Performance of Steers Supplemented with Zinc During Grazing and Receiving at the Feedlot121Published with the approval of the director, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, manuscript no. 00054. The growing portion of this project was conducted with funding from the University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Hatch Project No. ARK1735. The receiving portion of this project was conducted with funding from the

Abstract

Abstract A study was conducted to compare the effects of three supplemental zinc sources on beef steers grazing winter annual pasture and during receiving in a feedlot. In southern Arkansas, 84 steers were weighed (BW = 216 ± 1.5 kg), bled via jugular puncture, and randomly assigned to 12 bermudagrass pastures (0.81 ha each) that had been overseeded with wheat, rye, and annual ryegrass (7 steers per pasture; 116 d of grazing) on January 15; the steers were allowed to graze until May 11. Steers were fed 0.45 kg daily of corn-based supplement containing 103 mg zinc from ZnSO 4 , zinc amino acid complex ( ZnAA ), or zinc polysaccharide ( ZnPOL ) during the entire grazing period. On May 12, steers were shipped to a research feedlot (14 h; 1,016 km; 6.9% BW shrink) in northeast New Mexico. In the feedlot, the same groups of steers were fed a receiving diet (steam-flaked milo) that contained the same zinc sources as fed during the grazing period. Dietary concentrate was increased from 75 to 85% of dietary DM weekly. Data were analyzed as a completely random design; least squares means were separated using contrast. Steer BW on d 28 and 84 of the grazing period were greater (P 4 ; however, ADG over the 116 d of grazing and ending BW did not differ (P>0.28) among zinc sources. In the feedlot, steer BW, ADG, and feed efficiency did not differ (P>0.05) among zinc sources. Serum zinc concentrations did not differ (P>0.05) among zinc sources at any point in time. We conclude that early in the grazing period, ZnAA and ZnPOL improved steer BW compared with ZnSO 4 ; however, no differences were noted among zinc sources later in the grazing period or during receiving in the feedlot.