The Effects of Forage Level in Whole or Dry-Rolled Corn Based Diets on Carcass Characteristics, Meat Tenderness, and Meat Color

The objective of this study was to determine if increasing the forage level and feeding grain whole as opposed to dry-rolled is a feasible alternative to high energy rations with a similar age at time of slaughter. Steers were fed either twenty or forty percent forage, with whole or dry-rolled corn. There were no differences in fat thickness, longissimus area, KPH, marbling, USDA quality grade, Warner-Bratzler shear force, or cook loss. Cattle fed high forage and whole corn tended to have lower hot carcass weights. Additionally, the forty percent forage treatment tended to have lower USDA yield grades, and had darker colored steak. Also, steaks from the dry-rolled corn treatment had steaks that were redder, and more yellow. Results from this study suggest that increasing forage level, and corn processing might not result in significant differences in carcass characteristics or meat tenderness, but could negatively impact meat color