Non-carcass components of finished feedlot steers fed with slow-release or agricultural urea in substitution of soybean meal

• Published in: Semina. Ciências agrárias : revista cultural e científica da Universidade Estadual de Londrina Vol. 39; no. 6; pp. 2761 - 2770
• Main Authors: Gilmar dos Santos Cardoso, Lucas Braido Pereira, Ana Paula Machado Martini, Amanda Farias de Moura, Marcelo Ascoli da Silva, Patrícia Machado Martini Cattelam, John Lenon Klein, Acácio Sanger Druzian, Ivan Luiz Brondani, Dari Celestino Alves Filho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Londrina 01.11.2018
• Subjects: Concentrado; Conteúdo gastrintestinal; Gorduras; Omaso; Sangue
• ISSN: 1676-546X; 1679-0359
• DOI: 10.5433/1679-0359.2018v39n6p2761

The effect of termination of steers in a feedlot using the total substitution of soybean meal by slow-release or agriculture urea on the non-carcass components was evaluated. Twenty-seven purebred and Charolais × Nellore castrated crossbred steers (mean age 20 months, mean initial weight 293 kg) were allocated to received concentrates containing slow degradation urea, soybean meal, or agricultural urea. The experimental design was in randomized blocks (breed predominance), with three treatments and nine replicates, with the animal being the experimental unit. Diets did not lead to significant differences in empty body weight (EBW). The similarity between treatments was also verified in relation to EBW/slaughter weight, with mean values of 0.87 for treatments containing urea and 0.88 for soybean meal treatment. The gastrointestinal contents, both in absolute weight and in relation to EBW, were similar between the rations evaluated, with mean values of 54.33 kg and 13.52%, respectively. Steers fed with slow-release urea had a 32.8% higher weight of omasum relative to 100 kg of EBW (P < 0.05) compared to the animals fed with soybean meal.