Intensive beef production. 12. Replacement of concentrates with chopped dried grass

Abstract

SUMMARY1. A growth trial was carried out using 24 British Friesian steers given diets containing (1) 100%, (2) 60%, (3) 40% and (4) 0% concentrates and chopped dried grass up to 100%.2. Daily dry-matter intake was significantly lower for steers on Treatment 1 than for steers on the other three treatments.3. Rate of live-weight gain declined from 1·18 to 0·88 kg/day and carcass gain from 625 to 430 g/day between steers on Treatments 1 and 4.4. Killing-out percentage dropped from 55·3% (1) to 51·9% (4) and the 8th-10th rib from steers on Treatments 3 and 4 contained significantly more crude protein and less ether-extractable matter than ribs from steers on Treatments 1 and 2.