Factors Affecting Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Cattle Fed All-Concentrate Rations

Abstract

Two trials were conducted to study the performance of cattle consuming all-concentrate rations based upon shelled corn. The first trial was designed to study the effect of urea vs. soybean meal, mineral buffers vs. none and 100 ppm supplemental zinc vs. none. None of these factors significantly affected gains. Buffer addition significantly depressed carcass grade and fat over the rib eye and significantly increased the percent of bone in the 9-10-11th rib cut. Buffer addition also caused a significant depression in the percent of blood serum albumin and a significant increase in the percent of γ-globulin. In a second trial steers implanted with stilbestrol made significantly faster gains than the other groups. Steers receiving the pelleted ration had significantly more fat over the rib eye than cattle fed meal rations. Average blood serum components and total serum protein values for 64 steers from both trials were: albumin, 46%; α-globulin, 14%; β-globulin, 15%; γ-globulin, 25%; and total serum proteins, 7.2%.