EFFECTS OF FRAME SIZE AND TIME-ON-FEED ON CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS, SENSORY ATTRIBUTES, AND FATTY-ACID PROFILES OF STEERS

Weaned British x continental crossbred steers (n = 108, 7 to 8 mo of a ge) of medium or large frame were used in a replicated experiment with a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement of treatments over 2 yr. Management reg imens consisted of backgrounding for 150 d and finishing for 0, 30, 60 , and 90 d. Carcass data were collected, and samples from the longissi mus muscle were analyzed for long-chain fatty acids, cholesterol, and the percentage of fat. Duration of finishing was a source of variation for hot carcass weight, marbling, percentage of kidney, pelvic, and h eart fat, fat thickness, yield and quality grades, cooking loss, flavo r intensity, and stearic, oleic, and linolenic acids (P < .05). Myrist ic, palmitic, and margaric acids were negatively correlated (P < .05) with juiciness and with ''cowy'' and ''painty'' taste characteristics. Frame score did not influence long-chain fatty acids; however, there was a relationship between long-chain fatty acids and management regim en. Results suggest that feeding steers a finishing diet up to 90 d af ter backgrounding for 150 d has a positive influence on carcass charac teristics without affecting cholesterol.