ChileanJAR

In the Carillanca Regional Research Center of the National Agricultural Research Institute located in Temuco, for 86 days during the 2003 winter season a study, which used 35 Overo Colorado steers, of 19 to 20 months of age and 367 kg initial liveweight, was conducted in order to evaluate the replacement of broiler litter by vegetal protein sources in steers finishing rations. Treatments were: T1: pasture silage plus broiler litter and ground barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.); T2: pasture silage plus ground oats grain (Avena sativa L.) and barley grain; T3: pasture silage and whole lupin grain (Lupinus albus L.) and whole oats grain; T4: pasture silage plus ground oats and urea; and T5: pasture silage plus ground barley grain and urea. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with seven replicates using the block factor for weighting. Results indicated daily liveweight (LW) gains (kg d^-1) of 1.0 bc, 0.916 cd, 0.825 d, 1.050 ab, and 1.141a (P ≤ 0.05) for treatments 1 to 5, respectively. Daily dry matter intake (kg d^-1) was 8.7, 7.2, 7.3, 8.0, and 7.9 for each treatment, respectively, while feed conversion efficiency (kg of feed kg^-1 LW produced^-1) was 8.7, 7.9, 8.8, 7.6, and 6.9 respectively. At 2003 prices the cost of the rations ($ kg^-1 LW^-1) were 533, 575, 545, 434 and 522 for each treatment, respectively. It was concluded that the diet with pasture silage plus ground oats and urea, and the diet with pasture silage plus ground barley and urea can replace broiler litter with productive and economics advantages in steer finishing rations.