The trial aimed to evaluate the effect of particle size (small: from 0.2 to 0.6 cm or large: from 1.0 to 2.0 cm) and cutting height (low cut: 15 cm or high cut: 39 cm) of the corn plant on dry matter intake and performance of steers in a feedlot. The treatments were: T1 - small particle size with low cutting height; T2 - large particle size with low cutting height; T3 - small particle size with high cutting height; and T4 - large particle size with high cutting height. No significant interaction was observed between cutting height and particle size for dry matter intake, weight gain, feed conversion, and dry matter digestibility. The variation on particle size a plant corn harvest did not affect dry matter intake, weight gain, and dry matter digestibility. Animals fed with the high cut silage during the feedlot presented better feed conversion (5.67 vs 6.15 kg of DM/kg LW) than animals fed with the low cut silage, with the roughage:concentrate ratio of 67:33%. Including corn silage harvest to 38.6 cm height with small particle size for young beef cattle production increased profitability of this production system.
dry matter intake; feed conversion; weight gain
