title: Crambe meal is equivalent to soybean meal for backgrounding and finishing beef steers.
abstract: Growth, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics of 70 crossbred steers fed one of four diets were compared. The four diets differed in source of protein supplementation: 100% soybean meal (SB), 67% SB and 33% crambe meal (CM), 33% SB and 67% CM, and 100% CM. All supplements were fed in isonitrogenous amounts. Steers were fed backgrounding diets (12.9% CP) for 84 d and finishing diets (11.2% CP) for 96 d. Average initial weight was 303.4 kg. Backgrounding gains ranged from 1.38 to 1.41 kg/d (P = .92). Finishing gains ranged from 1.43 to 1.47 kg/d (P = .86). Range in entire-experiment gains was 1.41 to 1.46 kg/d (P = .85). Feed efficiencies were equal; entire-experiment efficiencies averaged .144 (P = .96). Growth and efficiency patterns were the same for all four treatments. No overall treatment differences were detected for the seven carcass variables (P = .26 to .96). Average fat depth, longissimus muscle area, yield grade, and dressing percentage were .95 cm, 84.0 cm2, 2.45, and 61%, respectively. At the protein percentage levels of these diets, CM substituted equally for SB for growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Carrington 58421.
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Slanger
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Boyles
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating; D005527:Food, Fortified; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards; D010945:Plants, Edible; D011897:Random Allocation; D012639:Seeds; D013025:Glycine max; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins