Case Study: Effects of Salt Level on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Manure Salinity of Finishing Beef Steers
2003
Flatt, W.R. | Stanton, T.L. | Schütz, D. | Davis, J. | Engle, T.E.
Two hundred ninety-six British and Charolais crossbred beef steers (average BW = 305 ± 20.4 kg) were fed for 163 d at the Eastern Colorado Research Center in a randomized block design to evaluate effects of four dietary levels of salt (NaCl) on growth performance, cost of gain, morbidity/mortality, carcass characteristics and manure nutrient content. Calves were stratified by breed, randomized by BW, and assigned to one of four supplemental NaCl treatments (6 pens per treatment; containing of 11 to 13 head/pen): 0.0, 0.125, 0.25% or block salt. Average daily feed intake, ADG, feed efficiency, and feed cost of BW gain were not affected (P>0.05) by dietary salt level. Neither mortality nor morbidity was influenced by dietary salt level. Dressing percent and hot carcass weight tended to decrease (P=0.08) linearly as salt supplementation increased. As dietary NaCl increased, concentrations of Na and Mg increased linearly (P<0.05) in core manure samples taken in pens behind the feedbunk apron. No apparent advantage for NaCl supplementation at or above NRC (1996) recommendations was observed for growth performance or cost of gain. However, reduced salt supplementation tended to improve hot carcass weight and dressing percent linearly P<0.08).
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