Effect of replacement of soybean meal with protected or common urea on the carcass and meat characteristics of confined steers

• Published in: Semina. Ciências agrárias : revista cultural e científica da Universidade Estadual de Londrina Vol. 40; no. 1; p. 353
• Main Authors: Cardoso, Gilmar Dos Santos, Rodrigues, Leonel Da Silva, Machado, Diego Soares, Domingues, Camille Carijo, Silva, Mauren Burin da, Martini, Patrícia Machado, Adams, Sander Martinho, Borchate, Daniele, Brondani, Ivan Luiz, Alves Filho, Dari Celestino
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2019
• ISSN: 1676-546X; 1679-0359
• DOI: 10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n1p353

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of crude protein substitution of soybean meal with urea (slow-release or otherwise) on the carcass and the meat characteristics of finished steers in confinement. Twenty-seven castrated, purebred and Charolais-Nelore crossbred steers with a mean age of 20 ± 1,5 months and initial mean live weight of 293 ± 31 kg, were distributed in three treatments: Protected Urea (concentrate containing slow degradation urea ); Soybean meal (concentrate containing soybean meal) and Urea Common (concentrate containing common urea). A randomized block experimental design (racial predominance) was used, with three treatments and nine replications, with the animal as the experimental unit. Feeding treatments did not influence the hot and cold carcass weight and yield. The fat thickness that covered the carcass was not altered, according to the diets studied, being on average 3.97 ± 0.94 mm. The measurements and the carcass compactness were not altered by the diets, presenting average values of 127.55; 74.86; 39.86; 38.84 and 25.72 cm for carcass length, leg and arm, arm perimeter and cushion thickness, respectively. A significant difference was observed in marbling, and the meat of the animals treated with soybean meal were higher than those treated with protected urea (3.72 vs 2.28 points).