Corn or soybean hull incorporation into haylage-based backgrounding beef cattle diets: Effect on growth and efficiency during the backgrounding and finishing periods

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of corn or soybean hull incorporation into haylage-based diets on backgrounding calf performance and subsequent feedlot performance. Crossbred steers [n = 48, initial body weight (BW) = 303 ± 3.4 kg] were individually fed dietary treatments consisting of: (1) haylage [17.5% crude protein, dry matter (DM) basis; control], (2) haylage + 20% (DM basis) cracked corn, and (3) haylage + 20% (DM basis) soybean hulls during a 112-d backgrounding period. After the backgrounding period, all steers were adapted to a common high moisture corn-based finishing diet and fed until an ultrasound estimated backfat thickness of 7 mm was obtained. During the backgrounding period, steers fed cracked corn or soybean hulls had greater (P < 0.01) average daily gain, dry matter intake and gain:feed and lower (P = 0.05) plasma urea N as compared with controls. However, when finished on a common high-concentrate diet, steers previously fed cracked corn had greater (P < 0.08) average daily gain, final body weight, and longissimus muscle area than those fed soybean hulls, suggesting that source of supplemental energy during the backgrounding period may influence subsequent feedlot performance.