Feeds were sampled and fecal samples were collected by total collection of each individual steer during the last 7 d of each period at the morning and afternoon feeding. Feeds, refusals and fecal samples were dried at 60 °C and ground (1 mm screen using the Cyclotech Mill, Tecator, Sweden) and analyzed using standard methods of AOAC (1995) for DM (ID 967.03), N (ID 984.13), EE (ID 954.02) and ash (ID 942.05). Acid detergent fiber (ADF) was determined according to an AOAC method (1995; ID 973.18) and is expressed inclusive of residual ash. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in samples was estimated according to Van Soest et al. (1991) with addition of α-amylase but without sodium sulphite and results are expressed with residual ash. Metabolizable energy (ME) was calculated according to the equation described by (Robinson et al., 2004b) as: