Evaluation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product as an alternative to monensin on growth performance, cost of gain, and carcass characteristics of heavy-weight yearling beef steers.

Two hundred fifty-two cross-bred yearling steers (406 ± 24 kg BW) were used in a completely randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (7 pens/treatment) to evaluate the effects of dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SFP) and monensin (MON) on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Dietary treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial were 1) with or without SFP and 2) with or without MON. Finishing diets contained 19.7% of DM as dried distiller's grains with solubles. Both SFP and MON were added in the total mixed ration in place of an equal amount of cornmeal (DM basis; target intake = 2.8 g of SFP and 33 mg of MON/kg of dietary DM). Each treatment group was offered ad libitum access to a transition ration from d 1 to 8 and then to the finishing ration from d 9 to 125. Body weights were collected on d 0, 28, 56, 84, 110, and 125. Initial and final BW was an average of 2-d weights (d -1 and 0 and d 124 and 125, respectively). Steers were shipped for harvest on d 125. Overall ADG was decreased (P = 0.03) in steers supplemented with SFP, but final BW was similar among treatments. Feeding SFP was associated with lighter (P < 0.01) HCW and a greater (P = 0.01) number of carcasses grading USDA Choice. Twelfth rib fat thickness was not affected by SFP (P = 0.82) or MON (P = 0.35), but numerical decreases in 12th rib fat thickness among cattle receiving SFP or MON alone contributed to a tendency (P = 0.07) for greater 12 rib fat thickness when SFP and MON were provided. There was no effect of treatment on cost of gain (P ≥ 0.21). The effects of SFP in the current study may have been limited in heavy yearling steers due to consumption of a finishing diet containing 19.7% dried distiller's grains with solubles.