ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to examine the effect of organic chromium yeast supplementation in feedlot diets of growing male cows on growth efficiency and carcass characteristics. The experiment was conducted in Ibadan (7.380 N and 3.930 E), in the South Western region of Nigeria. The study lasted six months (180 days). A total of seventy-five Ndama Ndama growing male cows with average weights ranging between 280 and 284kg were kept outdoors in feedlot pens of 15 cows per treatment. The different treatment groups received organic chromium yeast mix of 9%, 18%, 27% and 36%, representing 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 ppm organic chromium yeast respectively. Each cow was replicated 3 times with 5 cows per replicate. Parameters recorded during the experimental period include average daily gain, feed: gain ratio and feed consumption. Carcass characteristics studied at the end of the experiment include final yield grade, marbling scores, dressing percentage, quality grade and longissimus muscle area. Statistical analysis revealed significant (P<0.05) differences between the means. Cows fed diets supplemented with 0.3 ppm organic chromium yeast showed higher performance characteristics than cows fed the control diet and the other experimental diets. Treatment with 0.3 ppm organic chromium yeast in the diet of the cows significantly (P<0.05) increased carcass characteristics and these values were higher than the values obtained from cows fed the control diet and the other experimental diets.