Eighteen month old Simmentaler steers with an initial body mass of 310 kg were divided into 8 comparable groups of l0 animals each. The performance of steers at crude protein levels of 9,1, 11,9 and 14,7% in a maize silage ration (± 80% silage on a dry matter basis) and 9,2, 10,2 and l2,9% in a concentrate ration (± 90% concentrate on a dry matter basis) respectively, were compared. The influence of a crude protein level gradually declining from 14,7 to 9,1% and from 12,9 to 9,2% in the silage and concentrate rations, respectively, was also investigated during the finishing period. The inclusion of 11,9 and 10,2% crude protein in the silage and concentrate rations, respectively, resulted in maximum digestible energy intake/W0,75 kg/day, maximum live mass gain and maximum efficiency of feed conversion to carcass mass. Increasing the crude protein content of a silage ration from 9,1 to 14,7% resulted in a non-significant increase in carcass mass and dressing percentage, but a significant (P < 0,05) increase in carcass grade. In steers fed a concentrate ration with 9,2% crude protein, carcass quality was not significantly lower than for those animals fed a ration with 10,2% or more crude protein. Feeding a declining crude protein level during the finishing period did not result in any significant differences compared to a constant protein level. Dry matter intake, live mass gain, feed conversion to carcass mass and carcass quality of steers fed a silage, as compared to a concentrate ration did not reveal great differences. The finishing of steers on a silage or concentrate ration with approximately 9% crude protein resulted in considerably lower economic returns than steers that received higher protein levels.