Peim State Beef Research
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Presented at Livestock Day
Several hundred cattlemen
visited the Penn State University
Campus on Thursday, March 22
to hear and discuss the results of
current research by the Animal
Science Department *of Penn
State. The 1973 Animal Science
Research Summary contains 22
research reports within the beef
cattle area. Some of the most
timely topics are summarized
below.
Acid Treating Grains and
Forages
The Animal Science and
Agronomy Departments reported
on several research trials in
which corn and sorghum were
harvested, and then either dried,
stored as high-moisture grain, or
treated with different chemicals
(acetic and-or propionic acids).
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These acids are applied in
relatively small amounts, but the
research results indicate that
essentially no mold will result on
the grains if the acids are
properly applied, even though the
acid-treated grains are stored in
conventional 'storage facilities.
The efficiency (pounds Of animal
weight gain per pound of feed) of
using acid-treated grains is
usually superior to dried corn,
and equal to or slightly better
than using high-moisture corn,
without acid treatment. The
results reported were with beef
cattle and sheep.
There were some indications
that acid-treatment would in
crease sorghum intake more than
it would corn intake. Non-bird
resistant sorghum was equal to
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or superior to corn in protein and
energy digestibility, but the in
take of this type of sorghum was
less than observed for corn.
Influence of Harvest Maturity on
Crownvetch and Alfalfa
Penngift crownvetch and
DuPuits alfalfa were harvested
at late-bud and full-bloom stages
and then each maturity of each
forage Was preserved as low
moisture silage and hay. The
digestible energy values of
crownvetch and alfalfa were
similar at late-bud stage, but the
digestible energy of alfalfa was
higher at full-bloom. Digestible
energies for both forages
preserved as hay were higher
than when either was preserved
as low-moisture silage. The
digestible protein percent of
crownvetch was greater than
that of alfalfa at both stages of
maturity and for both preser
vation methods. Difficulty was
encountered in drying the
crownvetch for hay.
Feeding Large Hay Stacks and
Round Bales to Cattle
The new hay stackers and
balers which make large (one
half to one ton) bales are at
tracting lots of interest. The bales
or stacks may be left in the field
without shelter and grazed in the
field during late summer, fall or
during the winter. The bales or
stacks may also be moved to a
winter feeding area and fed one
or several at a time. These kinds
of systems seem to be real labor
savers. The hay can be made
more rapidly, thereby lessening
the danger from hay being ruined
because of bad weather. There is
less hand labor compared to
handling conventional square
bales. The cattle graze in the field
or in wintering areas where there
is no necessity for hauling
manure. Apparently the quality
of hay stored in the fields is quite
high. The main consideration in
determining total efficiency of
using such systems is in devising
methods to feed the hay without
undue wastage.
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Phone Lane. 397-3539
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Several Implants Increase
Growth
Five different commercially
available growth stimulants
(used as implants in the ear)
were compared on heifers and
steers. The least effective im
plant increased gain by at least
seven percent in both heifers and
in steers. Certain implants
tended to have longer-lasting
effects than others; however the
differences between implants
were relatively minor. Im
planting with a combination of
two different types of implants
did not further increase weight
gains. Effects of the various
implants on carcass charac
teristics were also minor from
the standpoint of both carcass
quality and meatiness.-
Penn State Registered Beef
Cattle Program
The Animal Science Depart
ment maintains registered cow
herds of Charolais, Polled
Herefords, and Angus. Ap
proximately 30 cows of each of
the three breeds are maintained.
The main use of these cow herds
is to provide animals for teaching
and training of students. The
Department of Animal Science’s
beef cattle herd over the years
has accomplished perhaps more
than any other university-owned
registered herd. The herd is
carefully selected for modem
beef characteristics, particularly
growth rate and other charac
teristics included in most
progressive beef cattle breeding
programs. Breeding stock from
the herd is also available for sale
to other purebred and com
mercial breeders.
