Carcass and beef color characteristics of three biological types of cattle grazing cool-season forages supplemented with soyhulls

Soyhull supplementation to divergent biological types of cattle on forage-based systems was studied to determine the impact on carcass and color characteristics. Weaned calves (n = 107) biologically classified as large-, medium-, or small-framed and intermediate rate of maturing were allocated to three cool-season grazing systems consisting of either orchardgrass pasture or fescue pasture, each with soyhull supplementation, or fescue pasture with no supplementation as a control. Supplementing cattle with soyhulls allowed for heavier (P < 0.05) live and carcass weights, larger (P < 0.05) longissimus muscle area, increased (P < 0.05) backfat, kidney, pelvic and heart fat (KPH), and yield grades, and improved (P < 0.05) marbling scores and quality grades. Utilizing cattle biologically classified as large- or medium-framed allowed for heavier (P < 0.05) carcass weights without reducing (P < 0.05) marbling scores or quality grades when compared to small-framed cattle. Instrumental color analysis of lean and adipose tissue revealed improved (P < 0.05) lightness (L*) in lean color for supplemented carcasses as compared to the control. There were no differences (P < 0.05) between dietary treatments for L*, a* or b* values of adipose tissue. These results indicate that supplementing forage-grazing cattle with soyhulls can improve carcass merit, and utilizing large- or medium-framed cattle can allow for increased carcass weights without decreasing carcass quality. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.