CASE STUDY: Grain adaptation for feedlot cattle using high concentrations of wet corn gluten feed in steam-flaked corn-based diets1

Crossbred steers (n = 315, initial BW = 332 ± 4 kg) were assigned to 30 pens used to determine the effects of feeding high concentrations of Sweet Bran (SB) during grain adaptation on steer performance and carcass characteristics. Pen was the experimental unit. A traditional adaptation procedure (CON) was compared with 4 strategies that used SB. All steers were adapted to a common finishing diet in 21 d using 3 adaptation diets. The initial CON adaptation diet contained 45.0% alfalfa hay, 32.5% steam-flaked corn, 20% SB, and 2.5% supplement (DM basis). Strategies using SB had initial adaptation diets containing 88.6% SB, 8% alfalfa hay, and 3.4% supplement (DM basis; HSB) or 1 of 3 SB-based starter products containing SB, minerals, and 3 levels of cottonseed hulls [low (LCS), medium (MCS), and high (HCS)] that were initially fed at 97.5% of the diet with 2.5% supplement (DM basis). As steers adapted to the finishing diet, SB and limestone or complete starter was decreased and alfalfa hay, steam-flaked corn, or both; yellow grease; and urea were increased. The HSB adaptation strategy resulted in increased carcass-adjusted ADG, final BW, and HCW compared with CON (P ≤ 0.05). The MCS starter product resulted in carcass-adjusted ADG, BW, and G:F similar to CON (P > 0.20). However the LCS and HCS starter products resulted in reduced carcass-adjusted ADG, BW, and G:F compared with CON (P ≤ 0.05). Feeding a high concentration of SB using the HSB or MCS strategy appears to be a viable alternative to traditional grain adaptation programs.