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Replacement of corn with DDGS to supplement steers grazing alfalfa-orchard grass mix: performance, forage intake, methane emission, and carcass and meat characteristics

Maria Eugênia Canozzi , Rodrigo Zarza, Santiago Luzardo, Veronica Ciganda, Georgget Banchero , Alejandro La Manna , Enrique Fernandez, Juan Clariget

Abstract

Context. Supplementation of forage-fed cattle during backgrounding help to meet their requirements to growth. As by-products become available is needed to investigate its impact on forage utilization, on animal performance, and on environment. Aim. We evaluated performance, forage intake, methane emission, and behaviour of yearling steers on pasture, supplemented with cracked corn (CORN) or corn dried distillers’ grain with solubles (DDGS) and its subsequent effect on carcass and meat characteristics. Methods. During 77-d of growing phase, 45 steers (354.5 ± 25.7 kg of BW) were blocked by BW and randomly allocated to one of three treatments: no supplemented (NSP) and supplemented at 0.8% BW with CORN or DDGS. Over the 217-d finishing phase, none of the steers were supplemented. Steers always grazed together an alfalfa-orchard grass mix pasture. Data were evaluated as a complete block randomized design with three treatments. Key results. Average intake of corn and DDGS was 2.6 and 2.5 kg DM/d (P=0.13), respectively. At the end of growing phase, supplemented steers had greater BW (P<0.0001) and lower DM forage intake (P=0.003) and feed conversion efficiency (P=0.001) than NSP steers, with differences in the average daily gain (P<0.0001; CORN > DDGS > NSP). There was no difference between NSP and DDGS groups in any methane emission variable. Graze (P=0.001), ruminate (P=0.02), and walk (P=0.01) behaviour were more frequent for steers from NSP, CORN, and DDGS groups, respectively. At finishing, final BW was higher (P=0.046) for CORN than for NSP steers. The CORN group showed heavier (P=0.03) cold carcass weight than NSP steers. Conclusions. Supplementation of beef steers during growing phase in grazing systems enhanced performance and carcass weights, with corn over DDGS. Implications. The results of the current study suggest that before replacing the corn supplementation by DDGS, producers need to consider the cost of supplementation against the potential improvement in animal performance.

AN24411  Accepted 07 October 2025

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