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Effect of Nutritional Level Imposed from Birth to Eight Months of Age on Subsequent Growth and Development Patterns of Full-Fed Beef Calves

Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater^{,3, 4, 5,}

Abstract

Sixty Hereford steer calves from five groups of dams of similar genetic background were used in this study. From birth to 8 mo. of age, each of the five groups of calves were subjected to one of the following nutritional levels: very restricted, restricted, normal, high and very high. A random sample of calves from each of the five groups was slaughtered at 8 mo. Remaining calves were then fed the same finishing ration until attaining a similar market weight of approximately 430 kg.

Results indicate that there was an increase in liveweight and in total gain, to 8 mo., with an increase in nutritional level. Upon slaughter at 8 mo. of age, it was observed that significant differences, favoring the higher level calves, were obtained in dressing percent, carcass grade and skeletal scale. In addition, the relative amounts of lean, fat and bone tissue produced were directly influenced by the level of nutrition imposed from birth to 8 mo. As the level of nutrition decreased, significantly less lean, fat and bone were produced. The relative retardation of growth was greatest in fat tissue, followed by lean and bone respectively.

In order to reach a constant market weight, more feedlot gain was required of the calves subjected to the lower levels of nutrition from birth to 8 mo. of age. Average daily feedlot gains of the calves from the various treatment groups were not significantly different. Therefore, calves subjected to the lower planes of nutrition during early life required more days in the feedlot to attain the desired constant market weight.

Even though significant treatment differences were observed in carcass merit, skeletal scale and composition of animals slaughtered at 8 mo. of age, no significant differences could be noted when animals were slaughtered following a feedlot period to a constant market weight. Though statistically nonsignificant, carcasses from animals slaughtered at a constant weight tended to contain a greater percentage of lean and bone, with a lower percentage of fat, as the level of nutrition increased during early life.

¹ Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

² Department of Biochemistry.

³ Department of Animal Science.

⁴ Approved by the Director.

⁵ The authors wish to thank T. Auda, Laboratory Technician, and G. V. Odell, Department of Biochemistry, for their assistance with the chemical analyses.