Intensive beef production. II. Replacement of cereals with ground straw

Abstract

SUMMARY 1. A growth trial was carried out with 21 Friesian steers given diets containing either 0%, 30% or 50% ground straw, and concentrates up to 100%. 2. Steers offered the diet containing 0% straw consumed less dry matter per day than steers on the other two treatments. 3. Rates of live-weight gain were 1·20, 1·04 and 0·87 kg/day for the three treatments respectively, and carcass gains were 690, 550 and 440 g/day. 4. Killing-out percentage dropped and alimentary-tract fill increased as the proportion of straw in the diet increased. 5. The dry-matter digestibility coefficients for the three diets, determined at maximal intake, were 79·1%, 62·3% and 56·6%, respectively.