Sixty-four yearling British × Continental crossbred steers with final
pre-slaughter body weights averaging 533 ± 44.0 kg were cared for
according to Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines
and fed at the Lacombe Research Centre . Steers were
randomly assigned to one of four diets with a 70:30 forage:concentrate
ratio (dry matter basis). The forage was either grass hay or red clover
silage, the concentrate contained either flaxseed or sunflower seed
added to provide 5.4% oil to the diet, and the remainder of the concentrate
included barley and a supplement providing vitamin/mineral to
meet or exceed requirements (NRC, 2000). Steers had ad libitum access
to feed and water with 8 animals per pen, two pens per diet, and were
slaughtered at an average of 205 days on test. During the study, one
animal from the flaxseed and grass hay treatment was withdrawn due
to lameness.