Some Physiological Studies on Growth and Feed Efficiency of Beef Cattle

Abstract

INTEREST at Oregon State University has been concerned with the physiological mechanism by which inherited differences bring about differences in growth rate and efficiency. When this research was initiated, physiological differences that could logically be expected to have some influence were: (1) differences in appetite in which animals that consume more feed grow more rapidly and efficiently, (2) differences in ability to digest the feed eaten, (3) differences in storage products with more rapidly growing animals storing more protein, (4) differences in metabolism such that some animals can convert the feed eaten into growth with greater efficiency than others. Because information is difficult to obtain on ruminants in a post adsorptive state, studies on precursors and end products of metabolism in the blood and urine seem appropriate.The present study is concerned with certain precursors and end products of protein metabolism in growing beef cattle that differ markedly in growth rate and efficiency of converting feed into body gains.