Two experiments evaluated effects of added pantothenic acid on performance of growing-finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 156 pigs (PIC, initial BW = 25.7 kg) were used in a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial to evaluate the effects of added pantothenic acid (PA; 0, 22.5, or 45 ppm), ractopamine.HCl (RAC; 0 or 10 mg/kg), and sex on growth performance and carcass traits. Pigs were fed increasing PA from 25.7 to 123.6 k...

Effects of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot steers differing in biological type were investigated using British, Continental crossbred, and Brahman crossbred calf-fed steers (n = 420). Steers of each type were weighed at reimplantation [British, mean BW = 375 kg (SD = 38 kg); Continental crossbred, mean BW = 379 kg (SD ...

One hundred ninety-two steers (BW = 354 ± 23.5 kg) were used in a randomized block design to evaluate the effects of ionophore and ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) supplementation strategies on performance and carcass characteristics. Twelve pens of 4 steers were assigned to each of the following treatments: unsupplemented control (CON), laidlomycin propionate (12.1 mg/kg DM) with or without RH (...

Forty-eight barrows and forty-eight gilts (PIC 337 sires x PIC C22 dams) were evaluated to determine the effects of feeding ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) and different cereal grains on the carcass and fat quality in late finishing pigs. The study was carried out using four replicates with 24 animals in each replicate (four pigs per pen, six pens per replicate, two replicates per slaughter dat...

A total of 320 finishing pigs (PIC 327 × 1050; initially 98 kg) were used to determine the effects of adding Zn to diets containing ractopamine HCl (RAC) on muscle fiber type distribution, fresh chop color, and cooked meat characteristics. Dietary treatments were fed for approximately 35 d and consisted of a corn-soybean meal-based negative control (CON), a positive control diet with 10 mg/kg o...

Two experiments evaluated effects of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) on performance, intake patterns, and acid-base balance of feedlot cattle. In Exp. 1, 360 crossbred steers (Brangus, British, and British x Continental breeding; initial BW = 545 kg) were used in a study with a 3 x 3 factorial design to study the effects of dose [0, 100, or 200 mg/(steer x d) of RAC] and duration (28, 35, or 42...

The objective was to summarize previous literature, using a meta-analysis approach, on the effects of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) when fed at doses of 5 to 10 mg/kg for up to 35 d before harvest on carcass cutability and belly quality of finishing pigs. The meta-analysis provided an opportunity to determine the consensus of previously published literature. Ten studies were evaluated to dete...

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of ractopamine-hydrochloride (RAC) supplementation on the myosin heavy chain isoform distribution and shelf-life properties of muscles from beef top round, knuckle, and loin. Thirty-four steer carcasses were selected from 4 separate slaughter groups. Within each slaughter group (3 groups, n = 8; 1 group, n = 10), steers were separated into pens...

Objectives were to test the effect of a lowsodium curing solution on processing characteristics of hams from purebred Berkshire pigs that were fed a step-up ractopamine HCl (RAC) feeding program or a negative control diet. Sixty pairs (n = 120) of hams were selected from two blocks of purebred Berkshire pigs (n = 200) that were fed either a control diet or 7.4 mg of ractopamine/ kg of diet for ...