NON-CARCASS COMPONENTS OF NELLORE BOVINES SLAUGHTERED WITH DIFFERENT WEIGHTS

Abstract
The objective of the experiment was to evaluate byproducts yield of non-castrated Nellore males slaughtered at different weights. Forty Nellore males with average weight of 350 kg at the beginning of the feedlot were used. In a completely randomized design, the animals were divided into four groups: 0 to 2-teeth animals with carcass weight up to 238.0 kg (young and light carcasses); 2-teeth animal with carcass weights ranging from 238.1 to 258.0 kg (young and middle weight carcasses); 2-teeth animal with carcass weight over 258.0 kg (young and heavy carcasses) and animals with four or six teeth, regardless of carcass weight (adults). Animals were fed during 84 days with diet calculated to reach average weight gain of 1.2 kg/day. Hide weight was higher for young and heavy animals in relation to young and light and adult animals. Regarding the non-carcass components yield, we verified difference for liver percentage, which was higher for young and heavy animals (1.91%) in relation to young with middle weight carcasses (1.49%). Economic analysis showed that the non-carcass components of young animals with heavy carcass result in higher income (R$ 208.00), followed by young animals with middle weight carcasses (R$ 193.56), and the incomes of adult and of young and light animals, respectively, R$ 21.42 and R$ 23.42 lower than the first one. No carcass components add to industry from R$ 0.71 to R$ 0.80 per carcass kilogram.