Body weight components of Nellore steers finished in tropical pastures

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of supplementation on body weight components of Nellore cattle grazing in Urochloa brizantha. Twenty-four steers with initial body weight (BW) of 371 ± 14 kg and average age of 26 months were used. Four animals were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment as a reference and the others were distributed in 4 treatments [0.0% (mineral salt), 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% supplement BW]. The slaughter of the experimental group was performed when the animals reached 450 kg and the body weight components were weighed. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and regression. The increase in supplementation level reduced (p < 0.05) pasture dry matter intake, but did not influence (p > 0.05) on empty body weight (EBW) (380.3 kg) and cold carcass weight (CCW) (247.5 kg). The weights of skin, liver, rumen and fat were not influenced (p > 0.05) by supplementation level. The animals gained, on average, 75.3 kg EBW and 50.7 kg CCW, but the treatments did not influence (p > 0.05) the gains of body weight components. The increasing of energetic-protein supplement level for Nellore steers in Urochloa brizantha pasture does not affect carcass and non-carcass components.