Crossbreeding Programs
Well-planned crossbreeding
programs can increase net profit
by 20 percent or more when
compared to programs using the
same breeds in straightbred
herds. Most of the desirable
effects of crossbreeding result
from the use of crossbred cows.
This is because calving percent,
or other measures of fertility, are
usually improved more than
other beef characteristics. The
breeds going into a cross
breeding program should be
selected so as to complement
each other, and to cover up each
other’s weaknesses. Effective
crossbreeding programs can be
devised for either small or large
sized herds. One of the biggest
mistakes commercial producers
make in crossbreeding is that
they do not continue to select
outstanding bulls in the breeds
they use. It is very easy to lose
any improved performance by
not selecting performance-tested
bulls with high within-herd
performance indexes.
Angus-Holstein Cows Continue
High Production
As a part of a continuing
cooperative program between
ERTH-RITE
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Phone 717-442-4171
the Department of Animal
Science and the State Correc
tional Institution at Rockview, a
herd of about 210 Angus-Holstein
crossbred cows are maintained
The increased milk production of
the Angus-Holstein cow results in
heavier 205-day weights than
from most straightbred beef
cows. First-calf Angus-Holstein
heifers produced calves only 24
pounds lighter in weight than did
mature Angus-Holstein cross
bred cows. This is less difference
than usually observed with cows
of beef breeding. Although the
Angus-Holstein crossbred cow
has' been productive in this
program, it has been learned that
these kinds of cows have to be fed
about 25 percent more than other
kinds of cows during the
rebreeding season. This is
necessary because all cows have
to be gaining weight in order to
rebreed within a short period of
time. However, after the
breeding season, the energy
requirements of the Angus-
Holstein cow seem to be about the
same as those of other cows.
Live and Carcass Characteristics
of Holstein Bulls, Cryptorchids
and Steers
Average slaughter age of the
cattle was 402 days. At this age
bulls, cryptorchids (partially
castrated) and steers weighed
1078, 995, and 961 pounds,
respectively. Steers had
significantly more fat thickness,
but bull and cryptorchid car
casses had larger loin-eye-areas,
higher cutability, and slightly
more desirable lean flavor and
total acceptability scores. It
should be emphasized, however,
that these cattle were fed a high
concentrate ration from birth to
slaughter. If a ration using less
grain had been used, the results
may have been different.
However, these results indicate
that liberally-fed Holstein/ bulls
can produce carcasses of ac
ceptable quality. The cryp
torchids developed many of the
male characteristics which may
cause behavior problems in the
feedlot, and a staggy ap
pearance. Cryptorchid cattle are
apparently not as desirable as
cryptorchid lambs, although
even cryptorchid lambs have to
be fed fairly well in order to
produce quality lean and still
perform efficiently.
Testing Program Shows There’s
Room for Improvement
Over 300 head of cattle have
been tested in the past six years
in Uie Meat Animal Evaluation
Center, sponsored by the Penn
sylvania Department of
Agriculture. These cattle have
been from 48 sires. The cattle are
consigned to the station at
weaning time and fed until
slaughter by sire groups. Ac
curate feed records are kept, and
all the cattle are slaughtered
through the Penn State Meats
Laboratory. Although there have
been three sires which achieved
an excellent rating based on live
and carcass characteristics, none
of the sires has met all the
requirements for superior sire
classification. The results of the
program are used by the owners
of the bulls to evaluate the
genetic ability of their sires. Next
year, in order to be of more
usefulness to more beef cattle
breeders in the state, there will
also be a program for consigning
individual bulls to be tested
during the post-weaning period.
Only a few of the research
studies are summarized above.
The 1973 Animal Science
Research Summary Book, which
contains all the reports on beef
cattle, sheep, swine and other
projects in which the Department
of Animal Science is involved, is
avialable by writing to Animal
Science Research Summary, 324
Animal Industries Building,
University Park, Pennsylvania
16802 and enclosing $2.00.
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