Effects of different additive combinations and high-energy diets on the performance and carcass characteristics of finishing feedlot steers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2026v47n2p483Keywords:
Carcass characteristics, Essential oils, Ionophores, Non-starch polysaccharides, Total diet.Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of a carbohydrase enzyme complex and an essential oil blend, used as replacements for sodium monensin and virginiamycin, on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot-finished steers fed two high-energy diets. Thirty-two half-blood Angus steers were used. The experiment followed a randomized block design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of two diet types and two additive combinations. The four treatments, with four replicates each, were as follows: T1, pelleted total diet supplemented with sodium monensin and virginiamycin; T2, pelleted total diet supplemented with an enzyme complex and essential oil blend; T3, diet consisting of 85% whole shelled corn and 15% protein-vitamin-mineral supplement, supplemented with sodium monensin and virginiamycin; and T4, diet consisting of 85% whole shelled corn and 15% protein-vitamin-mineral supplement, supplemented with an enzyme complex and essential oil blend. 484 Steers fed the whole shelled corn diet had 11.30% greater weight gain than those fed the pelleted total diet. They also had greater carcass gain (140.3 vs. 120.7 kg), hot carcass weight (306.70 vs. 286.05 kg), and ribeye area (82.53 vs. 79.56 cm²). Supplementation with sodium monensin and virginiamycin resulted in greater average daily gain and better feed conversion over the periods from 0 to 112 days and from 0 to 140 days. This combination was also more effective than the essential oil blend combined with the enzyme complex in terms of carcass gain (135.15 vs. 126.05 kg) and hot carcass weight (302.05 vs. 290.70 kg). In contrast, supplementation with the essential oil blend and enzyme complex resulted in higher marbling scores and greater subcutaneous and picanha (rump cap) fat thickness than supplementation with sodium monensin and virginiamycin (3.00 vs. 2.72, 7.57 vs. 6.95 mm, and 9.98 vs. 9.17 mm, respectively). A diet consisting of 85% whole shelled corn and 15% protein-vitamin-mineral supplement improved growth performance and carcass characteristics compared with a fully pelleted diet. The combined use of essential oils and fibrolytic enzymes in high-energy diets improved carcass finish compared with the combined use of sodium monensin and virginiamycin.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mikael Neumann, Fernando de Souza Sidor, Fernando Braga Cristo, Daniel Corrêa Plodoviski, Luísa da Costa Venancio, Maria Eduarda de Oliveira Poleto, Paulo Victor Cesar Pinheiro, Paulo Eduardo Piemontez de Oliveira, Andre Martins de Souza
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