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Selected High forage Rations and their Relationship to Beef Quality, Fatty Acids and Amino Acids^1,2,

Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631

Abstract

During a 3-year period a total of 300 steers were fed on 10 rations comparing corn silage, urea treated corn silage and Coastal bermuda grass pellets. In addition to the different roughages, other components in various rations were corn, urea, sulfur and cottonseed meal. Steers finished on a ration with Coastal bermuda-grass pellets and yellow corn (treatment 9) weighed the most at slaughter, while those finished with urea treated corn silage and cottonseed meal (treatment 5) weighed the least at slaughter. The steers on this same ration with Coastal bermuda grass pellets and yellow corn (treatment 9) produced carcasses with the greatest amount of fat thickness and the least desirable yield grade. However, those steers fed on rations with corn silage, urea and corn (treatments 3 and 4) produced the carcasses with the greatest amount of marbling.

The steers fed on the ration with urea treated corn silage and cottonseed meal (treatment 5) produced carcasses with steaks that had the lowest panel rating for flavor and this rating was significantly lower than those from a similar treatment but with added corn in the diet (treatment 6). The steers from this group fed urea treated corn silage and cottonseed meal (treatment 5) also produced a rib cut with the highest specific gravity and the least amount of fat. An analysis for fatty acids in the marbling from the twelfth rib cut revealed that the ration fed did not have a significant effect on the fatty acid composition. An analysis for amino acids in the protein from the twelfth rib longissimus muscle showed that alanine was the only amino acid that was significantly different among treatments. Those steers fed on the two rations without corn (treatments 1 and 5) produced carcasses which had the least amount of marbling and the lowest quality grades; and the taste panel gave the steaks the lowest flavor rating. It would appear that a small amount of grain is needed to insure high acceptability of beef.

¹ Technical contribution No. 1027 and published with the approval of the Director of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.

² Appreciation is extended to Greenwood Packing Co.

³ Department of Animal Science.

⁴ Department of Food Science.

⁵ Department of Agricultural Chemical Services.