Prediction of the body chemical composition of Nellore and F1 Simental x Nellore from the chemical composition of the Hankins e Howe section (section HH)

Thirty Nellore bulls, averaging 330 kg and 20 months of age, were used to obtain the prediction equations of body chemical composition, from the chemical composition of section HH (Hankins and Howe). After a period of adaptation of 40 days, five animals were slaughtered as reference to estimate the empty body weight and the initial body composition of the 25 animals remaining, that were allotted to five treatments with different dietary levels of concentrate in the dry matter (25.0, 37.5, 50.0, 62.5, and 75.0%), in a completely randomized design, with five replicates. The slaughter weight was established in 450 kg. Linear regression equations were fitted to the prediction of body chemical composition, from the chemical composition of section HH of Nellore (30 observations), as well as data of 29 F1 Simental x Nellore bulls. It was concluded that the body chemical composition can be predicted from the chemical composition of the section HH. However, it should be inferred that the prediction equation of carcass physical composition from the section HH were used for the empty body composition of both Nellore and F1 Simental x Nellore bulls.