Growth and carcass characteristics of weaned single-suckled calves slaughtered on achieving slaughter condition or 8 or 16 weeks later

1976 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Broadbent

SUMMARY1. Weaned single-suckled calves (castrates) were housed at 260·7 kg live weight. Six genotypes, all two- or three-way crossbreds, were represented. A diet of bruised barley, wet distiller's grains, swedes and grass silage was offered until the required minimum live weight (363 kg) and body composition was reached. The cattle were then slaughtered (treatment A), or retained for 8 (treatment B) or 16 weeks (treatment C). During the period when treatment B and C animals were retained their diet was 53% bruised barley and 47% wet distiller's grains offered ad libitum.2. Live weights at slaughter were 418·2, 458·6 and 496·1 kg (P < 0·001), carcass weights 240·5, 266·2 and 295·7 kg (P < 0·001), and killing-out percentages 57·5, 58·1 and 59·6 (P<0·01) for treatments A, B and C respectively. Daily live-weight gain did not decline during the 8 or 16 weeks cattle were retained on treatments B and C.3. Retaining the cattle to slaughter points B and C caused increases in the percentage of low-value joints in the carcass, carcass fat percentage, dry matter and fat contents of the dissected m. longissimus dorsi; and decreases in the percentage of high-value joints, carcass lean and bone percentage, crude protein and ash contents of m. longissimus dorsi. The carcass composition was 55·6, 53·5 and 51·4% lean (P<0·001); 30·7, 33·3 and 36·2% fat (P<0·001); 13·7, 13·2 and 12·4% bone (P< 0·001) for treatments A, B and C respectively.4. The results are discussed in relation to the choice made by beef producers between slaughter and retention of cattle which have reached suitable live weight and condition for marketing.

1976 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Broadbent

SUMMARY1. Fifty-four weaned single-suckled steer calves aged 11 to 14 mo were individually fed 2 kg wet distiller's grains, 10 kg swedes and an average of 11·5 kg grass silage daily. The quantity of silage offered was adjusted during the experiment in accordance with a live weight related scale. There were six treatments differing in the physical form, moisture content and level of barley grain offered. A nil barley supplement was compared with 2·5 kg barley dry matter daily offered either whole or bruised having been prepared for storage by drying (84·6% DM) and by treatment with propionic acid (79·9% DM); dried barley was also offered whole (at approximately 50% DM) after soaking in water for 24 hr. Each replicate of six cattle, one animal from each treatment, was slaughtered when all its members were subjectively estimated to have the required minimum body condition and minimum estimated carcass weight (186 kg) for marketing.2. A supplement of barley grain caused increases in daily live-weight gain, slaughter weight, carcass weight and carcass fat content; and reduced carcass lean and bone content. These effects were increased if the barley grain was processed by bruising compared to being consumed unprocessed (whole). There was no indication that the method of preparation for storage or the moisture content of the barley grain when consumed affected the results of the experiment. It was concluded that the costs of processing barley grain by bruising for feeding to growing cattle for slaughter will be exceeded by the value of the additional animal performance obtained in comparison to feeding whole barley grain.


1954 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Dodsworth

1. A feeding trial is described including four groups of cattle fed on silage only, two mixtures of silage and roots, and roots, straw, hay and oats.2. The live-weight gains made are recorded together with the rate of dry-matter intake.3. The efficiency of the dry matter of the diets was calculated.4. Silage fed alone produced a significantly greater rate of fattening than the other three diets.5. Cattle receiving roots in the morning and silage at night consumed 10·78% more dry matter and made greater live-weight gains than cattle fed on silage in the morning and roots at night.6. Calculation of the starch values of the roots and silage showed that these are higher when fed together than when silage is fed alone or when roots are fed with straw, hay and oats.7. An experiment is described designed to determine the effect of the dry-matter percentage of the diet on dry-matter intake in ruminants and of sudden changes in dry-matter content on digestibility.8. Sheep receiving 19·46% dry-matter silage consumed 16·7% more dry matter and 19·8% more starch equivalent than sheep eating 15·85% dry-matter silage.9. When the dry-matter percentage of the silage fell from 19·46 to 15·77 the digestibility of the dry matter fell by over 10%.10. The starch equivalent of the silage when fed alone was determined from the results of a digestibility trial and according to the performance of the cattle in the feeding trial. The values found were 65·88 and 66·15% respectively.11. The losses suffered in silage-making in twentyfive silos are recorded and discussed. The loss of dry matter and crude protein both average approximately 40% of that ensiled. The need for finding methods of reducing these losses is again stressed.


