Effects of pasture grazing or storage feeding and concentrate input between 5.5 and 11 months of age on the performance and carcass composition of bulls and on subsequent growth and carcass composition at 620 kg live weight
Steen, R.W.J.; Kilpatrick, D.J.
Animal Science 66(1): 129-141
1998
DOI: 10.1017/s1357729800008900
Accession: 003120085
From 5.5 to 11 months of age, 255 entire male continental beef breed x Friesian calves (initial body weight 198 kg) were grazed at pasture or kept indoors and offered grass silage ad lib. supplemented daily with 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2 and 4.0 kg cereal-based concentrates (188 g crude protein per kg DM). Calves at pasture were set-stocked to maintain a sward height of 6.5 or 10.0 cm. Half of the animals grazed at each sward height were given 1.6 kg concentrates per head daily while the remainder received no supplements. From 11 months of age until slaughter at 620 kg body weight, all animals were given grass silage supplemented with 3 kg cereal-based concentrate DM per head daily.