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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 November 2017
In Northern Ireland grass silage is the basal forage for beef cattle during the winter feeding period. Increasingly however, other ensiled forages are being considered due to their potentially lower cost and perceived conservation and nutritional attributes. Wholecrop cereals such as wheat have been shown to improve dry matter (DM) intake but not animal performance (Keady et al, 2007). With increasing volatility in world markets creating major fluctuations in protein prices, interest has increased in home grown protein sources. High protein legumes with low input costs, such as lupins have given reasonable animal performance when offered as a monoculture. However, limited scientific research has been undertaken on the role of legumes in combination with a cereal as a bi-crop for finishing beef cattle. Consequently the objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of legume/cereal wholecrop offered either alone or in combination with grass silage on the performance of beef cattle.