1958 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Castle ◽  
D. S. Maclusky ◽  
R. Waite ◽  
J. N. Watson

1. In a short-term winter feeding trial using eight Ayrshire cows, a concentrate with a nominal starch equivalent of 68 was fed at 2 lb. and 4 lb./gal. of milk with either 16 lb. hay or 16 lb. dried grass. Silage (40 lb. per day) was also fed.2. The weight of dry matter from grass products eaten per day was similar on all four treatments. Differences in total daily dry-matter consumption were very largely attributable to differences in the consumption of concentrate dry matter.3. The daily dry-matter consumption as a percentage of live weight increased from 2·5 on the rations that included hay and 2 lb. concentrates per gal. to 3·2 on the rations that included dried grass and 4 lb. concentrates per gal.4. Milk yield was significantly increased from an average of 33·5 to 37·3 lb./day when the amount of concentrates fed increased from 2 to 4 lb./gal. and also significantly increased from 33·9 to 36·9 lb./day when dried grass was fed in place of hay.5. There was an increase of 0·9 lb. milk for each 1 lb. increase of starch equivalent plus 0·2 lb. digestible crude protein intake as a result of either increasing the rate of concentrate feeding, or of feeding dried grass instead of hay.6. The fat content of the milk was similar on all four rations, whereas the solids-not-fat varied from 8·42% on the ration that included hay +2 lb. concentrates/gal, to 8·59% on the ration that included dried grass +4 1b. concentrates/gal. This change in S.N.F. was almost entirely in the protein fraction of the milk.7. There was a gradation in live-weight change from -0·74 lb./day on the hay +2 lb. concentrates/gal, to +0·34 lb./day on the dried grass +4 lb. concentrates/gal.8. After a consideration of profit margins, milk quality and live-weight changes it was concluded that both treatments B (dried grass +2 lb./gal.) and C (hay +4 lb./gal.) gave optimum and almost identical results.


1976 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-215
Author(s):  
P. J. Broadbent ◽  
C. Ball ◽  
T. L. Dodsworth

SUMMARY1. Two experiments are described in which castrated Ayrshire cattle were reared on a conventional all-concentrate diet to 250 kg live weight. In Experiment 1 the effect of feeding a 1: 1 mixture (by weight) of barley and wet distiller's grains (WDG) from 250 to 408 kg live weight was examined. In Experiment 2 swedes and grass silage were offered in addition to WDG and barley during the growth phase from 250 kg live weight to slaughter. In both experiments a control group was fed an all-concentrate diet.2. The introduction of WDG to the diet (Experiment 1) caused a significantly lower daily live-weight gain (P < 0·01) and an increase i n time to slaughter (P < 0·01). Carcasses from the control and treated animals were similar in weight, conformation and composition. There were no differences in growth rates in Experiment 2. The treated animals were heavier (P < 0·01) and older at slaughter (P < 0·001) than those in the control group and they produced heavier carcasses (P < 0·05). The carcasses were similar in composition but some differences in conformation occurred. These effects were the consequence of selecting animals for slaughter on the basis of equal finish (i.e. the ratio of muscle plus fat to bone assessed subjectively).3. The effect of reducing the dietary energy concentration appears t o be smaller with cattle over 250 kg live weight than with younger, lighter cattle. The results, which are discussed in economic terms, suggest that castrated Ayrshire cattle reared on all-concentrate diets should be changed to a diet of lower energy concentration using cheaper feed sources at 250 kg live weight.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arto Kalevi Huuskonen ◽  
Seija Jaakkola ◽  
Katariina Manni

