Effects of extruded urea levels on the productive performance and carcass and meat characteristics of Nellore cattle

Because the non-protein nitrogen sources can be an option for a ruminant diet to replace true-protein sources, we hypothesized that using extruded urea in increasing levels by reducing soybean meal in the diet can maintain or improve the productive performance of beef cattle in a feedlot. It was aimed to evaluate the effects of extruded urea levels on the productive performance and carcass and meat characteristics of Nellore steers in feedlot. Twenty-four Nellore steers, with an average age of 22 months and an average initial weight of 333.5 kg, were used. A completely randomized design was used with four treatments: 50, 60, 70, and 80 g/100 kg BW of extruded urea. There was no effect of extruded urea levels on nutrient intake. The final weight and average daily gain were adjusted by a quadratic equation, with maximum estimated values of 479.18 kg and 1.02 kg/day with the inclusion of 59.71, 54.14, and 54.16 g/100 kg BW of extruded urea, respectively. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of extruded urea levels on hot carcass weight (233.3 kg), carcass yield (53.2%), ribeye area (72.7 cm²), and subcutaneous fat thickness (5.3 mm). Likewise, there was no effect (P > 0.05) of extruded urea levels on meat chemical composition, shear force (8.9 KgF), cooking losses (28.2%), pH (5.6), and meat color parameters. We recommended the use of 70 g/100 kg BW of extruded urea in the diet for finishing Nellore steers in confinement.