Comparison of Corn Kernels and Sprouted Wheat Grain as Components of the Winter Finishing Rations of Steers

For 77 days of the 2000 winter season, twenty-eight Overo Colorado steers, 19-months old and 320 kg liveweight (LW), were used to measure animal response to sprouted and slightly sprouted wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grain. Treatments were T1: maize ( Zea mays L.) kernels; T2: slightly sprouted wheat; T3: 50% slightly sprouted wheat and 50% sprouted wheat; and T4: sprouted wheat grain. The rations were formulated to be approximately isoproteic (12.7%) and isocaloric (2.8 Mcal kg-1 ), with a mixture of oat silage ( Avena sativa L.) harvested at the milky watery stage, white lupin ( Lupinus albus L.) and mineral salts. The silage to concentrate ratio was 60:40 DM basis. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with seven replicates. The individual feed consumption was 10.7, 10.5, 10.3, and 10.3 kg DM animal -1; daily LW gain 0.948, 0.987, 0.961, and 0.961 kg animal -1 and feed conversion 11.3, 10.6, 10.7, and 10.7 kg feed kg-1 LW gain, for the treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively; there were no differences due to the treatments (P ≥ 0.05). It was concluded that slightly sprouted and sprouted can replace maize when used in rations for winter fattening of steers. Durante 77 días de la temporada invernal de 2000 se utilizaron 28 novillos Overo Colorado de aproximadamente 19 meses de edad y 320 kg de PV promedio, con el objetivo de evaluar la respuesta animal al consumo de raciones de engorda formuladas con grano de trigo ( Triticum aestivum L.) brotado y ligeramente brotado. Los tratamientos fueron T1: grano de maíz ( Zea mays L.) ; T2: grano de trigo ligeramente brotado; T3: 50% de grano de trigo ligeramente brotado y 50% de trigo brotado; y T4: grano de trigo brotado. Las raciones se formularon aproximadamente isoproteicas (12,7%) e isoenergéticas (2,8 Mcal kg-1 ), con ensilaje de avena ( Avena sativa L.) cosechada al estado de grano acuoso lechoso, grano de lupino blanco ( Lupinus albus L.) y sales minerales. La proporción de ensilaje a concentrado fue de 60:40 base MS. El diseño experimental fue de bloques completos al azar, con siete repeticiones. Los consumos individuales de alimentos fueron de 10,7; 10,5; 10,3 y 10,3 kg MS animal -1, los incrementos diarios de peso fueron 0,948; 0,987; 0,961 y 0,961 kg animal -1 , y la conversión de alimento de 11,3; 10,6; 10,7 y 10,7 kg alimento kg-1 incremento en PV, para los tratamientos 1, 2, 3 y 4, respectivamente; no se presentaron diferencias debidas a los tratamientos (P ≥ 0,05). Se concluyó que