The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional requirements of energy and protein and estimate the efficiencies of metabolizable energy utilization for fat and protein deposition, as well as for maintenance (k m) and growth (k g). An experiment of comparative slaughter was carried out with thirty-seven 14-month-old (±1 month) Nellore bulls with 259±24.9 kg. Animals were divided as follows: five to reference, four to maintenance level and twenty-eight bulls feeding ad libitum. Bulls were also grouped in 4 different feedlot periods (42, 84, 126 and 168 days) for slaughter. The diet was composed of corn silage and concentrate, at a 55:45 ratio. After the slaughter, the left half carcasses were totally dissected for determination of body composition. The energy requirements for maintenance were obtained by exponentially relating the heat production and the metabolizable energy intake, while the energy requirements for gain (NEg) were obtained according to empty body weight (EBW) and EBW gain (EBG). The net protein requirements for gain (NPg) were estimated according to EBG and retained energy (RE). The net (NEm) and metabolizable (MEm) energy requirements for maintenance were 76.5 and 113.84 kcal/EBW0.75/day, respectively. The k m was 0.67. The equations for NEg and NPg were: NEg (Mcal/day) = 0.0555 × EBW0.75 × EBG1.095 and NPg (g/day) = 263.37 × EBG - 23.21 × RE. The k g was 0.33. The efficiencies to deposition of energy as protein and fat were 0.18 and 0.71, respectively. The model obtained for the percentage of retained energy as protein (%REp) was %REp = 2.4221 × (RE/EBG)-1.6472. The net and metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance of Nellore bulls were 76.5 and 113.84 kcal/EBW0.75/day. The energy and protein requirements for gain could be obtained by the respective equations: NEg (Mcal/day) = 0.0555 × EBW0.75 × EBG1.095 and NPg (g/day) = 263.37 × EBG - 23.21 × RE.

The objective of this study was to estimate the urinary creatinine excretion by the shrunk body weight (SBW). In experiment I, 32 Nellore bulls with initial body weight of 259±24.9 kg and 14±1 months-old were used. The group was divided in four animals to maintenance and twenty eight animals feeding ad libitum and separated in four groups; each group was slaughtered at different times of feedlot (42, 84, 126 and 168 days). The diet was composed of corn silage and concentrate (55:45). Before the slaughters, the total urinary collection was realized during three days. A database of creatinine excretion was collected from other five studies that had been conducted with Nellore cattle. In all the studies, the total urinary collection was realized during at least three days. At the end of each collection, the animals were weighted. Urinary creatinine excretion (UCE) was related with the shrunk body weight and it can be estimated by the equation: UCE (g/day) = 0.0345 × SBW0.9491.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the carcass characteristics, chemical composition and fatty acid profile of the longissimus muscle of 32 young bulls from four genetic groups: Caracu; Canchin; Aberdeen Angus × Canchin; and Charolais × Caracu, finished in feedlot and slaughtered at 22 months old. Each group was composed of eight animals. There was no difference for moisture, ash, crude protein or total cholesterol between bulls from different genetic groups. However, total lipids percentage was higher for bulls from Caracu and Aberdeen Angus × Canchin and lower for Canchin and Charolais genetic groups. Polyunsaturated fattty acids and n-6 percentage was higher for Canchin and lower for Caracu, Aberdeen Angus × Canchin and Charolais genetic groups. Canchin and Charolais × Caracu genetic groups presented higher n-3 percentage than Caracu and Aberdeen Angus × Canchin. There was no difference for the n-6/n-3 ratio among the bulls from the four genetic groups.