Table 5.

Influence of feeding system, dietary adaptation period, and direct-fed microbial supplementation on carcass characteristics

Item	Feeding system
	Conventionally fed				Naturally fed
	14 d		28 d		14 d		28 d			P-values2
	−DFM1	+DFM	−DFM	+DFM	−DFM	+DFM	−DFM	+DFM	SEM3	Syst	Adapt	DFM	Syst × adapt	Syst × DFM	Adapt × DFM	Syst × Adapt × DFM
Hot carcass weight, kg	374	375	367	382	355	349	352	356	7.0	<0.001	0.80	0.50	0.83	0.35	0.22	0.84
Dressing%	60.5	60.1	60.6	60.5	59.2	59.1	59.5	60.2	0.38	0.001	0.08	0.89	0.47	0.33	0.28	0.62
Liver abscess score4	0.500ab	0.140a	0.000a	0.429ac	1.214b	1.000bc	1.200b	0.143a	0.2749	0.002	0.16	0.12	0.40	0.09	0.94	0.04
LMA, in2	75.9	77.8	75.9	76.5	75.9	73.9	73.9	72.6	2.0	0.08	0.36	0.92	0.83	0.33	0.97	0.67
Marbling score5	486	465	471	458	535	467	492	537	25.1	0.02	0.94	0.42	0.47	0.87	0.08	0.13
Back fat, cm	12.7a	12.2a	12.0ab	11.6ab	13.4a	11.1ac	9.8bc	12.7a	0.87	0.55	0.17	0.89	0.80	0.50	0.03	0.04
KPH6, %	1.80	1.86	1.75	1.86	2.02	1.91	1.81	2.01	0.057	0.002	0.26	0.10	0.70	0.58	0.03	0.10

¹Direct-fed microbial.

²Sys = conventionally fed vs. naturally fed; Adapt = 14 vs. 28 d; DFM = −DFM vs. +DFM.

³Standard error of the mean for the feeding system × Adapt × DFM interaction.

⁴Presence of liver abscesses were scored using a 3-point scale [no abscess (0), 1 or 2 small (less than ~2.5 cm in diameter) abscesses or abscess scars (1), 2 to 4 active abscesses under 2.5 cm in diameter or 1 larger (<2.5 cm in diameter) active abscess (2), more than 5 active small abscesses or more than 1 large active abscess (3)].

⁵400 = small⁰ marbling; 500 = modest⁰ marbling.

⁶Kidney, pelvic, and heart fat.

^a–cMeans with uncommon superscripts differ (P < 0.05).