Finishing steers on sorghum grain and sorghum silage. Effects of grain-to-roughage ratio, urea supplementation and hexoestrol implantation on rate of body-weight gain, feed efficiency and carcass compositions

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Abstract
1. A study of the suitability of rations of predominately sorghum grain for the intensive finishing of steers is reported. Six groups, each of ten steers, 18 months old and of an average body-weight of 544 lb., were fed, according to a set schedule, increasing quantities of grain in the ration until two groups were each consuming rations containing 80, 90 or 100% grain. One of the two groups, fed each grain-to-roughage ratio, received 60 g. urea per head daily. Individual steers were slaughtered when they attained 900 lb. body-weight. A seventh group of ten comparable steers was slaughtered at the commencement of feeding in order to measure changes in body composition due to the nutritional treatments.