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Frequency of Feeding on Growth and Carcass Characteristics of Steers

M. Shahjalal
Department of Animal Nutrition, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.

M. J. Khan
Department of Animal Nutrition, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.

M. A. Hashem
Department of Animal Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Six growing steers aged about 18 months and weighing 117.2±10.5 kg live weight were used in a 63 day experiment to study the effects of frequency of feeding on growth and carcass characteristics. A roughage based diet, consisting of rice straw, dal grass (Hymenachne amplexicaulis), and soybean meal was fed at random to the animals either two times (group A) or six times (group B) daily. The dry matter (DM) intake increased significantly (P<0.05) in group A (3.33 kg/day) compared to that in group B (3.21 kg/day). However, mean values for growth rate (238 vs. 212 g/day), warm carcass weight (56.6 Vs. 56.2 kg), killing out proportion (0.424 vs 0.434 gig for WCW/SW), estimated gain in carcass (11.3 vs 9.4 kg) and nutrient digestibilities (e.g., 0.428 vs 0.407 g/g for CP) were almost similar in both the feeding regimes. The results indicate that the feeding of growing animals twice daily may be appropriate to minimize management cost rather than six times feeding.

Keywords: Frequency, Feeding, Growth, Carcass, Steer.

Location: Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Animal Health and Management

Commodity:

Objectives:

To provide detailed information on the effects of frequency of feeding on growth and carcass characteristics in steers fed roughage based diet.

Methodology:

Six (6) growing steers of indigenous origin aged about 18 months and weighing on an average 117.2 kg were used in this study. The animals were purchased from the local market and housed individually in an open sided well ventilated house. The animals were allowed 15 days to adapt to the experimental conditions and diets. During the adaptation period, all the animals were dewormed with a common anthelmintic drug .

Experimental diet was formulated using rice straw, dal grass (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) and soybean meal which contain an estimated metabolizable energy (ME) concentration of 8.00 MJ and crude protein (CP) of 66.0 g per kg dry matter (DM). The ingredients and chemical composition of the diet is shown in Table 1. Feed was offered to animals at the rate of 3.4 kg DM per 100 kg live weight. Rice straw and dal grass were chopped, mixed and then fed twice daily (8.00 and 16.00 hrs) to animals of group A and six times daily (8.00,12.00, 16.00,20.00,24.00 hrs) to animals of group B. Soybean meal (SBM) was fed once daily. Water was made available to the animals at all times. All the animals were reared in same managemental condition. The animals were weighed initially and then at weekly intervals till the end of the experiment in order to determine the growth rate. Feed intake was recorded daily. A conventional digestion trial was conducted throughout the feeding trial.

The experiment was continued for a period of 63 days. At the end of experiment, all the animals were slaughtered unfasted by severing the throat and major neck vessels. After removing the pelt and head, carcasses were eviscerated. The full digestive tract was removed and then weighed full and empty to get "gut fill" by difference. The plucked organs such as kidneys, lung, liver, heart etc., and omental and perirenal fat were also removed and weighed individually. Warm carcass weight was recorded immediately after completing dressing and evisceration. Left side of each carcass was split between 10_th and 11_th ribs and the width and depth of eye muscle (M. longissimus dorsi) was measured using a vernier scale. A tracing of eye muscle was made and the cross sectional area was determined. Feed, refusals, faeces and meat samples were analysed for proximate composition (AOAC, 1984). The experimental data were analysed statistically using MSTAT programme to observe any significant differences between the treatment means for different parameters.

Source of Information: Bang. J. An. Sc. 1999,28(1-2) : 105-110, ISSN 0003-3588

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The results showed that increased frequency of feeding had no effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass and non-carcass characteristics of animals. Considering cost of management, feeding of animals twice daily may be suggested for our indigenous growing steers. Further studies for extended period using large number of animals may be useful to get precise information.

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