Feedlot finishing cull cows fed diets with different levels of concentrate

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance and carcass quality and beef and cull cow subjected to diets with two levels of concentrate (1.08 and 1.62% of body weight, whith base in dry matter) durind the feedlot finishing. In this study were used twenty cull cows of the breed Aberdeen Angus, Charolais, Caracu, Canchim and Charolais x Caracu whith a mean age of 7.2 years. The average weight gain during the termination was similar between levels 1.08 and 1.62% (1.81 and 2.00 kg/day, respectively). However, animals in the 1.62% group consumed much digestible energy (46.13 Mcal / day) compared to the lowest level (38.32 Mcal / day), showing similarity (P > 0.01) in the values of conversion food (6.78 and 6.93 kg dry matter / kg weight gain) and energy efficiency (21.68 and 23.40) between the two groups. In feedlot finishing cull cows with an average age of 7.5 years, the increase of the concentrate from 1.08 to 1.62% of body weight based on dry matter based on corn silage, no benefits productive performance of cows nor the quality characteristics of meat. Increasing the concentrate level in the diet of this category can cause greater haunch thickness and better carcass conformation in feedlot finishing.