Influence of feeding enzymatically hydrolysed yeast cell wall + yeast culture on growth performance of calf-fed Holstein steers

One hundred and sixty-eight crossbred steers (133 ± 7 kg) were used in a 336-d experiment to evaluate the effects of enzymatically hydrolysed yeast cell wall plus yeast culture (EHY) supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Treatments consisted of steam-flaked corn-based diet supplemented with 0, 195, 390 or 585 mg/kg EHY. Supplemental EHY enhanced overall (336-d) dry matter intake (DMI, P .20), except for a slight lowering (0.7%, P = .04) in carcass yield. We conclude that throughout the growing-finishing period, supplemental EHY will enhance ADG, resulting in marked increases in final carcass weight. This effect is due to consistent increases in DMI, as supplementation did not affect gain efficiency or estimated dietary NE.