EFFECTS OF DIET CONCENTRATE LEVELS IN THE CARCASS TRAITS OF BEEF STEERS FINISHED IN CONFINAMENT

With the objective of evaluating the effect of concentrate in the diet on quantitative and qualitative carcass and meat traits of beef steers, an experiment was conducted at Estao Experimental Fazenda Modelo, IAPAR, Ponta Grossa -PR, involving 18 Canchim steers with initial average age of 12 months and average weight of 300 Kg. The animals were fed corn silage "ad libitum"plus concentrate (25% soyben meal, 73 % ground corn grain and 2 % mineral mix) varying in levels with live weight (PV) acording to the following treatments: T1 (1 % of PV); T2 (1,2 % of PV) and T3 (1,4 % of PV). No significant difference (P>0,05) was observed for fat thickness, carcass yield, hat carcass weight and slaughter weight. Likewise, no differences (P>0,05) were detected for carcass grade, for measures of carcass developement and for the percentages of bone, muscle and fat, as well as for qualitative meat characteristics.