The effect of maxgrass silage additive and level of concentrate supplementation on silage intake, animal performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle

1992 ◽  
Vol 1992 ◽  
pp. 154-154
Author(s):  
Rosemary E Poots ◽  
M T Carson ◽  
S J Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Carboxylic Acids ◽  
Present Experiment ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Additive Effect ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Primary Growth ◽  
Finishing Beef Cattle ◽  
Evaluation Parameters

Maxgrass (BP Chemicals Ltd), a product containing ammonium hexamethanoate, ammonium hexapropionate and carboxylic acids, has been claimed to restrict the extent of WSC fermentation in herbage during ensiling. This has been shown to result in increased DM intake and subsequent animal performance (Kennedy 1990). The objective of the present experiment was to further investigate the effects of this treatment of grass at ensiling and in particular to examine the interaction of the responses with levels of concentrate supplementation when offered to finishing beef cattle. Evaluation parameters included an assessment of additive effect on silage intake, animal performance and carcass characteristics.Approximately 70 tonnes of primary growth grass was ensiled from 22-24 May 1990 into each of eight concrete covered, walled silos (4 per treatment). Grass was treated with Maxgrass (6 l/t) or left untreated. Seventy-two Continental cattle (460 kg) were blocked into groups of 9 according to liveweight and allocated at random to either untreated or Maxgrass treated silage supplemented with 0, 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 kg/day of a 15% CP proprietary beef concentrate or slaughtered.

scholarly journals Use of barley or corn silage when fed with barley, corn, or a blend of barley and corn on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan A Johnson ◽  
Brittney D Sutherland ◽  
John J McKinnon ◽  
Tim A McAllister ◽  
Gregory B Penner
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Growth Performance ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Corn Silage ◽  
Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽  
Feed Ratio ◽  
Final Body Weight ◽  
Liver Abscesses ◽  
Finishing Beef Cattle

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the source of silage, cereal grain, and their interaction on growth performance, digestibility, and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle. Using a completely randomized design within an 89-d finishing study, 288 steers were randomly assigned to 1 of 24 pens (12 steers/pen) with average steer body weight (BW) within a pen of 464 kg ± 1.7 kg (mean ± SD). Diets were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with corn silage (CS) or barley silage (BS) included at 8% (dry matter [DM] basis). Within each silage source, diets contained dry-rolled barley grain (BG; 86% of DM), dry-rolled corn grain (CG; 85% of DM), or an equal blend of BG and CG (BCG; 85% of DM). Total tract digestibility of nutrients was estimated from fecal samples using near-infrared spectroscopy. Data were analyzed with pen as the experimental unit using the Mixed Model of SAS with the fixed effects of silage, grain, and the two-way interaction. Carcass and fecal kernel data were analyzed using GLIMMIX utilizing the same model. There were no interactions detected between silage and grain source. Feeding CG increased (P < 0.01) DM intake by 0.8 and 0.6 kg/d relative to BG and BCG, respectively. Gain-to-feed ratio was greater (P = 0.04) for BG (0.172 kg/kg) than CG (0.162 kg/kg) but did not differ from BCG (0.165 kg/kg). Furthermore, average daily gain (2.07 kg/d) and final body weight did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.25). Hot carcass weight (HCW) was 6.2 kg greater (372.2 vs. 366.0 kg; P < 0.01) and dressing percentage was 0.57 percentage units greater (59.53 vs. 58.96 %; P = 0.04) for steers fed CS than BS, respectively. There was no effect of dietary treatment on the severity of liver abscesses (P ≥ 0.20) with 72.0% of carcasses having clear livers, 24.4% with minor liver abscesses, and 3.6% with severe liver abscesses. Digestibility of DM, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and starch were greater for BG (P < 0.01) than CG or BCG. As expected, grain source affected the appearance of grain kernels in the feces (P ≤ 0.04). Feeding CS silage increased the appearance of fractured corn kernels (P = 0.04), while feeding BS increased fiber appearance in the feces (P = 0.02). Current results indicate that when dry rolled, feeding BG resulted in improved performance and digestibility compared with CG and BCG. Even at low inclusion levels (8% of DM), CS resulted in improved carcass characteristics relative to BS.

scholarly journals Performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle managed in a bedded hoop-barn system1

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (8) ◽  
pp. 2797-2801 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. Honeyman ◽  
W. D. Busby ◽  
S. M. Lonergan ◽  
A. K. Johnson ◽  
D. L. Maxwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Finishing Beef Cattle
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