Effect of sugar beet-pulp concentration during grain adaptation and in finishing diets with different corn processing methods on performance and carcass characteristics1

Two experiments evaluated the use of wet beet pulp (BP) in feedlot diets. In Exp. 1, feeding 0, 10, or 20% wet BP (DM basis) in either dry-rolled corn or steam-flaked corn finishing diets was evaluated using 432 steers (BW = 314 ± 25 kg) in a randomized block design with a 2 × 3 factorial treatment structure (n = 6 replications per treatment). No corn processing × BP interaction was detected (P > 0.05) for finishing performance and carcass data. Final BW, DMI, and ADG decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing concentration of BP; however, G:F was not different (P = 0.49) among BP concentrations. In Exp. 2, steers (n = 232; BW = 326 ± 14.5 kg) were used in a randomized block design to determine the effect of adapting steers to finishing diets using BP (n = 6 replications per treatment). Alfalfa-hay inclusion decreased as dry-rolled corn increased in the control treatment. Beet-pulp adaptation diets included a low-BP treatment or a high-BP treatment in which both BP and alfalfa were decreased as dry-rolled corn increased. After the 22-d adaptation period, steers were fed a common diet until slaughter. Gain and G:F were not different (P > 0.19) among treatments during grain adaptation. However, steers adapted using the high-BP and low-BP treatments tended (P = 0.07) to have greater ADG compared with the control throughout the entire finishing period. In summary, there was no BP × corn processing interaction. Replacing up to 50% of alfalfa with BP during grain adaptation is a suitable alternative.