Barley varieties for finishing steers: I. Feedlot performance, in vivo diet digestion, and carcass characteristics.

Eighty Angus x Hereford steers (average initial weight 287 kg) were used in a 168-d finishing study to evaluate the effects of barley variety on feedlot performance, diet digestion, and carcass characteristics. The four treatments compared in this completely randomized design (four pens/ treatment) were high-concentrate diets based on 1) corn, 2) Gunhilde barley (GUN), 3) Harrington barley (HAR), or 4) Medallion barley (MED). Steers consuming corn gained 10% faster (P < .01) than steers fed HAR, and HAR resulted in 8% faster (P < .01) gains than GUN or MED. Dry matter intake was greater (P < .01) for steers fed corn than for steers fed GUN, HAR, or MED, and HAR-fed steers consumed more than MED-fed steers. Efficiency (kilograms of gain/100 kg of feed) was higher (P < .05) for steers fed GUN, HAR, and MED than for corn-fed steers. Estimated NEm and NEg of barley varieties ranged from 2.32 to 2.51 Mcal of NEm/kg and 1.61 and 1.77 Mcal of NEg/kg. Carcass weight was greater (P < .01) for steers fed corn rather than HAR and greater (P < .01) for HAR-fed steers than for those fed GUN or MED. Quality grade was higher (P < .05) for HAR-fed steers than for steers fed corn, GUN, or MED. Steers fed corn had the highest (P < .01) digestible starch intake, followed by steers fed HAR, GUN, and, finally, MED, the same approximate ranking as for ADG. A diet based on Harrington barley resulted in greater DMI, ADG, and carcass quality grade compared with diets based on Gunhilde or Medallion barleys.