Galloway Dl

Feed intake and digestion by Holstein steer calves consuming bermudagrass or ryegrass-wheat hay and supplemented with alfalfa, corn or monensin

Effects of supplementing with legume and/or grain or monensin on intake and digestion by Holstein steer calves fed warm or cool season grass hay (bermudagrass or ryegrass-wheat) were determined. In Experiment 1, eight steers (140 kg body weight (BW)), in two simultaneous 4 × 4 Latin squares, were fed bermudagrass (72% neutral detergent fiber, NDF) or ryegrass-wheat hay (59% NDF) ad libitum and no supplement (BG and RIV treatments) or approximately 0.5% BW of ground alfalfa hay (BG-A and RW-A treatments), 1.0% BW of ground corn (BG-C and RW-C treatments) or both once daily (BG-AC and RW-AC treatments). Supplement treatments affected organic matter (OM) intake differently with each forage (2.97 kg day−1, 3.35 kg day−1, 4.05 kg day−1, 4.07 kg day−1, 4.07 kg day−1, 4.28 kg day−1 and 4.54 kg day−1 for BG, BG-A, BG-C, BG-AC, RW, RW-A, RW-C and RW-AC, respectively; SE = 0.11). Total tract NDF digestibility was 63.2%, 62.3%, 61.1%, 59.7%, 68.9%, 67.3%, 60.9% and 54.2% (SE = 3.0) for BG, BG-A, BG-C, BG-AC, RW, RW-A, RW-C and RW-AC, respectively (greater with than without supplementation and for alfalfa and corn given together vs. alone; P < 0.05). Supplementation with alfalfa or corn alone increased digestible OM intake with bermudagrass but not with ryegrass-wheat; offering alfalfa and corn together increased digestible OM intake with both forages as compared with corn alone (1.72 kg day−1, 2.01 kg day−1, 2.57 kg day−1, 2.74 kg day−1, 2.71 kg day−1, 2.71 kg day−1, 2.77 kg day−1 and 3.02 kg day−1 for BG, BG-A, BG-C, BG-AC, RW, RW-A, RW-C and RW-AC, respectively; SE = 0.13). In another experiment (4 × 4 Latin square), four steers (228 kg BW) were fed bermudagrass (75% NDF) or orchardgrass (64% NDF) hay ad libitum with 0.5% BW of ground corn and 0 or 200 mg of monensin. Neither intake nor digestibility were significantly affected by monensin, but monensin tended to depress both measures with bermudagrass. Characteristics of forages such as those unique to cool and warm season grasses can affect changes in feed intake and digestion with supplementation.

Digestion and Performance Responses to Lasalocid and Concentrate Supplements by Beef Cattle Fed Bermudagrass Hay

Beef cattle consuming bermudagrass hay were not supplemented or received a limited amount of ground corn alone or with a mix of protein meals to determine influences of concentrate supplementation on digestion and performance when the ionophore lasalocid (200 mg daily) was given. With limited feed intake, supplement treatment did not change the acetate to propionate shift in beef cows occurring with lasalocid (P < 0.06). Lasalocid did not affect sites of digestion of organic matter or nitrogen with any supplement treatment. However, lasalocid decreased (P < 0.10) ruminal digestion of neutral and acid detergent fibre. Live-weight gain by growing beef calves ingesting bermudagrass hay ad libitum was higher (P < 0.05) with than without supplementation and tended (P < 0.12) to be greater for corn plus protein meals than for corn alone. Lasalocid did not affect or interact with supplement treatment in feed intake or live-weight gain of heifers (236 kg; no growth stimulant) or steers (237 kg; treated with 200 mg progesterone and 20 mg estradiol benzoate). Lasalocid at 200 mg daily did not improve digestion characteristics or influence performance by beef cattle consuming a Basal diet of bermudagrass hay. Further, effects of lasalocid were not modulated by supplementation with concentrate, concentrate type or sex or growth stimulant usage.

Effects of various supplements on voluntary intake and performance by growing cattle consuming forage moderate to high in crude protein.

