Table 1. Experimental design and feeding strategies employed in this experiment (as-fed basis unless otherwise stated)

Items	Treatments
	SCF			TMRGSCF			TMRGEFSCF			TMRW
	G	EF	LF	G	EF	LF	G	EF	LF	G	EF	LF
Feeding strategies (kg/d)
Concentrate	3–7	7–9	Ad lib.		7–9	Ad lib.			Ad lib.
Timothy hay	Ad lib.			Ad lib.			Ad lib.			Ad lib.
Tall fescue straw		Ad lib.	1–2		Ad lib.	1–2			1–2
TMR				Ad lib.			Ad lib.	Ad lib.		Ad lib.	Ad lib.	Ad lib.
Number of steers per pen	3			3			3			3
Number of replicates	3			3			3			3
Total number of animals	9			9			9			9
Pen size	4 m × 8 m			4 m × 8 m			4 m × 8 m			4 m × 8 m

SCF, separate feeding of commercial concentrates and forage; TMRGSCF, feeding of TMR up to growing period and SCF from early up to the late fattening period; TMRGEFSCF, feeding of TMR from growing up to early fattening period and SCF up to the late fattening period; TMRW, feeding of TMR for the entire experimental period; G, 7–14 months of age in terms of growth stage, growing period; EF, 15–22 months of age in terms of growth stage, early fattening period; LF, 23–30 months of age in terms of growth stage, late fattening period; Ad lib., Ad libitum; TMR, total mixed ration.