brasil (CAPES) [Finance Code 001].
Funding
This work was supported by the Fazenda Buffalo; the Santa Catarina State University; and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Brasil (CAPES) [Finance Code 001].
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IASJ designed the research, conducted the experiment and all analyses, analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript. HLL, KAM, and MRS conducted and assisted the analyses. AZ analyzed the data. DCC and AZ mentored the experiment and designed the research. We declare that all the authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Santin Jr, I.A., Lima, H.L., Mateus, K.A. et al. Carcass and meat quality of young Angus steers with different growth potential finished exclusively grass-fed or corn supplemented. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 521 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02965-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02965-z