The study objective was to determine intake and performance of beef cattle individually offered perennial ryegrass-dominant grass silage ad libitum supplemented with 4 kg dry matter daily of, rolled barley or maize meal-based concentrate rations containing supplements of flaked field beans, flaked peas, maize dried distillers grains (MDD) or maize gluten feed (MGF) for 110 days (Experiment 1), rolled barley or rolled oats with or without supplements of flaked field beans or flaked peas for 146 days (Experiment 2), and to quantify the nitrogen balance of diets similar to those offered in Experiment 2 (Experiment 3). The protein supplements were formulated to have similar crude protein concentrations. Cereal type or protein source did not affect intake, growth, feed efficiency and carcass traits in Experiment 1 or 2. Inclusion of a legume protein supplement with barley or oats had no effect on intake or growth performance (Experiment 2), whereas their exclusion decreased nitrogen intake, plasma urea concentrations and urinary and total nitrogen excretion (Experiment 3). The feeding value of barley was similar to oats and maize meal, and flaked beans and peas were similar to MGF and MDD, as supplements to grass silage. Excluding protein ingredients from a cereal-based concentrate did not affect animal performance and reduced nitrogen excretion.
Keywords: beef cattle; legume grains; native grains; nitrogen balance; oats; protein supplementation.