Influence of Betaine on Pasture, Finishing, and Carcass Performance in Steers

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental betaine on steer performance, fat deposition, and carcass characteristics. In Exp. 1 (grazing phase), 80 steers (317 kg) were fed either 1.0 kg of a control supplement (30% CP) or 1.0 kg of the control supplement plus 20 g of betaine per head per day. Betaine supplementation had no effect on overall gain or fat deposition (P>0.10) but increased ADG (P 0.10); however, this response was variable by period. Betaine increased final fat thickness and fat thickness change (P 0.10). Supplemental betaine on pasture increased feed intake, final BW, and hot carcass weight (P 0.10) on fat thickness or marbling. Season of year did not affect response.