INFLUENCE OF GRAIN TYPE, TALLOW LEVEL, AND TALLOW FEEDING SYSTEM ON FEEDLOT CATTLE PERFORMANCE

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of grain type, tallow level, and tallow feeding system on finishing steer performance . Experiment 1 involved 256 yearling steers (359 kg) in a 4 x 2 factor ial arrangement of treatments. Steers were assigned randomly to one of four tallow feeding systems: 1) 0% tallow fed throughout the experime nt; 2) 4% tallow fed throughout the experiment; 3) 0% tallow fed d 1 t hrough 33 and then 4% tallow fed until slaughter; and 4) 4% tallow fed d 1 through 33 and then 0% tallow fed until slaughter. Tallow treatme nts were applied to diets containing either dry-rolled corn (DRC) or h igh-moisture corn (HMC). No fat treatment x grain type interaction (P >.10) was observed. Steers fed 4% tallow throughout the experiment, on ly during d 1 through 33, or only during d 34 until slaughter were mor e (P <.10) efficient than steers fed 0% tallow. No differences in DMI or ADG were observed (P >.10). In Exp. 2, 120 large-framed steer calve s (286 kg) were blocked by weight and allotted randomly within block t o one of three treatments consisting of the addition of 0, 2, or 4% ta llow added d 1 and fed for 197 d. Feed efficiency of calves increased Linearly (P <.05) with increasing tallow level. Daily gain was not dif ferent (P >.10), but DMI decreased linearly (P <.05) with increasing t allow level. This research indicates that tallow added during or after grain adaptation to DRC- or HMC-based diets fed to yearling steers wi ll result in similar improvement in feed efficiency, and that includin g up to 4% tallow to diets fed to large-framed calves can significantl y improve feed efficiency.