Comparison of Performance of Steer Calves when Fed Ad Libitum vs. Twice Daily in Individual Stalls

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Abstract
The performance of weanling calves fed twice daily in individual stalls was compared to that of calves having ad libitum access to rations with estimated net energy values of 0.511, 0.608 and 0.678 megcal. per lb. of feed. Data obtained demonstrate that individual feeding, as practiced in this experiment, resulted in a lower rate of growth, less feed and energy intake, lower carcass yield, less marbling in the rib-eye, less back-fat, but more rib-eye per cwt. of carcass. When performance of the lots of cattle fed the rations varying in estimated net energy were compared, statistical analyses showed that the ration with 0.678 megcal. resulted in less feed intake and more efficient feed conversion than did the ration having 0.511 megcal. per lb. There was no statistical evidence of ration by method of feeding interaction in any of the items tested. Coefficients of variation were calculated for items (except carcass grade) on which individual data were available. These statistics showed that there was somewhat more variability encountered within treatments when cattle were individually fed, particularly with regard to back-fat thickness. For the various energy levels, there was no marked trend in variation, except for marbling; for this item, variation increased markedly as energy levels increased. Copyright © 1963. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1963 by American Society of Animal Science

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