Carcass and Palatability Characteristics of Beef Produced on Pasture, Corn Silage and Corn Grain

The effect of production system on beef palatability and carcass characteristics was studied. Weanling steer calves (351 Hereford-Angus crossbred) were allotted to four production systems consisting of 13 dietary treatments: (I) drylot fed corn silage for 203 d, followed by grain feeding for 69 and 102 d; (II) winter backgrounding followed by spring and summer grazing (tall fescue and tall fescue-red clover), then grain on pasture for 67 and 88 d; (III) winter backgrounding followed by spring and summer grazing on tall fescue, tall fescue-red clover and tall fescue-birdsfoot trefoil, and (IV) winter backgrounding and grazing same as system III, followed by grain in drylot for 123 d. Carcasses from the grass-fed animals had lower quality grades, higher cutability and darker color lean (P<.05) than that of carcasses from the other treatments. Loin steaks from grass-fed animals were less desirable in flavor, juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability (P<.05), while top round roasts were rated less desirable in flavor and overall acceptability (P<.05) than similar cuts from the other dietary treaments. Essentially no differences in sensory characteristics or shear values were noted for steaks and top round roasts between any of the other treatments. Steaks and roasts from silage-fed animals were rated equally acceptable in tenderness and other sensory characteristics as steaks and roasts from animals finished on grain in drylot or on pasture. Longer periods of grain feeding generally increased carcass fat, but did not improve sensory characteristics of steaks and roasts compared with shorter periods of grain feeding.