Effect of Dietary Copper Levels on Performance and Carcass Characteristics in Hanwoo Steers

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary copper levels on performance, carcass characteristics, and economical analysis in Hanwoo steers. Fifteen Hanwoo steers weighing about 300 kg were randomly allotted into one of three treatments. The three treatments consisted of Control(7 mg Cu/kg feed), TI(12 mg Cu/kg feed) and TII(17 mg Cu/kg feed). Copper was formulated with concentrate from copper sulfate(CuSO4) and animals were fed the diets supplemented with copper from 300 kg untill about 630 kg of body weight.Dietary copper levels did not affect daily weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency during the whole feeding period. Dressing percentage, rib eye area and backfat thickness were not different between animals fed the diets supplemented with copper. Animals fed the diets supplemented with copper received the same B grade in yield grade.Animals fed the diets supplemented with copper received same marbling score. Beef color, fat color, texture and maturity were not affected by Cu supplementation in diet. Animals received the same first grade between treatments in quality grade. Animals fed the diet supplemented with 12 mg of copper per kg diet was higher in profit by 13.3% than animals fed the control diet.According to these results, it may be concluded that performance, yield and quality grade were not affected by the Cu levels of 7 to 17 mg per kg feed but crude income was enhanced when Hanwoo steers were fed the diet containing 12 mg Cu/kg feed.