Carcass and meat traits of braford heifers fed diets with triticale silage replacing sorghum silage

Different sources of roughage can influence carcass and meat characteristics during beef production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing sorghum silage with increasing levels of triticale silage on carcass traits, meat quality, and fatty acid composition of Braford heifers. Twenty-four Braford heifers were fed feedlots with diets containing either sorghum silage or triticale silage, replacing 30%, 60%, or 100% of the roughage portion with sorghum silage. The animals were slaughtered after 63 days of feeding, and their carcass characteristics, meat composition, and fatty acid profiles were evaluated. Data were analyzed using the F-test at a 5% significance level, and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s test. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in carcass traits at any level of triticale silage inclusion. Similarly, the chemical composition of the Longissimus lumborum muscle and the fatty acid composition of the meat were not affected (p > 0.05). These results suggested that triticale silage can fully replace sorghum silage (up to 100% roughage) in feedlot diets for Braford heifers without negatively affecting carcass traits, meat, or lipid composition.