## 3 Results  
The initial age of bulls from the three production systems was similar, and close to seven months of age, immediately after weaning (Table 2). The initial weight was similar (\(p>0.050\)) since these animals had a similar rearing system without undergoing any management that interfered with the weaning weight, such as the use of creep-feeding. The rearing period that bulls spent on conventional pastures (without soil correction and fertilization) was longer in the PASTU system (11.27 months), intermediate in the PRIME system (8.22 months) in improved and corrected pastures, and shorter in the FELOT system (only during the rearing period--6.82 months) (Table 2). The period in feedlot was shorter for animals in the PASTU system (4 months), intermediate for bulls in the PRIME system (5 months) and longer for bulls in the FELOT system (11.3 months) (Table 2). The age at slaughter was shorter for bulls in the FELOT system (18.0 months), intermediate for bulls in the PRIME system (20.0 months) and longer for bulls in the PASTU system (22.0 months) (Table 2). This was due to the type of feeding adopted. Bulls in the last two production systems received a higher energy and protein intake in the diet during the rearing and finishing phases. The average daily gain depends on the energy and protein density of the diet available to the animals [11; 12]. Thus, the average daily gain observed was higher (\(p<0.016\)) for bulls in the FELOT system (1.11 kg), intermediate for bulls in the PRIME system (0.97 kg) and lower for bulls in the PASTU system (0.82 kg). The body weight at slaughter was higher (\(p<0.001\)) for bulls from the FELOT system (559.5 kg), intermediate for bulls from the PRIME system (580.00 kg) and lower for bulls from the PASTU system (542.3 kg) (Table 3). The slaughter weight is determined by the energy and protein density of the diet. The slaughter weight was high for bulls from all production systems (above 540.0 kg of body weight). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Parameters** & **PASTU 1** & **FELOT 2** & **PRIME 3** & **SEM 4** & \(p\)**Value** \\ \hline \(n\) & 10 & 10 & 10 & & \\ \hline Weaning age, months & 6.73 & 6.67 & 6.82 & 2.581 & 0.038 \\ Brachiaria pasture, months & 11.27 & - & - & - & - \\ Improved pasture, months & - & - & 8.22 & & - \\ Feedlot, months & 4.00 a & 11.3 a & 5.00 b & 2.582 & 0.012 \\ Slaughter age, months & 22.00 a & 18.00 c & 20.00 b & 0.502 & 0.012 \\ Average daily gain, kg & 0.82 c & 1.11 a & 0.97 b & 0.305 & 0.016 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} 1
[FOOTNOTE:1]Footnote 1: PASTU—Bulls raised on extensive Brachiaria pasture and finished in feedlot, 2
[FOOTNOTE:1]Footnote 1: PASTU—Bulls raised on corrected and fertilized pasture and finished in feedlot, 3
[FOOTNOTE:3]Footnote 3: PRIME—Bulls raised and fin-ished in feedlot, 4  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Effect of production system on productive parameters of crossbred bulls. The hot carcass weight obtained immediately after slaughter was in the same order of magnitude as the slaughter weight: highest for bulls from the FELOT system (340.0 kg), intermediate for bulls from the PRIME system (323.3 kg) and lowest for bulls from the PASTU system (295.5 kg) (Table 3). The cold carcass weight followed the same order as the hot carcass dressing, but slightly lower in relation to the hot carcass weight (Table 3). The cold carcass dressing was similar (\(p>0.05\)) for bulls from the three production systems (Table 3). The cold carcass dressing was close to 57.0%, therefore above the dressing of bulls normally finished on PASTU. The losses that occur in the first twenty-four hours after slaughter were similar (\(p>0.05\)) for the three production systems (Table 3). The drip losses occurring in 24 h (+4 \({}^{\circ}\)C) were similar (\(p>0.05\)) for meat from the 3 different production systems, below 1.0% (Table 3).