Animal performance and meat quality characteristics from feedlot-finished steers fed increasing levels of wet distillers grain.

One hundred forty-four steers were group-housed in 24 pens that were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments defined by the proportion of wet distiller grain plus solubles (WDGS; 0, 15, 30, or 45%) and fed for 84 d pre-slaughter. Animal performance was evaluated using the pen as the experimental unit. Whereas for carcass and meat quality characteristics, meat oxidative stability, and the consumer sensory quality of longissimus thoracis muscle one animal from each pen was randomly selected and used as the experimental unit. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed for subcutaneous fat thickness, rib eye area, marbling score or pH, color parameters, proximate composition, sarcomere length, Warner Bratzler shear force, and cooking loss. Feeding WDGS linearly increased total PUFA (P = 0.05), C18:2 n-6 (P = 0.004) proportions, and n-6/n-3 ratio (P < 0.01) but reduced C16:1 to C18:0 ratio (P < 0.01). Lipid oxidation was greater in beef from steers fed 30% and 45% WDGS (P = 0.05). Dietary WDGS linearly improved (P < 0.05) flavor and overall linking score in the consumer sensory panel.