Table 4.
Effect of including cotton byproducts in a finishing ration on the carcass characteristics of crossbred feedlot steers
| Treatment1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | CON | CTN | SEM2 | P-value |
| Hot carcass weight, kg | 382 | 396 | 7.0 | 0.02 |
| Rib eye area, cm2 | 96.0 | 95.1 | 1.93 | 0.64 |
| Fat thickness3, cm2 | 1.24 | 1.37 | 0.064 | 0.03 |
| KPH4, % | 1.81 | 1.91 | 0.063 | 0.09 |
| Dressing percentage | 62.2 | 62.7 | 0.28 | 0.10 |
| Calculated yield grade | 2.51 | 2.83 | 0.109 | 0.07 |
| Marbling score5 | 508 | 499 | 14.3 | 0.64 |
| Liver score6, % of pen | ||||
| O | 90.6 | 83.3 | 4.8 | 0.18 |
| A− | 3.13 | 9.38 | 3.917 | 0.17 |
| Contamination | 6.25 | 7.29 | 4.480 | 0.86 |
1Treatments included (DM basis): (CON) = 7% hay, 15% Sweet Bran, 67.25% rolled corn, 5% liquid supplement or (CTN) = 7% cotton gin trash, 15% whole cottonseed, 72.25% rolled corn. Both rations contained 5% dry supplement and 0.75% urea.
2 n = 8 pens per treatment.
3Fat measurement was taken between the 12th and 13th ribs.
4Kidney, pelvic, and heart fat.
5Small00 = 400; Modest00 = 500; Moderate00 = 600.
6Liver scores at harvest: O = normal, healthy liver, free of abscesses. A− = livers that displayed less than 2 abscesses which are generally less than 2.54 cm in diameter. Contaminated = contaminated with fecal material during harvest.