The objective of this trial was to evaluate the carcass quantitative characteristics of two categories: steers and young steers, from two genetic groups, 5/8Charolais (CH) 3/8Nelore (NE) and 5/8NE 3/8CH, and to evaluate the relation among studied variables. The animals were fedlot finished until reaching 430 kg of body weight. Steers were slaughtered averaging 22.8 months old and young steers 15.2 months old. The diet, roughage:concentrate ratio of 60:40 (dry matter basis), contained 10.25% crude protein and 3.18 Mcal of digestible energy/kg of dry matter. The experiment was analyzed as a complete randomized design with six replicates, according to a 2 x 2 (two categories x two genetic groups) factorial scheme. Significant interactions were verified for hot (HDP) and cold (CDP) dressing percentage. 5/8NE 3/8CH young steers showed higher HDP (57.51 vs. 54.10%) and CDP (54.84 vs. 52.62%) than 5/8CH 3/8NE of same category and in relation to 5/8NE 3/8CH steers (55.43 vs. 53.84%, respectively).Young steers showed carcasses with higher subcutaneous fat thickness in mm (6.29 vs. 3.22) and mm/100 kg cold carcass weight (2.71 vs. 1.39), cushion thickness (26.58 vs. 25.17 cm), sidecut percentage (13.45 vs. 11.34) and lower sawcut percentage (50.33 vs. 51.39) than steers. Between genetic groups, 5/8CH 3/8NE animals showed carcasses with higher conformation score (11.00 vs. 10.33 points), and 5/8NE 3/8CH higher leg length (72.46 vs. 69.92 cm), arm length (41.92 vs. 38.46 cm) and forequarter percentage (37.54 vs. 36.43). Carcass conformation was positively correlated with Longissimus dorsi area (r = 0.35), cushion thickness (r = 0.23) and arm perimeter (r = 0.15), and negatively with chilling loss of carcass (r = - 0.35). The correlation coefficient was of 0.55 between subcutaneous fat thickness and sidecut percentage.
Bos indicus; Bos Taurus; compensatory gain; crossbreeding; dressing percentage; subcutaneous fat thickness
