Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites, Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality in Finishing Wagyu Crossbred Beef Cattle Receiving Betaine–Biotin–Chromium (BBC) Supplementation

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Increasing the utilization of nutrients in high-producing ruminants such as finishing beef cattle improves growth and meat quality. Feed additives are an alternative way to increasing nutrient utilization, thus improving product quality. Previous studies found that adding feed additives such as betaine–biotin–chromium resulted in increased energy and protein utilization efficiency in growing beef cattle. The purpose of this study was to explore how a combination supplementation affected growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality in finishing Wagyu crossbred beef steers. We found that a combination of betaine–biotin–chromium had a promising response in terms of nutrient utilization resulting in increased fat content in meat. As a result, meat with a relatively high fat content during the finishing period may contribute to improving higher-priced meat and increasing consumer demand. ABSTRACT: Eighteen Wagyu crossbred steers (average initial body weight: 596.9 ± 46.4 kg; average age: 36 ± 2.7 months) were subjected to three levels of betaine–biotin–chromium (BBC) supplementation for 98 days before slaughter. Animals were fed a basal diet and BBC supplemented at 0, 3 or 6 g/kg of dry matter (DM). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design by a group of animals with six replicates. The intake and digestibility among treatments were not different (p > 0.05). The average daily gain (ADG) of steers that received BBC at 6 g/kg of DM (0.79 kg/day) tended to be higher (p = 0.07) than that of those receiving BBC at 0 and 3 g/kg/day (0.52 and 0.63 kg/day, respectively). Blood metabolites were not different (p > 0.05) among treatments. Carcass characteristic traits included chilled carcass dressing percentage and loin eye area, while meat quality included drip loss, cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force were not different (p > 0.05). Back fat thickness tended to be higher (p = 0.07) in steers fed BBC at 6 g/kg. The marbling score did not differ (p > 0.05) among treatments; however, the intramuscular fat content of the longissimus dorsi (LD) on a DM basis was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in steers fed BBC at 6 g/kg (39.8% DM) than in those fed BBC at 0 g/kg (28.2% DM) and at 3 g/kg (29.1% DM). Based on the findings, BBC supplementation had no effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics; however, BBC at 6 g/kg DM increased fat content in LD muscle of finishing Wagyu crossbred steers.