Table 4.

Effect of EB on carcass characteristics and liver abscess incidence of finishing feedlot steers

	Treatment					P value
Item	Control	EB 0.5%	EB 1.0%	EB 2.0%	SEMa	Treat	Control vs. EBb
HCW, kg	406.1	404.1	402.3	395.7	4.76	0.44	0.33
Dressing %	60.7	60.6	60.5	60.9	0.22	0.51	0.81
Back fat, mm	33.8	33.3	32.3	32.1	3.36	0.26	0.24
REA, cm2	95.6	94.8	95.2	95.1	1.65	0.99	0.76
Meat yield, %	54.2	53.9	54.8	55.1	0.74	0.65	0.62
Lean yield, %c	51.3b	52.1b	52.0b	54.5a	0.77	0.03	0.10
Canada 1d	40.5b	52.5ab	52.5ab	73.7a	0.01	0.02	0.08
Canada 2	21.6	12.5	15.0	13.2	0.48	0.68	0.23
Canada 3	27.0a	7.5b	20.0ab	7.9b	0.18	0.05	0.02
Canada 4	2.7	15.0	7.5	2.6	0.70	0.18	0.40
Canada 5	8.1	12.5	5.0	2.6	0.23	0.42	0.58
AAA, %e	83.8	77.5	82.5	89.5	0.28	0.53	0.91
AA, %f	16.2	22.5	17.5	10.5	0.35	0.35	0.98
Abscessed livers, %	62.2	65.0	50.0	57.9	0.53	0.59	0.59
Severely abscessed, %g	21.6	32.5	30.0	39.5	0.13	0.44	0.19

^a n = 4 per treatment.

^bControl versus EB = control versus all EB treatments.

^cLean yield = 57.34 + (0.212 × REA [cm²]) – (0.81 × grade fat [mm]) – (0.032 × HCW [kg]).

^dLean yield grade: Canada 1 = ≥52.4; Canada 2 = 50.2–52.2; Canada 3 = 47.7–50.1; Canada 4 = 45.2–47.5; Canada 5 = ≤45.0.

^eCanada grade AAA (approximately equivalent to United States Department of Agriculture choice); marbling score 500.

^fCanada grade AA; marbling score 400.

^gPercentage of livers classified as A+ (1 or more large active abscesses greater than 2.5 cm diameter with inflammation of surrounding tissue) were considered severely abscessed.

^a,bMeans with different letters in the same row differ (P < 0.05).