LaBrune, H.J.Trater, A.M.Pike, J.N.Montgomery, Sean P.Farran, T.B.Sindt, J.J.Drouillard, James S.2010-08-042010-08-042010-08-04http://hdl.handle.net/2097/4480Experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of grain processing and lipid source on finishing cattle performance, carcass characteristics, and plasma concentrations of glucose, urea, and α-amino nitrogen (amino acids). Eighty yearling Hereford x Angus steers (847 lb) were fed diets containing either steam-flaked corn or dry-rolled corn, both fed with and without 4% added tallow. In a fifth diet, ground flaxseed (equivalent to 4% lipids) replaced a portion of steam-flaked corn. Diets were fed once daily for 85 days. As expected, cattle fed steam-flaked corn were more efficient than steers fed dry-rolled corn. Adding tallow had little effect on performance. Including flaxseed resulted in performance similar to that with tallow addition. Plasma glucose concentrations measured 2 hours after feeding were higher for steers fed steam-flaked corn than for steers fed dry-rolled corn, and were higher for cattle fed tallow than for those fed no supplemental fat. Steers fed the flax/steam-flaked corn combination had lower plasma glucose concentrations 2 hours after feeding than those fed steam flaked corn with added tallow (P<0.05). Steam flaking corn increased performance and elevated glucose concentrations compared to dry rolling, suggesting that increasing the ruminal degradable starch allowed for a greater supply of substrates for gluconeogenesis. Adding flaxseed resulted in lower levels of plasma glucose after feeding, compared to tallow.BeefSteam-flaked cornDry-rolled cornFlaxTallowConference paper