Effects of Including Malting Industry Byproducts in Feedlot Diets on Performance and Beef Quality

Eighty crossbred steers (436 kg) were used to determine effects of including a malting industry byproduct blend (MB) in finishing diets on performance, DM digestibility, carcass characteristics, meat color, tenderness, and sensory traits. Steers, blocked by BW, were randomly assigned to 1 of 16 pens. Dietary treatments (DM basis) were 1 (control) [78% corn grain (CG), 16% corn silage (S), 6% supplement (SUPP)]; 2 [66% CG, 11% S, 20% wet corn gluten feed (WGF), 3% SUPP]; 3 (64% CG, 13% S, 20% MB, 3% SUPP); and 4 [55% CG, 21% S, 14% MB, 7% condensed distillers’ solubles (DS), 3% SUPP]. Steers on Treatment 1 gained faster (P<0.05) than those on Treatments 3 or 4. Steers on Treatment 2 posted ADG that were intermediate to those of steers on the control treatment or on Treatments 3 or 4. Steers on Treatment 3 or 4 gained less efficiently (P<0.01) than those on the control treatment or Treatment 2. Diets fed to steers in the control group or in the group on Treatment 2 were more digestible and had greater estimated concentrations of ME (P<0.05) than those fed to steers on Treatments 3 and 4. The energy value of MB was estimated to range from 2.62 to 2.68 Mcal ME/kg of DM. Neither cooking loss nor Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) was affected by dietary treatment. Steaks from steers on Treatment 4 were redder (greater a* values; P<0.05) than steaks from steers on Treatment 2. Results indicate that substituting some CG and S or all WGF in CG-based diets with MB alone or in combination with DS reduced diet DM digestibility and feed efficiency, but had no adverse effects on meat tenderness or sensory traits.