Extended Grazing and Byproduct Diets in Beef Growing Finishing Systems

Authors

Ramiro Lucena, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Terry J. Klopfenstein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Mark Klemesrud, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Rob Cooper, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

January 1998

Comments

Published in Nebraska Beef Cattle Report 1998, published by Agricultural Research Division, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, and Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Abstract

Two experiments evaluated methods of reducing costs of finished beef. The first experiment, used lambs as a model for cattle. A dry rolled corn diet served as a control and two byproduct diets: 1) corn gluten feed; or 2) gluten feed plus wheat midds, were supplemented with three levels of tallow. Byproduct diets gave feed efficiencies nearly equal to corn and efficiencies increased with tallow supplementation. In the second experiment, 128 steers were used in grazing systems including smooth brome, warm-season grasses, oats and cornstalks and finished on corn or byproduct diets. High forage gains reduced costs and slaughter breakevens.