Carcass characteristics and meat quality of heifers fed marandu grass silage

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the carcass characteristics and meat quality of ¾ Zebu x Holstein heifers subjected to a diet with the substitution of sorghum silage by marandu grass silage. A completely randomized experimental design was used. Treatments consisted of replacing the bulky fraction of the diet of 100, 70, and 30% of sorghum silage by, respectively, 100, 70, and 30% of marandu grass silage. Concentrate was added in the proportion of 1.2% of live weight, and diets were isoproteic. The substitution of sorghum silage by marandu grass silage increased water loss by cooking to the maximum point of 49.98% of substitution, elevated average shear force and water holding capacity of meat, but did not influence carcass weight and yield, cut percentiles, carcass measures, loin eye area, pH of carcasses, fat thickness, and characteristics of muscle and fat color. The substitution of sorghum silage by marandu grass silage decreases the gain of empty body weight and reduces the tenderness of meat from ¾ Zebu x Holstein heifers, but does not affect quantitative carcass traits.