Corn or soybean hull incorporation into haylage-based backgrounding beef cattle diets: Effect on growth and efficiency during the backgrounding and finishing periods

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of corn or soybean hull incorporation into haylage-based diets on backgrounding calf performance and subsequent feedlot performance. Crossbred steers [n = 48, initial body weight (BW) = 303 ± 3.4 kg] were individually fed dietary treatments consisting of: (1) haylage [17.5% crude protein, dry matter (DM) basis; control], (2) haylage + 20% (DM basis) cracked corn, and (3) haylage + 20% (DM basis) soybean hulls during a 112-d backgrounding period. After the backgrounding period, all steers were adapted to a common high moisture corn-based finishing diet and fed until an ultrasound estimated backfat thickness of 7 mm was obtained. During the backgrounding period, steers fed cracked corn or soybean hulls had greater (P < 0.01) average daily gain, dry matter intake and gain:feed and lower (P = 0.05) plasma urea N as compared with controls. However, when finished on a common high-concentrate diet, steers previously fed cracked corn had greater (P < 0.08) average daily gain, final body weight, and longissimus muscle area than those fed soybean hulls, suggesting that source of supplemental energy during the backgrounding period may influence subsequent feedlot performance. Key words: Beef cattle, backgrounding, energy supplementation