Acta Scientiarum: Animal Sciences (Jan 2009)
Componentes não-integrantes da carcaça de novilhos jovens e superjovens terminados em confinamento = Non-carcass body components of steers and young steers finished on feedlot
Abstract
O objetivo neste estudo foi avaliar os componentes não-integrantes da carcaça de novilhos superjovem e jovem terminados em confinamento. Foram utilizados 24 novilhos castrados, 12 com idade média inicial de 8,1 meses e 12 com 20 meses, pertencentes às categorias superjovem e jovem, respectivamente, e abatidos com idade média de 13,1 e 22meses. O peso de carcaça estipulado foi de 180 kg e a espessura de gordura subcutânea mínima pretendida foi de 3 mm. O peso de carcaça e a espessura de gordura subcutânea reais foram de 180,30 kg e 3,08 mm e 187,39 kg e 2,94 mm, respectivamente, para novilhos jovens esuperjovens. Os animais jovens apresentaram maior peso absoluto e relativo dos pulmões (p The objective of this study was to evaluate the non-carcass body components of steers and young steers finished on feedlot. Twenty-four steers were used, being twelve with initial mean age of 8.1 months (super young) and twelve with initial mean age of 20months (young). The animals were slaughtered at 22 and 13.1 months of age, respectively. The desired carcass weight was 180 kg with a minimum of 3 mm backfat thickness. Actual carcass weight and backfat thickness were 180.30 kg and 3.08 mm and 187.39 kg and 2.94mm, respectively, for steers and young steers. Steers had higher (p < 0.05) lung weight in absolute and relative terms than the young steers (3.96 versus 3.37 kg and 1.31 versus 1.15%, respectively). The steers had higher (p < 0.05) absolute (11.55 versus 10.41 kg) andrelative weight (3.83 versus 3.56%) of the total vital organs than the young steers. The absolute weight and relative to empty body weight for total gastrointestinal tract were higher for the steer category (p < 0.05), except for abomasum. These differences partiallyexplain the higher carcass dressing percentage of the young steers.
