CHARACTERISTICS OF CATTLE CARCASS AND DIGESTIBILITY OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) SILAGE WITH ADDED SUGAR OR BACTERIAL INOCULANTS

The experiment was conducted at the Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, in Guarapuava, PR,Brazil, in order to evaluate the effect of adding sugar or bacterial inoculants to maize (Zea mays L.) silage on carcasscharacteristics of feedlot finished steers. A completely randomized experimental design was used consisting of threetreatments (T1: silage with sugar; T2: silage with bacterial inoculants; T3: conventional maize silage - control) andthree replications. Each silo and/or bay with two animals represented an experimental unit. The confinement periodconsisted of 96 days of evaluation of 18 steers with average initial weight of 340 kg. Animals finished on silagecontaining bacterial inoculants presented higher fat thickness (4.7 vs. 3.7 mm) and better classification regardingfat distribution (5.5 vs. 3.8 mm) compared to diets based on silage with sugar or without additives. Non-carcasscomponents and carcass yield did not present changes caused by the use of sugar or bacterial inoculants on silage.Increased digestibility of dry matter was observed in diets based on silage with added sugar (69.68%) or inoculants(68.59%) compared to conventional silage (66.83%).