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Corn Silage, Urea and Pelleted Coastal Bermudagrass in Steer Finishing Systems^{1, 2,}

Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29631

Abstract

Three-Hundred steer calves, averaging about 222 kg in weight, were finished on 10 different dietary systems. One-hundred animals were put on test each year in the falls of 1967, 1968 and 1969, and fed for an average period of approximately 210 days.

Lowest daily gains were made by steers receiving only plain or urea-treated corn silage with cottonseed meal. Feeding corn grain with silage increased gains, but steers receiving only silage and pelleted dehydrated Coastal bermudagrass made gains comparable to those obtained on either type of harvested forage supplemented with corn. Delaying the feeding of grain until the second half of the feeding period did not significantly reduce gains, but significantly increased in one comparison the amount of dry matter required per 100 kg gain. A corn silage-limited grain-protein supplement system and a grass pellet-limited grain system were found comparable in respect to rate of gain and efficiency of dry matter utilization. Significant differences were found in liver vitamin A stores, and these differences appeared to reflect those in harvested forage dry matter intake.

Carcasses of acceptable quality were produced on all treatments, with treatment means ranging from good to choice. Carcasses produced on treatments including corn tended to have higher dressing percents, larger longissimus areas, higher conformation scores, higher carcass grades, more rib and internal fat, and lower yield grades than those from steers not receiving corn. Percent protein differed significantly among treatments in 9-10-11th rib soft tissue but not in the 12th rib longissimus.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director, South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, as Paper No. 947 in the Journal series.

² This research was supported in part by funds from the Southern Regional Project S-10, Breeding Methods for Beef Cattle in the Southern Region, a cooperative study by agricultural experiment stations in the Southern Region and the U.S.D.A.

³ The authors acknowledge the assistance of W. E. Johnston in statistical analysis of data, of R. M. Rauton and A. F. Simpson in field supervision of the animals and of S. L. Moore in providing essential veterinary services.