A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of beef cattle given a rumen protected B vitamins blend during a 21-d receiving period. Twelve loads of cattle (899 head) were equally split based on weight and shrink and were assigned to 15 pens/treatment. The test treatment consisted of 2g/head/day of rumen protected B vitamins (folic acid, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and biotin; Jefo Nutrition, St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada). No added B vitamins were given to control cattle, and a common diet was provided to both groups. Receiving ration consisted of 38% alfalfa hay, 30% steam flaked corn, 10% corn distillers grain, 2% soybean meal, 11% sugar cane molasses, 3% wheat straw and 6% minerals and vitamins. Animals were weighted individually on d 1 and d 21 of the trial to calculate total and daily gain weights. Animals were fed twice daily. Daily pen feed intakes were measured. All data were analyzed as a randomized complete block, using pens as experimental units. The general linear model included treatment as fixed and block as random effects. Days to recover shrink were reduced (15.36 vs. 16.63 d; P < 0.05), for the group of cattle fed the protected B vitamins blend. No significant difference was observed between the control and treatment group, for morbidity status (2.16 vs. 1.52%) and mortality rate (0.43 vs.0.87%). The inclusion of the protected B vitamins blend in the diet significantly improved total gain weight (46.26 vs. 42.40 kg; P < 0.05), average daily gain (2.20 vs. 2.01 kg; P < 0.05), and feed/gain (3.90 vs. 4.33; P < 0.05); without affecting average daily feed intake. It is concluded that addition of the protected B vitamins blend in the diet improves the productivity of beef cattle during the receiving period, without affecting feed intake and the morbidity rate.