Table 2.

Common finishing diet composition for steers backgrounded on a cover crop mixture including brassicas or a common Midwestern backgrounding diet^a

Ingredient	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5
Diet composition	d 45–72	d 73–91	d 92–98	d 99–105	d 106–231
Corn silage, %	58.11	–	–	–	–
Ground hay, %	20.25	34.97	28.81	18.94	10.66
Soybean meal, %	16.85	–	–	–	–
Liquid supplementb, %	4.16	5.82	6.35	6.48	6.47
Earlage, %	–	44.34	30.44	20.89	11.62
Dry rolled corn, %	–	1.11	18.31	36.44	52.34
Dried distillers grains with solubles, %	–	13.77	16.09	17.24	18.90
Nutrient compositionc
ADFd, %	24.47	20.24	17.15	12.94	9.76
NDFe, %	38.46	35.18	30.70	24.45	19.49
Ether extract, %	1.77	2.72	3.01	3.34	3.49
Crude protein, %	16.10	12.63	12.71	13.07	13.73
Ash, %	5.56	3.32	4.81	3.95	3.17
NEMf, Mcal/kg	1.60	1.68	1.75	1.84	1.90
NEGg, Mcal/kg	1.00	1.07	1.13	1.22	1.28

^aCalculated on a dry matter basis.

^bContains 512 g/ton (DM) of monensin; Dakotaland Feeds, Huron, SD.

^cAnalyzed by Servi-Tech Laboratories, Hastings, NE.

^dAcid detergent fiber.

^eNeutral detergent fiber.

^fNet energy, maintenance; calculated from ADF by the following equation NE_M = (1.37 * ME) − (0.3042 * ME²) + (0.051 * ME³) − 0.508.

^gNet energy, gain; calculated from ADF by the following equation NE_G = (1.42 * ME) − (0.3836 * ME²) + (0.0593 * ME³) − 0.7484.