Project Number: 6209-31630-002-26
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 15, 2008
End Date: Sep 30, 2010

Objective:
To compare live performance, carcass value and economic results of feedlot steers receiving high energy diets containing different proportions of whole corn and wet distiller's grain.

Approach:
Approximately 480 feeder steers averaging approximately 750 to 850 lbs will be fed in 48 soil-surfaced feedlot pens. Steers will be fed one of 5 diets arranged in a 2 x 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments that will consist of the following: +1 = control diet, based on steam-flaked corn with 13.7% crude protein, the 2 x 2 = two concentrations of wet distillers (15 and 30% of diet dry matter) and 2 concentrations of whole shelled corn replacing steam-flaked corn (10 and 20%). Diet containing the 15% distiller's grain will be formulated to contain 13.7% crude protein and the crude protein concentration in the 30% distiller's grain diet will be allowed to float. The following variables will be measured: 1) animal performance (dry mater intake, weight gain, feed efficiency), 2) animal carcass traits when slaughtered at a constant end-point, 3) animal health, 4) diet digestion (via internal markers), 5) nitrogen volatilization losses (via N:P ratio), and 6) nitrogen and phosphorus balance. The experiment will be statistically analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the Mixed procedure of SAS (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC).