The physicochemical and sensory attributes and the fatty acid composition of the longissimus lumborum muscle were determined. The beef from pasture-fed animals tended to be tenderer, darker, less red, and with yellower fat than the beef from grain-fed steers. The beef from steers fed wheat plus silage for 75 d had lower tenderness scores than beef from steers fed for 35 d on grain plus silage. The beef from pasture-fed steers had higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid c-9 t-11 and n-3 fatty acids and a lower n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio than the beef from grain-fed steers. The time fed on grain plus silage had a significant effect on the fatty acid composition of the beef from steers fed wheat, but no similar effect was observed in beef from steers fed oats. However, the n-6:n-3 ratio of beef was more favorable when steers were fed grain (wheat or oats) plus silage for 35 d than for 75 d.

The aim was to determine the effect of the herbage allowance (HA) and supplement type (ST) on dry matter intake (DMI), milk production and composition, grazing behavior, rumen function, and blood metabolites of grazing dairy cows in the spring season. Experiment I: 64 Holstein Friesian dairy cows were distributed in a factorial design that tested two levels of daily HA (20 and 30 kg of dry matter (DM) per cow) and two ST (high moisture maize (HMM) and cracked wheat (CW)) distributed in two daily rations (3.5 kg DM/cow/day). Experiment II: four mid-lactation rumen cannulated cows, supplemented with either HMM or CW and managed with the two HAs, were distributed in a Latin square design of 4 × 4, for four 14-d periods to assess ruminal fermentation parameters. HA had no effect on milk production (averaging 23.6 kg/day) or milk fat and protein production (823 g/day and 800 g/day, respectively). Cows supplemented with CW had greater protein concentration (+1.2 g/kg). Herbage DMI averaged 14.17 kg DM/cow.day and total DMI averaged 17.67 kg DM/cow.day and did not differ between treatments. Grazing behavior activities (grazing, rumination, and idling times) and body condition score (BCS) were not affected by HA or ST. Milk and plasma urea concentration increased under the high HA (+0.68 mmol/L and +0.90 mmol/L, respectively). Cows supplemented with HMM had lower milk and plasma urea concentrations (0.72 mmol/L and 0.76 mmol/L less, respectively) and tended (p = 0.054) to have higher plasma β-hydroxybutyrate. Ruminal parameters did not differ between treatments.