Productive performance, digestibility and carcass characteristics of zebu steers fed diets with different concentrate levels

This research was developed to evaluate the intake and digestibility of nutrients; feed/gain conversion (FC); average daily live weight (LWG), empty body weight (EBWG) and carcass (CG) gains; the carcass dressing percentage and the basic cuts percentage; the carcass length (CL); the loin eye area (LEA) and the subcutaneous fat thickness (SIFT) of Zebu steers, with initial average live weigth of 270 kg, fed with 5, 35 a 65% of concentrate, in feedlot. The dry matter and organic matter intake were quadractily influenced by the increasing levels of concentrate in the diet. The ether extract and nonfiber carbohydrate intakes increased and the neutral detergent fiber intake decreased linearly as the concentrate level increased. The crude protein intake was not affected by the concentrate level. The TDN level and digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, ether extract and non-fiber carbohydrate increased and the neutral detergent fiber digestibility decreased linearly as concentrate level in the ration incresead. The digestibility of the CP was not affected, when Brachiaria brizantha haylage was used as roughage. However, the digestibility of the CP increased linearly, when the Cynodon dactylon was used in the feeding of the animals. The FC decreased and the LWG, EBWG, CG, LEA and SIFT increased linearly as the concentrate levels in the diets increased. The CL, the carcass dressing percentage and the basic cuts percentage, excluding leg percentage, were not affected by the concentrate levels in the diet. The inclusion of concentrate in the diets increased the digestibility and improved the productive performance of the animals.