Growth, carcass characteristics, cut yields and meat quality of lambs finished with zilpaterol hydrochloride and steroid implant.

Forty hairbreed male lambs were used to evaluate the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH, 0 and 0.15 mg/kg BW) and steroid implant (SI, without and with 52.5 mg trenbolone acetate and 7.5 mg 17β-estradiol) on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, non-carcass components, wholesale cut yield, and meat quality. Supplemental ZH increased growth rate, feed efficiency, carcass weight, and dressing percentage, with no effect on wholesale cut yields. Feeding ZH increased muscle pH at 24 h. Supplemental ZH increased meat shear force, but decreased lightness, redness, and yellowness after frozen storage followed by a 14-day aging period. The SI administration increased dressing percentage and neck yield, but decreased testicle weight and meat redness, without affecting other variables. The LT area was greater with ZH + SI administration than with individual application of ZH or SI. Compared to individual administration, simultaneous application of ZH and SI did not result in improved growth performance, carcass traits and wholesale cut yields in hairbreed male lambs.