A feeding trial was conducted to compare intercropped barley/annual ryegrass silage (B/RS) and barley silage (BS) on average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI) and carcass characteristics of beef steers in a randomized complete block design experiment. Both B/RS and BS were prepared in plastic tube silos, ensiled for 168 days and then used in a feeding trial. Steers (n=120) were housed in individual pens and fed a backgrounding diet containing 350 g steam-rolled barley grain (SBG) and 600 g kg−1 B/RS or 600 g kg−1 BS and 50 g kg−1supplement until they weighed 445 kg, after which they were adapted to a finishing diet consisting of 860 g SBG and 100 g kg−1 B/RS or 100 g kg−1 BS and 40 g kg−1 supplement. Steer weight and back-fat depth (determined by ultra-sonography) were measured every 3 weeks. Steers were slaughtered when back-fat depth was greater than 7 mm and carcass data were obtained. Content of ADF in B/RS was lower (PPP