COMPENSATORY GROWTH OF BEEF CATTLE RESTRICTED AT TWO ENERGY LEVELS FOR TWO PERIODS

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Abstract
Ninety Hereford steer calves averaging 212 kg in body weight were divided into six groups and fed an all-concentrate diet until marketing. One group was full fed; the other groups were restricted in amounts of feed for 12 or 24 wk at a low (L) or medium (M) level and then placed on full feed. The full-fed steers required 230 days to reach a market weight of 489 kg; the steers on restricted feed for 12 or 24 wk compensated by higher rates of gain when placed on full feed but still required a longer time to reach market weight. The amount of feed eaten during the entire feeding period was similar in all groups. Restricted steers had a lower dressing percentage and tended to have less backfat per unit of carcass weight than the full-fed steers but all had the same area of rib eye. Sixty percent of the carcasses graded commercial-3 in the full-fed group, 36% in the M-12 group, 43% in the L-12 group, 13% in the M-24 group, and 7% in each of the L-24 and L-12-M-12 groups. The remainder of the carcasses graded choice.