Feeding trial was conducted with 80 Hanwoo steers (7.5 months of age, 204.4 kg body weight) for 680 days from growing period to late fattening period to examine the feeding value of whole crop barley silage TMR (BS-TMR) and whole crop rye silage TMR (RS-TMR) on body gain, feed cost, slaughter characteristics and quality characteristics of longissimus dorsi muscle. Dietary treatments were conventional separate feeding of concentrate and rice straw (control), feeding BS TMR up to middle fattening period and same diet as for control during late fattening period (BS-TMR I), feeding BS-TMR for whole experimental period (BS-TMR II), feeding RS TMR up to middle fattening period and same diet as for control during late fattening period (RS-TMR I) and RS TMR for whole experimental period (RS-TMR II). Sixteen castrated calves were assigned to each treatment (4 pens, 4 heads per pen). Pens in each treatment were randomly distributed. Feeding both BS silage TMR and RS silage TMR slightly increased body gain of Hanwoo steers at the stages of growing and early fattening, and increased (P<0.0001) at middle fattening compared to feeding control diet while control diet tended to increase body gain at late fattening stage compared to feeding BS-TMR I, BS-TMR II and RS-TMR I diets. Total body gain was slightly increased in Hanwoo steers fed both I and II for BS and RS TMR compared to that in control diet. Feed cost per kg gain per head was relatively low in the Hanwoo steers fed silage TMRs to that fed control diet. Carcass weight, back fat thickness and longissimus dorsi area of Hanwoo steers tended to increase but lowered (P<0.047) yield index by feeding silage TMRs. Feeding BS TMR slightly decreased marbling score but no difference was found in the number of head over grade 1 between diets. Control diet tended to improve yield grade compared to silage TMRs. Chemical composition, water holding capacity, drip loss, cooking loss and pH, color and fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi were not affected by experimental diets and feeding duration of silage TMRs. Shear force, however, was increased (P<0.046) by silage TMRs without difference between them compared to control diet. Based on the results of the current study, BS TMR and RS TMR could improve body gain and reduce feed cost without deteriorating meat quality compared to separate feeding of concentrate and rice straw. Overall feeding value was similar between BS TMR and RS TMR.
