Effects of postweaning management of beef × dairy hybrid steers on performance, efficiency, and carcass characteristics

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to determine the per- formance, efficiency, and carcass quality in beef × dairy crossbred steers that were either placed directly on feed following weaning (FIN) or following an average stocker grazing period of 217 d (GRW/FIN). Materials and Methods Beef × dairy hybrid steers (n = 475) from Land O’Lakes Calf Milk Research Facility (Gray Summit, MO) at 12 wk of age were transported to the Willard Sparks Beef Research Center (WSBRC; Still- water, OK) in groups (n = 8) of 57 to 72 steers. Steers in the first group to arrive were allocated to either GRW/FIN or FIN treatment by BW, previous treatment, and breed of sire for each finishing treatment. Subsequent groups were all assigned either to FIN or GRW/FIN finishing treatments. Paired groups of FIN and GRW/FIN with overlapping feeding dates were considered a random block (n = 4) for statistical analysis. At WSBRC, steers were sorted by BW within sire breed and preweaning treatment into pens of 4 to 5 steers each and finished to a targeted 1.3 cm backfat. Data were analyzed using the Mixed pro- cedure of SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), with pen within block as the experimental unit. Results and Discussion Steers in GRW/FIN had greater ( P < 0.01) BW and hot carcass weight while re- quiring fewer ( P < 0.01) days on feed compared with FIN steers but were 75 d older at harvest. Average daily gain and feed intake were greater but G:F was lesser ( P < 0.01) for GRW/FIN. Steers in GRW/FIN had a greater ( P ≤ 0.03) ribeye area, marbling score, and percentage of USDA High Choice and Prime carcasses and fewer USDA Select carcasses ( P < 0.05) compared with FIN steers. Implications and Applications Grazing beef × dairy crossbred steers before finishing increased animal performance and improved carcass characteristics but also increased daily feed intake compared with calves placed directly on feed. Beef × dairy crossbred calves offer a viable alternative to straight-bred dairy calves, but it is necessary to determine proper management strategies for these calves.