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Effect of Various Roughages in High Concentrate Beef Cattle Diets on Animal Performance and Carcass Characteristics

Panhandle State College, Goodwell, Oklahoma 73939

Abstract

Seventy Hereford steers were randomly allotted according to origin to three diets containing approximately 10% roughage and one roughage-free diet. The roughage-free or all-concentrate diet produced significantly greater animal daily gains (P<.05) and required less feed per kilogram of gain. The amount of grain sorghum required per kilogram of gain was equal for all treatments. The presence of 10% cottonseed hulls, cottonwood sawdust or raw rice hulls in the diets did not alter any of the slaughter or carcass characteristics (P>05.) except number of abscessed livers. Steers with no roughage in the diet had 40% liver abscesses while those receiving 10% rice hulls had no liver abscesses.

A random sampling of fluid from the rumens of these animals indicated low pH values with little difference between those not receiving roughage and those having 10% roughage in the diet. Approximately one-half of the rumen samples had no protozoa. Apparently, the presence of protozoa is not essential to either the health or performance of beef cattle on short-term finishing trials.

¹ Present address: Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Overton.

² Department of Animal Science.

³ Department of Biology.