The effects of Zeranol implantation on the performance of Red Anatolian steers fed cottonseed  oil meal and urea

H. Servet ŞENEL; Reşat ÖZNACAR

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The effects of Zeranol implantation on the performance of Red Anatolian steers fed cottonseed oil meal and urea

H. Servet ŞENEL ,Reşat ÖZNACAR

- Forthy-eight yearling eastern red steers were used in the 2 x 2 factorial design to determine effects of different sources of nitrogen with or without implantation of zeranol on beef performance.

The experimental animals were fed ad.libitum in the open-dirt lots with shelter during january to june for a period of 149 days. Rations were composed of ground barley, wheat bran, cottonseed oil meal or urea, molasses, beet pulp, mineral mixture, salt and wheat straw. All rations were mixed daily and self-fed in covered bunks. One lot of steers on each protein supplement was implanted with 36 mg zeranol on first and 84 th days of trial.

Either protein supplements or zeranol implantation did not affect drymatter consumption. Zeranol implanted groups gained significantly more than that of non-implanted groups (P<0.005).

Feed efficiency was improved by zeranol implantation 14 % and 23 % for cottonseed oil meal and urea groups respectively. But none of them was found significant (P>0.05).

The mean values for dressing percent were almost the same for all treatments and the differences among them were not found significant. Keywords :