Table 3.

Effect of RFI and SL on performance of Nellore bulls (n = 51) during the feed efficiency test and finishing trial

	RFI1			SL2			FG3			P-value
	Low	High	SEM	SE	CO	SEM	Ad Libitum	Restricted	SEM	RFI	SL	FG
Feed efficiency test
Postweaning RFI, kg DM/d	−0.335	0.360	0.048	−0.004	0.029	0.047	-	-	-	<0.01	0.585	-
DMI4, kg/d	5.48	6.40	0.141	6.38	5.49	0.152	-	-	-	<0.01	<0.01	-
DMI, % BW5	2.37	2.69	0.047	2.56	2.49	0.048	-	-	-	<0.01	0.060	-
Initial BW, kg	189	194	8.45	202	182	8.86	-	-	-	0.568	0.029	-
Final BW, kg	274	282	7.37	297	259	7.93	-	-	-	0.038	<0.01	-
Mid-test BW, kg	232	238	7.59	249	220	8.32	-	-	-	0.464	0.003	-
ADG6, kg/d	0.766	0.803	0.021	0.866	0.703	0.022	-	-	-	0.168	<0.01	-
Finishing trial
Finishing RFI, kg DM/d	−0.352	0.064	0.292	−0.206	−0.083	0.287	0.361	−0.649	0.283	0.040	0.555	<0.01
DMI, kg/d	5.84	6.35	0.193	6.59	5.60	0.190	7.22	4.96	0.164	0.059	<0.01	<0.01
DMI, % BW	1.52	1.61	0.061	1.58	1.55	0.062	1.80	1.35	0.061	0.026	0.531	<0.01
Initial BW, kg	363	373	11.8	394	342	12.3	377	359	11.0	0.339	<0.01	0.114
Final BW, kg	400	407	13.5	433	373	13.6	424	383	12.7	0.547	<0.01	0.002
Mid-test BW, kg	381	390	12.6	414	358	12.4	400	371	11.9	0.429	<0.01	0.015
ADG, kg/d	0.637	0.583	0.055	0.654	0.567	0.057	0.795	0.426	0.049	0.469	0.265	<0.01
Initial EBW7, kg	328	342	10.4	358	312	10.5	345	325	9.63	0.209	<0.01	0.084
Final EBW, kg	366	374	13.2	396	344	13.4	390	349	12.6	0.450	<0.01	0.001
EBW gain, kg/d	0.627	0.520	0.065	0.595	0.551	0.065	0.750	0.397	0.061	0.091	0.507	<0.01
Gain:feed, g/kg DM	105	89.8	7.84	97.7	97.6	6.93	109	85.9	8.95	0.120	0.998	0.030

¹Treatments were established based on postweaning RFI.

²Selected Nellore (SE) and Control Nellore (CO) from Instituto de Zootecnia, São Paulo, Brazil Nellore breeding program.

³FG, feeding groups: restricted and ad libitum.

⁴DMI, dry matter intake.

⁵BW, body weight.

⁶ADG, average daily gain.

⁷EBW, empty body weight.