Sugar beets as an energy source in diets of gestating, growing, and finishing beef cattle

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to evaluate sugar beets as an energy source for gestating beef cows and growing and finishing calves. Materials and Methods: In Exp. 1, mature gestating cows were used in a completely randomized design. Treatment diets contained sugar beets (SB) or corn (CON) as the energy source. In Exp. 2, crossbred steers (n = 270; 293 ± 1.4 kg) were assigned to treatments arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial. The factors were growing treatment (0 or 44% SB, DM basis; GRW 0 and GRW 44, respectively) and finishing treatment (0, 15, or 30% SB, DM basis; FIN 0, FIN 15, and FIN 30, respectively). Results and Discussion: In Exp. 1, performance was not different (P ≥ 0.22) for SB or CON. In Exp. 2, final BW and ADG for the growing period were not different (P > 0.20), and DMI was less (P < 0.0001) for GRW 44 than GRW 0, resulting in a tendency for feed efficiency to be greater for GRW 44 (P < 0.06). During the finishing period, final BW, hot carcass weight, back fat, and YG were greater for the GRW 0 than for GRW 44 (P < 0.03). Performance and carcass characteristics decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as SB increased in the finishing diet. Longissimus muscle and liver score were not different (P > 0.12). Implications and Applications: Sugar beet inclusion can result in similar ADG to corn in gestating cow and growing calf diets but may reduce performance and carcass characteristics when included in finishing diets.