Weekly, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist Paul Beck offers his expertise on the beef cattle industry. This is part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Derrell Peel, Mark Johnson, and Beck. Today, Beck discusses the impacts of nutrition during finishing on beef quality.
The last few weeks, we have discussed factors that impact meat quality from prefinishing segments of beef production. Today, we will discuss the impact of nutrition during finishing in the feedlot on beef quality. Grain-finishing in confinement remains the predominant finishing system in North America due to land-use and management efficiency and consistency of beef supply. Grain finishing in confined feedyards requires less area to finish calves and it takes less time to get calves ready to harvest in feedyards than forage finishing systems common in other areas of the world.
Grain type and processing methods affect where and how starch is digested – altering available energy and impacting marbling. Wheat and barley have the fastest and most complete starch digestion in the rumen, processed corn and milo are somewhat slower in ruminal starch digestion, while whole unprocessed grains have the lowest starch digestion in the rumen. Processing increases grain digestion in the rumen which influences ruminal starch digestion, there are indications that shifting starch digestion in cattle from the rumen to the small intestine can increase marbling but also decreases performance and feed efficiency. For instance, rolled corn increases glucose availability in the small intestine, supporting intramuscular fat development, while steam-flaked corn increases ruminal fermentation and feed efficiency but is thought to reduce marbling.
Grain milling co-products, such as distillers’ grains, have become common in finishing diets. Inclusion rates matter: moderate levels (15–33%) can improve marbling, but excessive inclusion (>40%) may negatively affect tenderness, shelf life, and quality grade due to higher protein and fat content. In contrast, corn gluten feed, a byproduct of the artificial sweetener industry, does not appear to reduce marbling or carcass quality due to its lower fat and protein content.
Ultimately, meat quality is shaped by the series of management decisions starting before conception and continuing through finishing. By understanding how each production phase—from genetics and gestation to diet and feed processing—affects the end product, producers can better align their management strategies with the production of high-quality beef for our consumers.
Reference: Beck, P.A., Beck, M.R., Apple, J.K., 2024. Production systems and nutrition. In: Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences III, vol. 1. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85125-1.00029-6. ISBN: 9780323851251
