Influence of concentrate supplementation on performance, carcass and meat quality of bulls fattened on pasture

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of grazing Parda de Montaña young bulls with ad libitum (ADLIB) vs. restricted (3KG) concentrates during finishing on pasture (from 6.5 to 12 months). Growth rate was higher in ADLIB than in 3KG bulls (1.50 vs. 1.27 kg/d, respectively, P<0.05), due to a greater concentrate intake (6.3 vs. 2.7 kg DM/d, respectively), although grass intake was slightly lower than that of the 3KG group (5.9 vs. 7.2 kg DM/d, respectively). Slaughter weight was not different but ADLIB bulls had heavier carcasses (292 vs. 253 kg, P