Transition to Finishing Diet

Question 1

Finishing diets are formulated to…

Answer 1

• Increase growth rate
• Increase feed efficiency
• Increase animal health
• Increase carcass quality
• Decrease cost of gain

Question 2

Ideal carcass composition

Answer 2

28-29% body fat, BCS of 8

Question 3

3 Finishing feedlot diets

Answer 3

1) Receiving/starter ration
2) Step up phase
3) Finishing diet

Question 4

Time it takes to adapt to high grain diets after receiving diets

Answer 4

21-28 days

Question 5

T or F: Adapting aggressively in 2 weeks causes increased performance

Answer 5

False

Question 6

Concentrate percentage in final finishing diets

Answer 6

80 - 95%

Question 7

Common CP content of finishing diets

Answer 7

13.5% of diet DM

Question 8

Desired ADG

Answer 8

1.2 - 2.0 kg/d

Question 9

Which takes more energy to de deposited; fat or protein?

Answer 9

Fat

Question 10

How does depositing fat affect feed efficiency?

Answer 10

Decreases it

Question 11

T or F: Small frame breeds can be moved from weaning straight to finishing diets

Answer 11

False, promotes low finishing weights, works better with larger framed breeds

Question 12

Define step-up diets

Answer 12

series of diets containing increasing concentrations of grain over a 3-4 wk period

Question 13

Objective of step up diets

Answer 13

• Minimize digestive disturbances (acidosis, bloat)
• Allow rumen microbes to adjust to starch in diet
• Increase rumen papillae area
• Minimize feed intake fluctuations

Question 14

How many days in a step up program

Answer 14

3-7

Question 15

Why do yearlings step up faster than calves?

Answer 15

Challenge with calves is getting them to eat

Question 16

What are the common step up concentrate percentages?

Answer 16

30 or 40, then 60, 75, 80, 85, and 90%

Question 17

Why introduce rumensin at half dose?

Answer 17

Rumensin is not palatable

Question 18

Restricted intake definition and reason

Answer 18

• Restricted intake of final diet with programmed increases until achieving target intake
• Improves feed efficiency during finishing

Question 19

Issues during restrict feeding adaptation

Answer 19

• Reduce DMI
• Reduce ADG

Question 20

Feed bunk management objectives

Answer 20

1) keep animals eating a consistent amount of feed
2) maximize animal performance
3) minimize digestive disorders

Question 21

2 requirements of bunk management

Answer 21

1) all cattle in the same pen must have equal opportunity to consume feed
2) feed should be delivered at the same time every day to avoid digestive distress

Question 22

Why should feed be delivered at the same time every day?

Answer 22

If you feed later, cattle come hungrier and consume more feed faster, upsetting digestive tract

Question 23

What is slick bunk feeding

Answer 23

Temporary short absence of feed, feed intake is regulates but not reduced

Question 24

Benefits of slick bunk feeding

Answer 24

• Improved performance
• Reduced sorting of ingredients and waste (improved feed efficiency)

Question 25

Define bunk reading

Answer 25

Determining the amount of feed that needs to be put in the bunk

Question 26

Example steps of slick bunk feeding

Answer 26

1) bunk is read at 4:30 and 5:00am 2) bunk should be empty by 7:00am 3) Feeding is delivered at 7:30am 4) Feed is delivered twice: 40% am and 60% pm

Question 27

Benefits of maximizing DMI

Answer 27

- increased animal performance - reduces days to slaughter - reduced production costs

Question 28

Problems associated with rapid diet changes

Answer 28

- digestive disturbances - rumen acidosis - reduced feed intake - reduced gains - liver abscess - reduced hot carcass weight