Utilization of sorghum grain in high energy beef finish diets

Abstract

A study was carried out in July 1996 to assess the potential of sorghum grain (high tannin) in high energy beef finishing diets. The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the utilization of sorghum grain based diets was also examined. Forty steers were blocked by weight and then randomly allocated to five treatments. One group was assigned to direct slaughter. The remaining groups were offered the following diets containing 33 percent grain: 1.100 percent maize (100M); 2.50 percent maize: 50 percent sorghum (50M:50S); 3.100 percent sorghum (100S); 4. 100 percent sorghum + 3g PEG per day (100S PEG). Dry matter and metabilizable energy (ME) intake were highest with 50M:50S and lowest (P<0.01) with the 100S PEG diet. Steers on the 50M:50S diet had the highest (P<0.05) growth rates and carcass gains. PEG did not improve the utilization of the high tannin sorghum grain.