324 Factors Affecting Growth, Efficiency, and Carcass Quality of Finishing Dairy x Beef Hybrids

Abstract

Abstract Our objectives were to determine how pre-finishing plane of nutrition, season, and breed of beef sire affect performance, efficiency, and carcass attributes of dairy-beef hybrid calves. Dairy × beef hybrid steers (3 to 7 d of age) were maintained on either a moderate plane of nutrition or high plane of nutrition from 0 to 12 wk of age. Calves (n = 211, BW = 122 ± 16 kg) were then transported 689 km to the OSU Sparks Beef Research Center at an average age of 92 ± 1.6 d in four blocks. Calves from predominantly Holstein dairies in the Midwest were sired by Angus (n = 147) or Continental breed (n = 64) sires. Steers were processed on arrival and were sorted by BW within previous treatment into 4 to 5 head pens and fed receiving diets. Steers were transitioned to a grower diet from d 14 to 112. Steers were fed a 12% roughage finishing diet from d-112 to 224. A final 8% roughage finishing diet was fed from d 224 to slaughter with ractopamine hydrochloride (300 mg·steer-1·d -1) included the last 28-d before harvest. Increasing plane of nutrition during the milk replacer and starter feeding period increased (P ≤ 0.03) initial BW at arrival and through d 84, but was not affected (P ≥ 0.08) thereafter. Calves received during the winter and spring were heavier (P < 0.01) on arrival through d 168 and at harvest and gained BW faster during the growing phase and final finishing phase than steers received during the summer. Steers sired by Angus sires were heavier throughout finishing (P < 0.01) and gained BW more rapidly (P < 0.01) than steers sired by Continental breeds. Breed of sire and season have a large impact on performance of finishing dairy × beef hybrids.