Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites, Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality in Finishing Wagyu Crossbred Beef Cattle Receiving Betaine–Biotin–Chromium (BBC) Supplementation
2022
Sukanya Poolthajit | Wuttikorn Srakaew | Theerachai Haitook | Chaiwat Jarassaeng | Chalong Wachirapakorn
Eighteen Wagyu crossbred steers (average initial body weight: 596.9 ± 46.4 kg; average age: 36 ± 2.7 months) were subjected to three levels of betaine–biotin–chromium (BBC) supplementation for 98 days before slaughter. Animals were fed a basal diet and BBC supplemented at 0, 3 or 6 g/kg of dry matter (DM). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design by a group of animals with six replicates. The intake and digestibility among treatments were not different (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The average daily gain (ADG) of steers that received BBC at 6 g/kg of DM (0.79 kg/day) tended to be higher (<i>p</i> = 0.07) than that of those receiving BBC at 0 and 3 g/kg/day (0.52 and 0.63 kg/day, respectively). Blood metabolites were not different (<i>p</i> > 0.05) among treatments. Carcass characteristic traits included chilled carcass dressing percentage and loin eye area, while meat quality included drip loss, cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force were not different (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Back fat thickness tended to be higher (<i>p</i> = 0.07) in steers fed BBC at 6 g/kg. The marbling score did not differ (<i>p</i> > 0.05) among treatments; however, the intramuscular fat content of the longissimus dorsi (LD) on a DM basis was significantly higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in steers fed BBC at 6 g/kg (39.8% DM) than in those fed BBC at 0 g/kg (28.2% DM) and at 3 g/kg (29.1% DM). Based on the findings, BBC supplementation had no effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics; however, BBC at 6 g/kg DM increased fat content in LD muscle of finishing Wagyu crossbred steers.
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