The objective of this trial was to study the effects of four concentrate levels and days on feed on body weight (BW) and Longissimus muscle area (ULMA), backfat thickness (UFT) and rump fat (URF) measured by ultrasound. Twenty-four Nellore young bulls fed diets containing 20, 40, 60 or 80% of concentrate during 142 days were used in this experiment. Ultrasound measurements were taken at 1, 26, 53, 84, 109 and 142 days on feed. Body weight was linearly associated with days on feedlot in all treatments and quadratically with 40, 60 and 80% of dietary concentrate. However, no significant differences in BW were observed among these treatments. The ULMA increased linearly with days on feed and quadratically by the incremental amounts of dietary concentrate after animals being confined for 142 days. Similarly, UFT was linearly associated with days on feed and quadratically with concentrate level since 26 days on feed. URF was also linearly affected by days on feed in all treatments and quadratically in treatments 40, 60 and 80% of concentrate. Time spent on days on feed affected linearly and concentrate levels quadratically the carcass characteristics in the current study.
beef cattle; fat thickness; feedlot; ribeye area
