Effects of Feeding Rubbed Bamboo Silage in the Later Fattening Period on Growth and Carcass Traits of Japanese Black Steers

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to clarify the effects of later period feeding of rubbed bamboo silage (RBS) as roughage for fattening beef cattle. Eight Japanese Black steers (19 months old) were divided into two groups, i.e., one was fed with rice straw as roughage (control group) and the other was fed with the RBS as roughage (experimental group). Both groups were slaughtered at 28 months of age. Body weight gain of the experimental group decreased at 23 to 26 months of age, and the feed efficiency was below zero at 26 months of age (P<0.05). The body weight gain and the feed efficiency of the experimental group were subsequently recovered after 27 months of age. There were no significant differences in ruminal pH between treatments throughout the fattening period, though the percentage of the rumination behavior of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group at 20 and 24 months of age (P<0.05). The RVI of the experimental group was less than half of the control group at 20 months of age. The similar carcass characteristics were shared in both groups. In conclusion, the transient decrease in the DG at 23 to 26 months of age followed by spontaneous recovery, was observed when the RBS was fed as roughage for fattening beef cattle at 19 to 28 months of age. Therefore, the RBS can be used as alternative to rice straw from the viewpoint of meat productivity.