Extended Grazing and Byproduct Diets in Beef Growing Finishing Systems

Sixty-three cross-bred lambs were randomly assigned to one of seven treatments according to a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial design (Table 1). There were two byproduct diets: one, a wet corn gluten feed which is a blend of 1/3 steep liquor/distiller solubles and 2/3 corn bran; and the second diet, where onehalf of the corn bran was replaced with wheat midds. Steep liquor/distiller solubles remained constant across all diets. Tallow was added to each of the byproduct diets at concentrations of 0, 4 and 8% replacing either bran or bran and midds. Corn gluten meal and blood meal were added to the byproduct diets to supply equal undegradable intake protein to the dry rolled control. The lambs were individually fed for 84 days. They were “stepped up” by feeding 2% of body weight initially and increasing intake by .2% body weight each day until ad libitum intake was achieved. Lambs were weighed three times at the initiation and conclusion of the trial. Economic analyses used prices from Feedstuffs magazine for wheat midds from July 18, 1994 to November 6, 1995 which averaged 67% the price of corn grain. Other prices used were actual market prices.