Relationship of blood glucose concentration at arrival to performance and carcass characteristics of beef heifers

Crossbred yearling heifers (n = 394) were used to compare the effect of high or low blood glucose measured at arrival on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. A blood sample was collected when heifers arrived at the Beef Cattle Research Center, and heifers were sorted into two groups: high or low blood glucose. The mean blood glucose concentration of the heifers was 57 ± 2 mg/dL in the low group and 78 ± 2 mg/dL in the high group. Heifers that had low blood glucose at arrival consumed more feed (P=0.02), tended to have increased final bodyweight and rate of gain (P\u3c0.10), had increased backfat thickness (P\u3c0.05), and tended to have heavier hot carcass weights and fewer standard carcasses (P\u3c0.10) compared with heifers that had high blood glucose at arrival