The effect of biuret grain and a mineral mixture on the intake and liveweight performance of steers

Abstract

In two pen-feeding experiments, commercial Brahman x Shorthorn steers, fed a basal diet of either rice straw or native pasture hay, were supplemented with 142 g grain per head per day; 71 g biuret per head per day; grain plus biuret; grain plus biuret plus mineral mix (2 g Na, 5 g P, 3 g S per head per day); or biuret plus mineral mix. Feeding biuret significantly (P < 0.05) improved liveweight performance, but the addition of grain to the biuret failed to give any additional response. Inclusion of a mineral mix with the biuret with or without grain reduced the adaption period as judged by increased roughage intake from 7 weeks to 3 weeks.