Performance of finishing beef cattle fed different diets containing whole-crop maize silage or sugarcane silage

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the performance of beef cattle in feedlots fed diets containing either whole-crop maize silage or sugarcane silage, and with different formulations. Five diets were evaluated: MSF - diet containing whole-crop maize silage, with fixed formulation during feedlot period; MSV- diet containing whole-crop maize silage, with variable formulation according to feedlot phase; SCSF - diet containing sugarcane silage with fixed formulation; SCSV- diet containing sugarcane silage, with variable formulation; SCSV/MSV- SCSV diet in initial half of fedlot and MSV diet in final half of feedlot period, respectively. It was used a complete random experimental design, with five treatments and three replicates (pens). It was used 285 steers at 36 months of age, with an initial body weight of 362.4 kg. Diets with whole-crop maize silage promoted greater intake of dry matter (10.5 kg and 2.4% BW) compared with diets containing sugarcane silage (10.1 kg and 2.3% BW). There was no effect of the silages on average daily gain (1.348 kg/animal/day) and live weight at slaughter (481.2 kg BW). SCSV/MSV diet promoted the worst feed conversion (8.0 kg DM/kg BW). Animals fed diets composed of whole-crop maize silage presented greater weight of hot carcass, of carcass yield and subcutaneous fat thickness (262.1 kg, 54.1% and 6.2 mm) compared with the animals fed sugarcane silage (252.5 kg, 52.7% and 4.8 mm). The use of sugarcane silage in diets for finishing beef cattle is feasible and the adjustment of formulation during confinement period does not influence performance of the animals. Replacement of sugarcane silage by whole-crop maize silage during the feeding period affects negatively feed conversion.