The non-integrant components of carcass of Devon steers were evaluated. Animals were finished in feedlot (CONF), winter pasture (pasture of ryegrass - Lolium multiflorum Lam -PTEM), or tropical pasture (association of millet pasture - Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke - and Alexander Grass - Brachiaria plantaginea - PTRO). At the beginning of finishing, the average weight of steers was 320kg and age was 15 months. The roughage:concentrate ratio of CONF was 60:40. The animals were slaughtered at similar weights of 388.3, 386,7, and 375.8 for CONF, PTEM, and PTRO, respectively. The PTRO animals showed higher hot carcass dressing (HCD) percentage relative to 100kg of empty body weight (HCDEBW) in comparison to PTEM (64.6 versus 62.6%), and CONF animals showed intermediary value for HCDEBW (63.7%). The absolute weights of liver, 5.22, 4.43, and 3.87kg; total weights of all internal organs, 12.81, 11.37, and 10.83kg; rumen-reticulum, 7.62, 6.54, and 6.06kg; heart fat, 1.26, 0.65, and 0.30kg; and intestines, 9.97, 7.13, and 7.49kg, were higher (P<0.05) in PTEM animals than in CONF and PTRO animals, respectively. The same differences were observed concerning relative weights of the same organs. PTRO and CONF animals showed higher (P<0.05) gastrointestinal content than PTEM animals, 60.27, 55.32, and 41.21kg, respectively. Feedlot finished animals exhibited higher absolute weight of omasum, 5.17kg, than PTEM animals, 3.70kg, and PTRO animals presented intermediary value, 4,77kg. The same order was observed concerning relative weigh of the omasum, 1.61, 1.12, and 1.54%.
ryegrass; feedlot; millet; empty body weight; carcass dressing percentage
