This study aimed to evaluate sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L) silage treated with calcium hydroxide -Ca(OH) 2 -(slacked lime) as the only roughage source in a feedlot ration, regarding animal performance and meat quality. Forty five Canchim steers (22 months old, 345 kg body weight -BW) were assigned, in a complete randomized block design, to three treatments (total mixed rations -TMRs -with 35% roughage): T1-TMR with fresh sugarcane; T2 -TMR with sugarcane silage treated with calcium

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... de (10 g Ca(OH) 2 /kg of fresh forage); T3 -TMR with corn silage. Dry matter intake (DMI), digestible DM intake (DDMI), crude protein intake (CPI), feed efficiency (FE), average daily gain (ADG) and dressing percentage (DP) were evaluated. Meat was analyzed for quality parameters (pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, color and shear force) and sensory attributes. Steers fed the silage treated with calcium hydroxide presented similar (P>0.05) DMI (10.8 kg DM/d), DDMI (8.5 kg/d) and DP (52.6%); higher CPI (1.8 vs. 1.4 kg/d) and lower (P<0.05) ADG (1.58 vs. 1.81 kg BW/d) and FE (0.15 vs. 0.17 kg BW/kg DMI) in comparison to those receiving corn silage. Compared to animals fed the fresh sugarcane, steers fed sugarcane silage treated with calcium hydroxide presented higher (P<0.05) DMI (10.9 vs. 9.4 kg DM/d), DDMI (8.7 vs. 7.4 kg/d), CPI (1.8 vs. 1.1 kg/d) and DP (52.7% vs. 51.2%) but similar (P>0.05) ADG and FE (1.5 kg BW/d and 0.15 kg BW/kg DMI, respectively). The different rations did not affect (P>0.05) meat quality parameters and sensory attributes, except for fat color and off flavor sensory attribute. It was concluded that calcium hydroxide can be indicated as an efficient additive for sugarcane ensilage. Feedlot cattle fed TMR containing sugarcane silage treated with Ca (OH) 2 , as the only roughage source, presented adequate performance and meat quality.