Comparison of Kamphaeng Saen and Crossbred Wagyu Steers Feedlot Fed Concentration Diet Ad libitum on Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality and Feedlot Return

Beef cattle breeds and the appropriate feeding of concentrated diet play an important role in the success of quality beef production. The objectives of the present study were to compare feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and feedlot return of Kamphaeng Saen beef vs. crossbred Wagyu (CW-F1 and CW-F2) steers fed concentration ad libitum. Kamphaeng Saen and Wagyu crossbred (CW-F1 and CW-F2) steers were divided into two groups with 8 steers each (average initial weight 406.04 kg with 18 months of age). The steers were fed a commercial concentration diet and Napier grass silage ad libitum, supplemented with 1 kg of rice straw/day for 368 days throughout the experiment. A completely randomized design was used for this study. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using initial weight as a covariance. The mean was compared using Tukey's Honesty Significant Difference test (HSD). Production cost, income, and return were compared using the average. The results showed that the feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Kamphaeng Saen and crossbred Wagyu steers were not significantly different (P>0.05), but crossbred Wagyu F1 showed lower carcass percentage than crossbred Wagyu F2 while an intramuscular fat of crossbred Wagyu F1 tended to be higher (P=0.09) than crossbred Wagyu F2 or Kamphaeng Saen steers. However, in the present study, ad libitum feeding for feedlot steers is infeasible.