Pelleted rations for fattening steers with or without additional straw, dynafac, and diethylstilbestrol implants

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of self-feeding a completely pelleted ration with or without straw, dynafac, and diethyl-stilbestrol (stilbestrol) implants on the gaining ability, feed efficiency, carcass grades, and net returns of fattened steers.The experimental animals consisted of forty Hereford yearling steers divided into five treatments oh the basis of weight and previous experimental use.The trial was initiated by preventing the steers from having any feed or water for about sixteen hours previous to weighing each steer individually and feeding each group their ration on May 22, 1958.The rations were group hand-fed for about eleven days and then self-fed to the termination of the trial.The trial consisted of group 1 steers receiving a mixed grain ration and alfalfa hay ad libitum.The pelleted ration fed to steers in groups 2 and 3 consisted of 70 percent grain, a mixture equivalent to that fed to group 1, and 30 percent sun-cured alfalfa.In addition, steers in group 3 received straw ad libitum.The steers in groups 4 and 5 received straw ad libitum and a pellet of the same percent composition as that fed to steers in groups 2 and 3, but which included 200 grams of dynafac per ton.Group 5 steers were implanted with 36 mg of stilbestrol at the outset of the trial.The trial terminated on October 16, 1958, after a total of 147 days.The steers were restricted to no feed or water for about sixteen hours previous to weighing them off the trial.They were bought by Armour and Company on a grade-in-yield basis and slaughtered in Spokane.The steers that received the mixed grain and alfalfa hay had superior gains, carcass grades, and net returns compared to the steers fed the pelleted ration.The pelleted ration intensified rumenal hyperparakeratosis.The steers that received the same pellet as group 2 plus straw ad libitum had improved daily gains, carcass grades, and net returns.The feeding of straw tended to modify rumenal hyperparakeratosis.The steers which were fed dynafac and straw ad libitum had superior gains, carcass grades, net returns, and minimized rumenal hyperparakeratosis when compared to the steers that were not fed dynafac.The steers implanted with stilbestrol had superior gains and net returns but inferior carcass grades when compared to those steers not implanted with stilbestrol.