Abstract
The objective of the study was to evaluate the carcass and meat characteristics of young castrated steers and heifers. Twelve animals of each sex were used, fed during growth with energetic supplementation on Lolium multiflorum + Avena strigosa cultivated pasture, and finished on Pennisetum purpureum, and slaughtered at fourteen months of age. Farm live weight hot carcass and weight were higher for steers, being of 365.8 and 203.4 kg, respectively, than for heifers being 310.3 and 168.6 kg, in the same order. Males were superior in carcass length (118.1 vs. 111.3 cm), leg length (69.2 vs. 64.1 cm) and in the longissimus dorsi area (58.0 vs. 52.4 cm2). No difference was observed for subcutaneous fat thickness, but heifers showed meat with better marbling (5.58 points) than the males (3.67 points). No differences for sensorial and organoleptical characteristics were observed between the two sexes. In conclusion, excepting relation to weight, young heifers have carcass and meat characteristics similar to males.KEY WORDS: Beef cattle, Hereford x Nellore, meat tenderness, cultivated pasture, sex.
Highlights
The objective of the study was to evaluate the carcass and meat characteristics of young castrated steers and heifers
Farm live weight hot carcass and weight were higher for steers, being of 365.8 and 203.4 kg, respectively, than for heifers being 310.3 and 168.6 kg, in the same order
Males were superior in carcass length (118.1 vs. 111.3 cm), leg length (69.2 vs. 64.1 cm) and in the longissimus dorsi area (58.0 vs. 52.4 cm2)
Summary
Fabiano Nunes Vaz, João Restle, Miguelangelo Ziegler Arboite, Leonir Luiz Pascoal, Dari Celestino Alves Filho e Rangel Fernandes Pacheco. Professor adjunto da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria 5. Os pesos de fazenda e de carcaça quente foram superiores nos machos, sendo de 365,8 e 203,4 kg, respectivamente, enquanto as fêmeas apresentaram 310,3 e 168,6 kg, citados na mesma ordem. Os machos foram superiores nos comprimentos de carcaça (118,1 vs 111,3 cm) e de perna (69,2 vs 64,1 cm) e na área de Longissimus dorsi (58,0 vs 52,4 cm). Não houve diferença na espessura de gordura subcutânea da carcaça, mas as fêmeas apresentaram carne mais marmoreada (5,58 pontos) do que os machos (3,67 pontos). Não se verificaram diferenças nas características sensoriais e organolépticas da carne entre os animais dos dois sexos. Concluiu-se que, exceto em relação ao peso de carcaça, novilhas jovens possuem características de carcaça e da carne semelhantes aos machos. PALAVRAS-CHAVES: Bovinos de corte, Hereford x Nelore, maciez da carne, pastagem cultivada, sexo
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