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Concentrate feeding and feed ingredients for growing-finishing

McGee, Mark
; 
O’Riordan, Edward
; 
Moloney, Aidan
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Keywords
beef cattle, food by-products, cereals, concentrates, supplementation, grass silage
Date
2019-10-18
Collections
Livestock Systems
Animal & Bioscience
Grassland Science
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URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11019/2669
Citation
McGee, M., O'Riordan, E., Moloney, A. Concentrate feeding and feed ingredients for growing-finishing. Viandes et Produits Carnes. La Revue Scientifique, 2019.
Abstract
Small improvements in feed efficiency, especially during indoor ‘winter’ feeding periods, can have a relatively large influence on farm profitability. Increasing the level of concentrates in the diet reduces forage intake and increases live weight and carcass weight gains, although at a decreasing rate. Subsequent compensatory growth at pasture diminishes the advantage of concentrate supplementation of young cattle. High digestibility grass silage with moderate concentrate supplementation can sustain a large proportion of the cattle performance achieved on highconcentrate diets. Feeding management is more important when feeding concentrates ad libitum than as a supplement. The relative nutritive (and economic) value of by-product feed ingredients depends on their inclusion level in the ration, and the amount of concentrates fed.
Funder
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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