Influence of Wintering Weight Change on Subsequent Pasture and Feedlot Performance by Steers

Abstract

A 3-yr trial was conducted to evaluate if and when compensatory gains occur in beef cattle. Each year 80 Hereford × Angus steers were allotted by weight to four wintering treatments: lose .23 kg/d, lose .07 kg/d, gain .16 kg/d or gain .71 kg/d for 98 d. At the end of the wintering phase, 10 steers from each treatment were finished on a 20% roughage:80% concentrate diet to a live weight of approximately 420 kg. The remaining 10 steers from each treatment were grazed for 112 d and then finished in the same manner as the previous group. Gains during the grazing phase were inverse to those in the wintering phase. Wintering treatments had little influence on finishing phase gains. The length of the finishing phase was reduced as the nutritional level of the wintering treatments improved. Steers that gained more during the wintering phase did not require as many days in the feedlot or as much total feed during the finishing phase. Steers that gained most rapidly during the wintering phase gained more during the first 28 d of the grazing phase and the finishing phase that was not interrupted by grazing. Carcass characteristics were only slightly affected by wintering treatments. Compensatory gain was not evident in this experiment.