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Compensatory Carcass Growth in Steers following Protein and Energy Restriction

University of California, Davis

Abstract

Forty weanling Hereford steers were used to observe the effect of a diet restricted in protein and energy on tissue growth and the extent of compensatory growth during realimentation by using the comparative slaughter technique.

On the restricted diet supplemented with an average of 1.6 lb. of cottonseed meal daily, steers gained an average of 0.5 lb. daily for 156 days. Unsupplemented steers lost 0.25 lb. daily during the same period. Supplemented steers appeared to have increased in carcass bone and lean, but not in fat while unsupplemented steers appeared to have increased in carcass bone only and decreased in carcass fat. Bone seemed to parallel lean development in the supplemented steers compared to less bone and insignificant lean development in unsupplemented steers. The ration restricted in protein and energy also resulted in a smaller percent of carcass and in a carcass of smaller caloric value.

Realimentation on green pasture for 95 days and on a fattening ration for 158 days resulted in greater weight gain during both periods, greater lean growth (79%), and greater carcass growth (16%) by steers previously unsupplemented. Continuously grown steers, however, had more intramuscular fat in the l. dorsi muscle.

¹ Department of Animal Husbandry.