Effect of Winter Gain on Summer Rate of Gain and Finishing Performance of Yearling Steers

The effect of winter rate of gain on subsequent grazing and finishing performance was evaluated using 80 medium- framed steers. During the winter period, steers were fed to achieve gains of approximately .7 (low gain; 40 head) or 1.7 lb/day (high gain; 40 head). Warm-season Sandhills range was grazed by 20 low-gain and 20 high-gain steers, while the other 40 grazed bromegrass pasture from May to September. Both low- and high-gain cattle grazing brome pasture gained slower than those grazing sandhills range. During summer grazing, low-gain cattle gained faster than high-gain cattle, but compensated for only 19.9% (sandhills) and 18.7% (brome) of the weight deficit following the low-gain winter treatment