TABLE 1.
Ingredients and nutrient composition of three concentrates used during the experiment.
| Item | Treatment1 |
||
| YL | YM | YH | |
| Ingredient, g/kg of DM | |||
| Corn | 290 | 448 | 560 |
| Corn germ | 300 | 200 | 120 |
| Wheat bran | 40 | 40 | – |
| DDGS2 | 150 | 70 | 63 |
| Prickly ash seed | 100 | 20 | 40 |
| Cottonseed meal | 60 | 120 | 160 |
| Soybean meal | – | 50 | – |
| Salt | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| White stone powder | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Dicalcium phosphate | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Urea | 8 | – | 5 |
| Sodium bicarbonate | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Premix3 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Nutrient composition, g/kg of DM | |||
| Crude protein | 165.3 | 167.4 | 172.1 |
| Crude fat | 37.3 | 41.8 | 55.7 |
| NEg4 (MJ/kg DM) | 55 | 62 | 69 |
| Neutral detergent fiber | 159.3 | 131.5 | 123.2 |
| Acid detergent fiber | 45.4 | 41.4 | 37.2 |
| Calcium | 6.4 | 8.4 | 7.5 |
| Phosphorus | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
1LE, low energy level; ME, medium energy level; HE, high energy level. 2DDGS, distillers dried grains with solubles. 3Premix was provided per kilogram of total diet DM, and the composition was as follows: 22,520 IU of vitamin A, 1920 IU of vitamin D3, 18 IU of vitamin E, 0.36 IU of vitamin K3, 5.28 mg of vitamin B2, 0.008 mg of vitamin B12, 21.2 mg of D-calcium pantothenate, 9 mg of Cu, 132.8 mg of Zn, 240 mg of Fe, 8 mg of Mn, and 0.28 mg of Co. 4NEg, net energy for gain, is calculated according to Feeding Standard of Beef Cattle (NY/T 815-2004); others were measured values.