Correlations between feed efficiency indicators and carcass characteristics in young Canchim bulls

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlations between feed efficiency indicators and carcass characteristics in young Canchim bulls. Thirty intact male (594±23 days of age) were allocated to collective pens equipped with Intergado electronic feeders at the Central Bela Vista Technology Center (Botucatu, São Paulo). The feed efficiency test lasted 77 days (21 days of adaptation and 56 days of evaluation). At the end, feed efficiency indicators such as residual feed intake (RFI), residual average daily gain (RADG), feed efficiency (FE), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were estimated. Additionally, carcass images were captured and read by ultrasound, including ribeye area (REA), loin height/length ratio (RATIO), marbling (MAR), rump fat thickness (RFT), and backfat thickness (BFT). Spearman's correlations were performed to assess the relationship between feed efficiency indicators and carcass characteristics. Among the main findings, a significant positive correlation was observed between Rump Fat Thickness (RFT) and Residual Feed Intake (RFI) (p = 0.46; p < 0.05). This suggests that more efficient animals, by better distributing energy from feed, exhibit greater fat deposition in this region, reflecting an optimized metabolic strategy for energy storage.The other associations observed were of low to moderate magnitude and not statistically significant. However, despite the limited statistical significance of the correlations between carcass characteristics and feed efficiency indicators, likely due to the small sample size, our results suggest that rump fat thickness could be a relevant variable in the metabolic strategy of energy storage in more efficient animals. These findings can serve as a basis for improving feed management and genetic breeding strategies in beef cattle.