Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effects of kernel processing high moisture ear corn (HMEC) on growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics in finishing beef steers. The finishing diets fed contained HMEC at 62.0% of the diet dry matter (DM). Treatments depended on the kernel processing strategy of the HMEC fed, as follows: 1) kernel processed HMEC (KP) and 2) unprocessed HMEC (NKP). The HMEC was harvested with a silage chopper equipped with a kernel processor attached to a corn grain harvester header. The HMEC for the KP diet was obtained with kernel processor roller bars set to 2mm, while the HMEC for the NKP diet was harvested with roller bars completely open. Charolais-influenced steers (n = 176; initial body weight = 411 ± 31.6 kg) were allocated to 22 pens (8 steers/pen, 11 pens per treatment). Steers were fed for 168 days, twice daily in equal proportions at 0800 and 1500 hours and managed using a slick bunk system. On d 21, steers were implanted with 100 mg trenbolone acetate with 14 mg estradiol benzoate (Synovex Choice, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ), and on d 90 steers received a second implant containing 200 mg trenbolone acetate and 28 mg estradiol benzoate (Synovex Plus, Zoetis). Lubabegron (Experior; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) was fed for both treatments with a target of 36 mg/steer daily from d 119-164. Steers were weighed on days 0, 21, 49, 90, 119, and 168. On d 168 steers were transported to the commercial abattoir (Tyson Fresh Meats, Dakota City NE) and data were collected for carcass characteristics and liver abscess prevalence and severity. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4. Treatment diet was considered a fixed effect, and block was a random effect, with pen as the experimental unit. Categorical variables were analyzed as multinomial proportions. Steers fed the KP diet had greater dry matter intake (DMI) compared with steers fed NKP diet (P = 0.04; 10.4 vs 10.1 kg, for KP vs. NKP, respectively). No other live performance measures or carcass characteristics were affected by dietary treatments (P ≥ 0.18). Results of this study indicate that kernel-processed HMEC increased DMI but did not improve any growth performance measurements or carcass characteristics. Performance benefits of kernel processing HMEC may not be as meaningful as previously expected. Partial breakage of the unprocessed kernels and the extent of fermentation may have contributed to the lack of differences observed.
Schoen et al. (Wed,) studied this question.