The objective of this study was to evaluate the commercial cuts income and to study the carcass characteristics of non-castrated Nellore males slaughtered at different weights. Forty Nellore males with initial average weight of 350 kg were used. The animals were divided into four groups: animals with 0 and two teeth, with carcass weight up to238,0 kg (young and light carcass); 2-teeth animals with carcass weight ranging from 238,1 to 258,0 kg (young and medium carcass); 2-teeth animals with carcass weight above 258 kg (young and heavy carcass) and animals with four or six teeth, regardless of carcass weight (adults). After 84 days of feedlot, the animals were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir. There was no difference for carcass fat characteristics and meat marbling, as well as for commercial cuts percentages, hot carcass weight and yield. Income analysis showed that, depending on the wholesale price differences of the primary cuts of the carcass, studies on cattle breeding should seek to increase the conformation and hindquarter percentage, provided they meet the minimum finishing degree required by the abattoirs.
commercial cuts; fatness level; industrial break-even point; non-castrated males; slaughter weight