Use of soybean hulls in broiler litter-based diets fed to beef cattle.

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing corn with so ybean hulls (SH) in broiler littler (BL)-based diets on nutrient digestibil ities and growth rate. Trial 1: 32 predominantly Angus steers (initial body weight = 274 +/- 16 kg) were fed one of four diets over a 112-day period ( four steers/pen; two pens/diet). The diets were as follows: 1) 500 g/kg BL and 500 g/kg cracked corn (corn), 2) 500 g/kg BL, 375 g/kg corn and 125 g/k g SH, 3) same as #2 and 4) 500 g/kg BL, 250 g/kg corn and 250 g/kg SH. Diet s 1, 3 and 4 were supplemented with 1.55 kg of chopped Coastal Bermuda gras s hay per steer per day. Diet 2 received no hay. Total daily dry matter int ake and average daily gains were increased by hay supplementation (P <0.05) . Addition of soybean hulls increased average daily gains in a linear manne r (P <0.05). Soybean hull addition had a quadratic effect on apparent diges tibilities of dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, neutral detergent f ibre and crude protein (P <0.05). Trial 2: 60 Angus X Charolais heifers (in itial body weight = 193 +/- 14 kg) were allotted to one of the following fi ve diets (four heifers/pen, three pens/diet): 1) 500 g/kg BL and 500 g/kg c orn, 2) 500 g/kg BL, 375 g/kg corn and 125 g/kg SH, 3)500 g/kg BL, 250 g/kg corn and 250 g/kg SH, 4) 500 g/kg BL, 125 g/kg corn and 375 g/kg SH, and 5 ) 500 g/kg BL and 500 g/kg SH. There were no differences in total daily fee d intakes between diets (P >0.05) and average daily gains were also similar between treatments (P >0.05).