Effects of wet corn gluten feed and individual feeding behavior pattern on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef steers

Date

2001-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) and dietary roughage levels on finishing performance, carcass characteristics, and feeding behavior of beef steers compared with standard diets based on steam-flaked corn (SFC). In Trial 1, WCGF was fed at either 0 or 40" o of the dietary DM replacing SFC, molasses, cottonseed meal, and urea. The 0% WCGF diet (CON) w-as a standard SFC-based diet that contained 9% roughage. In diets that contained 40% WCGF, roughage level was 0, 4.5, or 9" 0. Steers fed the CON diet had lower (P < .04) daily DMI and improved (P < .02) feed efficiency. A linear increase in DMI (P < .01) and hot carcass weight (P < .02) was observed in response to increasing roughage level in diets that contained WCGF. Consumption rate and feeding intensity for the last 4 h before sunset did not differ (P > .10) among treatments; however, steers fed the CON diet ate more intensely (P < .02) than the average of steers fed WCGF diets. In Trial 2, WCGF was fed at 0, 20, or 40% (two diets) of the dietary DM replacing SFC, molasses, and a majority of the supplemental protein. The 0% WCGF diet (CON) was a standard SFC-based diet, and the 20° o WCGF diet contained 9% roughage. In diets that contained 40% WCGF, the roughage level was either 4.5 or 9%. Average daily DMI was less (P < .01) by steers fed the CON diet than by steers fed WCGF. When WCGF was added to the diet at 40% (DM basis), increasing roughage level from 4.5 to 9% tended (P < .09) to increase average daily DMI and increase (P < .01) feed:gain ratio Steers fed the 20% WCGF diet had improved (P < .01) feed efficiency compared with steers fed die 40" 0 WCGF diets. More (P < .02) carcasses of steers fed WCGF graded USDA Choice than of steers fed the CON diet. Steers fed 20" o WCGF ate less intensely (P < .05) than steers fed the CON diet or diets that contained 40% WCGF. Steers fed the CON diet visited the feed bunk less (P < .05) frequently than steers fed WCGF diets. Increasing dietary neutral detergent fiber content (NDF) was related to increased (P < .05) total time spent at the bunk. Steers fed WCGF diets had higher DMI, poorer feed efficiency, visited the feed bunk more frequently, and spent more time at the feed bunk than steers fed the CON diets. These data suggest that steers fed WCGF, while consuming more feed, were less intense eaters than steers fed conventional SFC-based diets, which might decrease the incidence of acidosis. This potential decreased incidence of acidosis was most likely attributable to an increased NDF concentration in WCGF diets compared with conventional (high-starch, low-roughage) SFC-based diets. Results of discriminant analysis using individual feeding behavior patterns to classify- steers into various categories based on their average daily gain, hot carcass weight, quality grade, yield grade, and liver score indicated very low accuracy of classification, which was only slightly improved with the addition of initial body weight data. These data suggest that individual feeding behavior patterns alone, early in the feeding period, would not be sufficient to predict overall performance or carcass quality of finishing cattle; however, steers with low average daily gains had higher (P < .10) head-down intensity (INT 2) after d 101 of the trial. Moreover, the 25% of steers with the lowest daily gains spent less (P < .10) total time (ITOD) at the feedbunk early in the feeding period than steers with higher gains. There was no difference in frequency of visits to the feed bunk for high- or low-gaining groups. More research is needed to evaluate the use of feeding behavior patterns to classify beef cattle into overall performance and carcass characteristics groups.

Description

Keywords

Beef cattle -- Carcass -- Evaluation, Corn as feed -- Analysis, Beef cattle -- Feeding and feeds

Citation