In the present experiment were tested 18 Canchin breed steers nearly 24 months old, and conducted three different treatments: T1 - Com silage plus concentrate plus urea, T2 - Com silage (70%) plus faded oates silage (Avena strigosa Screb) (30%) plus concentrate plus urea, and T3 - Com silage (40%) plus faded oats silage (60%) plus concentrate. The concentrate composition was the same for the 3 treatments. Urea was added to T1 and T2 in order to maintain the three treatments in the same nitrogen level (12% of crude protein). Ali the animals were kept under confined conditions during 123 days. The carcasses from T2 have shown a less muscle percentage, 62.78%, against 65.45% for T1 and 65.3% for T3 (P < 0.02411), and it was not observed any significative difference between the 3 treatments for the bones (P > 0,05) and fat percentages (P > 0.18853). The meat marbling score was 5.67; 7.17 and 4.67 points for T1, T2 and T3, respectively - (P > 0.09488). The results obtained for meat coloration and texture were similar in all the three treatments. The laboratory meat analysis has shown that the percentages of weight losses due to thawing and coction have not statistically differed, being 10.70% and 20.27% for T1; 11.25% and 23.54% for T2; 11.87% and 19.79% for T3 (P > 0.05 for the both variables). Meat juiceness, palatability and tenderness were similar for the three treatments (T1, T2 and T3). It is concluded that the carcasses from T2 have shown less muscle percentage; as for as the other studied variables are concerned, it was not observed any significative difference when it was added faded oats silage to com silage in the animals, feed.
confinement; Canchin; com silage; carcass characteristics; faded oats silage; meat quality
