The objective of this experiment was to study different levels of energy supplementation on the carcass and meat qualitative characteristics of beef cull cows of different ages, under temporary grazing on cultivated pasture of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) plus triticale (X triticosecale). Fourty Charolais cows were divided into four age classes: four, five or six, seven or eight and nine or more years, and randomly alloted to four levels of supplementation (SL): 0, .3, .6 and .9% of live weight. The supplement used was grounded sorghum grain. No significant interaction was observed between supplementation level and cow age. SL did not affect meat color, texture and marbling, neither carcass physical composition, meat sensorial characteristics and thawing and cooking losses. With age increasing, decreased the muscle percentage, being 68.5, 66.7, 65.1 and 64.3%, respectively. Young cows showed lower fat percentage (14.4%) than the older animals, that showed 17.9, 19.2 and 18.7%, respectively, for five or six, seven or eigth, and nine or more years of age. Young cows showed lower muscle + fat / bone relation than the animals slaughtered with intermediate age. Cows slaughtered at four years showed more tender meat (5.92 points) than cows slaughtered at seven or eigth (4.69 points) years of age.
carcass composition; Charolais; cull cows; marbling; tenderness
