Effect of Replacing Corn Silage with Various Forage Silages in the Diet on Carcass Parameters, Meat Quality, Fatty Acid Profile and Amino Acid Composition of Beef Cattle

Abstract

Carcass parameters, meat quality, fatty acid profile, and amino acid composition of Simmental bulls fed a diet based on various forage silages (VS) compared with the one based on only corn silage (CS) were investigated. A total of thirty male Simmental (440.5 ± 11.5 kg) was selected and assigned randomly divided into two treatments. All animals were fed twice daily (0700 and 1700 h) and water was supplied ad libitum, feed considering 5 to 10% refusals. The period of 207 days fattening trial was divided into three stages as P1 (1 to 64 days), P2 (65 to 130 days), P3 (131 to 207 days). Six beef cattle were slaughtered from each group at the end of the experiment. Substituting CS with VS in the finishing diet did not have a significant effect on slaughter performance, nutrient content, fatty acids, and amino acids profile (P > 0.05). However, the intramuscular fat and connective tissue content of the VS diet was lower compared with the CS diet (P < 0.05). Also, beef cattle fed VS diet could improve eye muscle area, increase histidine content and diameter of muscle fiber. In conclusion, substituting corn silage with various forage silages in the diet of beef cattle could potentially reduce the negative effect under the studied conditions.