Research Progress Report 303 April, 1967
Liquid vs. Dry Supplements for Fattening Steers
T. W. Perry, W. M. Beeson, D. M. Robinson and M. T. Mohler
Department of Animal Sciences

Summary
Liquid and dry high urea supplements were compared with Purdue Supplement A (32 percent crude protein, all of which is from natural sources) as supplements to cattle fattening rations built around limited corn silage and a full feed of high moisture corn.

Steers fed Supplement A gained approximately 7 percent faster than cattle fed Purdue 64 (dry) or Purdue Liquid 64. There was no significant difference in gain between the cattle on the two high urea supplements. The advantage in favor of Supplement A was obtained largely during the first 28 days of the 169 day feeding trial when the cattle on the high urea supplements were going through an apparent adjustment period. After the initial adjustment, rates of gain among the three supplements being compared were similar.

Most economical gains were obtained by cattle fed Purdue Liquid 64. Feed cost per
pound of gain was 13.4 cents for cattle fed Purdue Liquid 64; 14.0 cents for those fed Purdue 64 (dry); and 14.4 cents for those fed Supplement A.

The feeding of 70 milligrams of aureomycin per head, daily, resulted in a 5 percent increase in gain but did not improve the efficiency of feed conversion. Aureomycin and high urea supplements are quite compatible. In fact, one of the greatest increases in gain from aureomycin feeding was with Purdue Liquid 64 wherein a 0.2 pound increase in daily gain was obtained.

Introduction
The introduction of Purdue Supplement A in the late 40's launched a new era in beef cattle feeding in which cattle supplementation became more sophisticated than merely supplying extra protein plus some three or four major minerals. Cattle nutrition research has shown the need for attention

1/ Supported in part by a grant-in-aid from Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Urea and phosphoric acid were supplied by Phillips Petroleum Company; chelated trace minerals were supplied by Erly Fat Livestock Feed Company, Tucson, Arizona; soluble vitamin A was supplied by Hoffman La Roche and Company, Nutley, New Jersey; soluble diethylstilbestrol was supplied by Elanco Products Company, Greenfield, Indiana, aureomycin andurea were supplied by American Cyanamid Company, Agricultural Division, Princeton, N. J

PURDUE UNIVERSITY • Agricultural Experiment Station • Lafayette, Indiana