Total mixed rations (TMR) based on grass silage (GS), triticale silage (TS), mixture of GS and TS, barley silage (BS) and mixture of GS and BS were fed to fifty Hereford (HF) and fifty Charolais (CH) bulls. The proportion (g kg-1 dry matter [DM]) of the silages in the TMRs were as follows: (1) GS (600); (2) TS (600); (3) GS (300) and TS (300); (4) BS (600); (5) GS (300) and BS (300). Concentrate proportion was 400 g kg-1 DM. According to feed analyses, the GS had 15 and 8% higher metabolizable energy (ME) concentration as well as 51 and 49% higher crude protein (CP) concentration compared to TS and BS, respectively. Average DM intake (DMI) on TS and BS containing diets was higher compared to GS as a sole forage (p=0.001). Compared to the TS based rations the use of BS rations increased daily DMI by 5% (p<0.05). In CH bulls, DMI decreased 0.8 kg d-1when GS partially replaced TS or BS while in HF bulls the use of silage mixtures slightly increased DMI (0.23 kg d-1). The live weight gain (LWG) and carcass gain of the CH bulls were 5 and 26% higher, respectively, compared to the HF bulls. Inclusion of GS in the diet increased LWG and carcass gain with TS but decreased them with BS (interaction p<0.01). The experiment demonstrated lower feeding value of TS compared to BS in the diet of the bulls. Whole crop silage based rations increased DMI compared to GS as a sole forage in the TMR. When GS partially replaced TS or BS, interactions in LWG and carcass gain results demonstrated higher feeding value for BS and lower for TS compared to GS. Feeding treatments had only minor effects on carcass traits of the bulls.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1123-1134
Author(s):  
Arto Huuskonen ◽  
Maiju Pesonen ◽  
Erkki Joki-Tokola

AbstractThe present experiment was conducted to study the performance of Hereford bulls offered diets based on whole-crop barley (WCB) and whole-crop wheat (WCW) silages relative to a moderately digestible grass silage (GS)-based diet with or without rapeseed meal (RSM) supplementation. The experiment comprised 30 bulls and a 3×2 factorial design was used. The bulls were offered silages ad libitum. In all forage diets (WCB, WCW, GS) the concentrate used was either rolled barley alone or rolled barley plus RSM. The amount of the concentrate supplementation was 37 g/metabolic live weight/animal/day for all treatments. The crude protein (CP) content of barley was 126 g/kg dry matter (DM) and the CP content of the concentrate increased 23% with RSM supplementation. Average live weight gains (LWG) for the GS, WCB and WCW feedings were 1411, 1331 and 1181 g/d, respectively. Differences in diet digestibility and energy intake probably explain the differences in LWG among the forage types. RSM supplementation increased both silage and total DM intake in the WCB and WCW feedings but not in the GS feeding. Furthermore, RSM supplementation increased LWG 7 and 17% in the WCB and WCW feedings, respectively, but only 2% in the GS feeding.


Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen

A series of five randomised-block experiments, involving 232 finishing beef steers., have been carried out to examine the effects of supplementing grass silage-based diets with extracted soyabean meal (SBM) or fish meal (FM). Eight formic-acid treated, precision chopped, silages which were made from the primary growth and first and second regrowths of perennial ryegrass swards, were used. The chemical compositions of the silages are given in Table 1. They were offered ad libitum and those used in experiments 1 to 3 and the early-cut silages used in experiments 4 and 5 were supplemented with 2.5 to 2.7 kg concentrates per head daily while the late-cut silages used in experiments 4 and 5 were supplemented with 4.5 kg concentrates per head daily. The control concentrates used in each of the experiments were based on barley and had crude protein concentrations of 95 to 108 g/kg dry matter. The high protein concentrates were similar but with a proportion of the barley replaced by SBM or FM.


