Intake,digestibility, performance,and carcass traits of beef cattle of different gender |
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Authors: | Lage Igor Nero Kelles Paulino Pedro Veiga Rodruigues Pires Christiano Vieira Villela Severino Delmar Junqueira de Souza Duarte Marcio de Campos Valadares Filho Sebastião Paulino Mario Fonseca Maia Bernardo Alves Silva Luiz Henrique Pereira Teixeira Cesar Roberto Vianna |
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Affiliation: | 1.Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 39100-000 ;2.Departamento de Zootecnia, Researchers of INCT Ciência Animal, CNPq, Universidade Federal de Vi?osa (UFV), Vi?osa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 36570-000 ;3.Departamento de Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de S?o Jo?o Del Rei (UFSJ), Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 35701-970 ; |
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Abstract: | The performance, intake, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of beef cattle from different gender profile were assessed. Fifteen animals (five steers, five spayed heifers, and five intact heifers) with ±250 kg of initial body weight were randomly assigned in individual pens and fed the same diet for 106 days. At the end of the trial, all the animals were slaughtered and the pH, temperature, and weight of the carcass were recorded. The right side of each carcass was then separated into chuck, shoulder, flank sirloin, and round for evaluation of commercial cuts yield. The left carcass sides were ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs where the rib eye area and fat thickness measurements were taken. The 9th–11th rib section was removed from the left half carcass and then dissected into muscle, fat, and bones in order to estimate carcass composition. Gender had no effect (P > 0.05) on performance, intake, digestibility of dry matter and all the nutrients evaluated, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics. It can be concluded that steers and heifers (spayed or not) have the same potential to produce beef. From a productive and welfare standpoint, there is no reason to spay heifers. |
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