A trial was conducted to evaluate graded levels of wheat-based dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of growing and finishing cattle. Two hundred weaned calves (290 ± 17 kg) were randomly assigned to 1 of 20 pens and fed one of five DDGS treatments. The barley grain-based control diet (0% DDGS) was formulated to 12% crude protein (CP) and 1.52 and 0.93 Mcal kg-1 net energy maintenance (NEm) and net energy gain (NEg) respectively, during the backgrounding period and 1.90 and 1.26 Mcal kg-1 NEm and NEg respectively, during finishing. Wheat-based DDGS replaced (DM basis) barley grain at levels of 8, 16, 24 and 32% during backgrounding and 6, 12, 18 and 23% during finishing. Over the 85-d backgrounding period, dry matter intake (DMI) (P = 0.02), average daily gain (ADG) (P = 0.04), and ultrasound (US) l. dorsi gain (P = 0.02) exhibited a cubic response to DDGS inclusion level with theoretical minima at 6.9, 8.1 and 6.9% DDGS, respectively, and theoretical maxima responses at 27.2, 30.8 and 23.9% DDGS, respectively. Feed efficiency exhibited a quadratic response (P = 0.02) to DDGS inclusion level with a theoretical poorest response at 13.1% DDGS. No effect (P > 0.05) of DDGS inclusion level was noted on ADG, DMI or feed efficiency (kg gain:kg feed; FE) during the finishing period. Similarly, carcass traits were not influenced (P > 0.05) by DDGS inclusion level. The results of this study indicate that wheat-based DDGS can serve as an effective replacement for barley grain in cattle diets supplying both energy and protein and that for finishing cattle, wheat-based DDGS has an energy value at least equal to that of barley grain when fed at levels up to 23% of the diet DM. Key words: Wheat-based dried distillers' grains with solubles, growing and finishing cattle, performance and carcass quality
Effects of increasing dietary wheat middlings and dried distillers grains with solubles on nursery pig growth performance