1988 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen

AbstractAn experiment has been carried out to examine the effects of implantation with hormonal growth promoters on the response in the performance of castrated male cattle (steers) to protein supplementation of a silage-based diet. The treatments consisted of grass silage offered ad libitum and supplemented with 2·7 kg per head daily of either a low protein (LP, 114 g crude protein per kg dry matter (DM)) or a high protein (HP, 206 g crude protein per kg DM) concentrate. Half of the animals, given each of the two concentrates were implanted with 20 mg oestradiol plus 200 mg progesterone and 300 mg trenbolone acetate at the beginning of the experiment and after 77 days, while the remainder of the animals received no implant, giving four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Sixty-four British Friesian and Simmental cross steers which were initially 426 (s.e. 3·5) kg live weight were used. The treatments were imposed for 157 days. The silage used was well preserved and of high digestibility. For LP and HP concentrates given to non-implanted animals and LP and HP given to implanted animals respectively silage DM intakes were 5·7, 5·8, 6·3 and 6·6 (s.e. 0·18) kg/day; live-weight gains 0·96, 0·92, 1·22 and 1·33 (s.e. 0·045) kg/day; carcass gains 0·58, 0·53, 0·78 and 0·81 (s.e. 0·024) kg/day; carcass subcutaneous fat depth 6·0, 6·5, 5·8 and 5·5 (s.e. 0·35) mm; areas of m. longissimus dorsi 69·1, 58·5, 69·6 and 74·7 (s.e. 1·91) cm2 and marbling scores 3·0, 3·6, 3·3 and 3·1 (s.e. 0·25). It is concluded that protein supplementation of well preserved grass silage produced a marginal increase in the performance of implanted finishing steers but did not affect carcass fatness. With non-implanted steers protein supplementation produced a marginal depression in performance and increased carcass fatness.


1970 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. S. Robertson ◽  
H. Paver ◽  
J. C. Wilson

SUMMARYThirty-six Hereford cross Friesian calves weighing on average 82.4 kg at an average age of 90 days were allotted in randomized blocks to a 2 x 3 factorial design. Castration by the open method was performed on half the number of calves and three dietary crude protein levels, 20, 14 and 11 % in dry matter were used in a mainly cereal concentrate diet fed ad libitum individually to the animals in stalls. Slaughter was at a fixed weight of approximately 420 kg.Steers compared with bulls gained weight at a significantly slower rate and with less efficiency. Castration's greatest effect in reducing rate of gain occurred during the later stages of rearing when puberty in the bulls, as measured by a steep rise in seminal fructose, was associated with their relatively well maintained live-weight gain. The influence of testicular hormones was also apparent in the bull's carcass with its heavier head, horn and hide and significantly higher proportion of lean and lower proportion of fat in the side.Dietary protein level affected rate of gain in both bulls and steers but at each level bulls performed better than steers. With circumstances similar to those in this experiment, a 14 % crude protein level in concentrate dry matter appears adequate for both categories up to a live weight of circa 270 kg and a reduction to 11 % thereafter. The effect of protein level on tissue proportions of the side and carcass composition generally was minimal.


1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
R. D. Baker

AbstractFish meal and monensin, as supplements to grass silage, were offered either separately or together to Friesian steers from 5 to 9 months of age (period 1). At 9 months, six steers from each of the supplemented treatments were slaughtered to determine body composition. Of the remaining steers, from 9 months of age to slaughter at 490 kg live weight (LW) (period 2), six continued on each of the same treatments, whilst six received silage unsupplemented. A further group of six steers which had received fish meal and monensin during period 1, received monensin only as a supplement to their silage.During period 1 fish-meal supplementation increased LW, empty body and carcass weight gains, and tissues gains, while monensin had no apparent effect. During period 2, continued supplementation with both fish meal and monensin significantly increased LW, empty body and carcass gains compared with the continuously unsupplemented steers, whilst fish meal and monensin separately produced intermediate increased gains. All three supplement regimes significantly reduced the time taken to reach slaughter.The only significant effect on body composition was that steers receiving fish meal and monensin had a higher crude protein concentration in the empty body than those receiving only fish meal as a supplement. They also had the highest crude protein concentration in the carcass, although this was not significant. Steers which had their supplements withdrawn after 9 months of age generally maintained gains intermediate between those continuing to receive supplements and those steers unsupplemented throughout. Only those not continuing to receive fish meal and monensin together appeared to perform appreciably worse. Nevertheless, although time taken to reach slaughter from 4 months of age varied by as much as 96 days, there were no other significant differences in body or carcass composition, hi terms of cost effectiveness, use of monensin showed distinct advantages over fish meal.


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