Carcass characteristics and meat quality of Nellore females reared in an intensive system using progesterone ear implant

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of a synthetic progesterone ear implant on weight gain and meat quality of Nellore heifers. Twenty-eight Nellore heifers with an average initial weight of 240.9 kg were used in this experiment. All heifers received the same dietary management, in an intensive rearing system, with mineral salt and water ad libitum. Heifers were distributed, in a completely randomized design, into two treatments (with and without progesterone ear implant) with seven replications, in 14 stalls. Analysis of variance was performed, and, for non-parametric variables, the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied. Parameters referring to the meat quantitative and qualitative characteristics, represented by the weight and yield of the carcass, conformation, marbling, color, meat texture, carcass morphometric measurements, longissimus dorsi muscle area, and fat thickness, were not affected by the progesterone hormone. The use of the progesterone ear implant did not change the carcass physical characteristics or the meat quality characteristics.