Growing cattle were supplemented with substances to lessen or increase ruminal ammonia level to determine if consumption of moderate- to high-crude protein (CP) forage is limited by high ruminal ammonia absorption. In Experiment 1 (5 x 5 Latin square), five Holstein steers (198 kg) had ad libitum access to alfalfa cubes (17% CP) without supplementation or with corn at 0.25 or 0.75% body weight (BW) alone (LC or HC) or with 0.06% BW of zeolite (chabazite; LC-Z and HC-Z). Total daily organic water (OM) intake was not affected by treatment (6.08, 6.14, 6.11, 6.19 and 6.09 kg for control, LC, LC-Z, HC and HC-Z, respectively; SE 0.25). In Experiment 2, Simmental crossbred beef calves grazed fescue-clover paddocks in the spring (clipped forage: 21 to 27% CP) for 84 days and were supplemented with 0.25 or 0.75% BW corn alone or with added zeolite (0.06% BW) or lasalocid (0.5 mg/kg BW). Daily gain did not differ among treatments (1.24 to 1.31 kg/day). In Experiment 3 (6 x 6 Latin square), six Holstein steer calves (168 kg) had ad libitum access to medium-quality, orchardgrass-clover hay (15% CP). Steers received one of the following six treatments: no supplement (Control), 0.35% BW ground corn (C), corn plus 0.049% BW urea (C-U), 0.35% BW soybean meal (S), 0.205% BW feather meal (F) or 0.103% BW feather meal, 0.052% BW blood meal and 0.067% BW corn gluten meal (F-BG). Total daily OM intake was 5.00, 5.14, 5.00, 5.11, 4.84 and 4.70 kg for control, C, C-U, S, F and F-BG, respectively (SE 0.13). In Experiment 4 (6 x 6 Latin square), six Holstein steer calves (226 kg) were fed 0.75% BW of alfalfa cubes (19% CP) plus ad libitum access to medium- to high-quality orchardgrass hay (16% CP). Steers received one of the following six treatments: no supplement (Control), corn at 0.25% BW alone (c) or mixed with 0.12% BW peanut skins (C-PSK), a mix of high-CP feedstuffs high in ruminal escape protein (0.029% BW blood meal, 0.038% BW corn gluten meal and 0.028% BW feather meal; C-REP), 0.139% soybean meal (C-S) or soybean meal plus peanut skins (C-PSK-S). Total daily OM intake was 6.16, 6.25, 6.13, 6.52, 6.50 and 6.60 kg for control, C, C-PSK, C-REP, C-S and C-PSK-S, respectively (SE 0.10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Digestion characteristics by beef cattle consuming bermudagrass or bromegrass hay alone or with alfalfa and(or) corn

Cannulated beef cattle (four cows: 556 kg initial weight; four steers: 504 kg initial weight) were used in an experiment with two simultaneous Latin squares to determine effects of substituting alfalfa and(or) corn for vegetative bermudagrass (BER; 77% neutral detergent fibre and 5.5% acid detergent lignin) or mature bromegrass (BRO; 70% neutral detergent fibre and 6.6% acid detergent lignin) hay on digestion characteristics. For Controls, BER or BRO was fed at 1.32 or 1.54% body weight of cows and steers, respectively; other treatments entailed substitution for hay DM of alfalfa cubes (17%) or ground corn (33%). A protein supplement was given to all animals. In vitro neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestion was slightly greater for BER than BRO. Supplement treatments did not affect the concentration of total volatile fatty acids or the molar proportion of propionate in ruminal fluid. True ruminal organic matter (OM) digestion was similar among diets; greater duodenal microbial OM flow and postruminal NDF digestion for BRO than BER diets were responsible for higher (P < 0.05) postruminal OM digestion for BRO diets. Supplement treatment did not affect duodenal microbial nitrogen flow or efficiency of microbial growth. Corn supplementation increased total tract OM digestion (P < 0.05). Alfalfa addition depressed total tract OM and NDF digestibilities more when added to BER than BRO; depressions in total tract NDF digestion with alfalfa and corn substitutions were additive. With constant DM intake, slightly less than ad libitum, alfalfa or corn substituted alone or together for hay did not improve characteristics of digestion by cattle consuming vegetative bermudagrass or mature bromegrass other than increased postruminal and total tract OM digestibilities with corn.

Effects of additions of sodium bicarbonate, salt, Aspergillus oryzae culture extract, niacin, lysine or phenylalanine to ground corn-based supplements on feed intake and digestion by Holstein steers consuming bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay

Holstein steers were fed bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay ad libitum and ground corn-based supplements, to determine if various additives might improve feed intake and/or digestion. Five steers (199 and 260 kg initial and final body weights, respectively) used in the first study (Latin square) were not supplemented (Control) or received 0.75% body weight (BW; dry matter basis) daily of corn in one or two meals (1M and 2M, respectively) or corn once daily with added sodium bicarbonate (0.02% BW, dry matter basis; BUFF) or sodium chloride (0.15% BW, dry matter basis; SALT). Hay organic matter (OM) intake was lower with than without supplementation (P < 0.05) and lower for SALT than 2M (P < 0.06; 6.38, 5.85, 5.67, 5.42 and 5.17 kg day−1 for Control, 1M, 2M, BUFF and SALT, respectively). Digestible OM intake was greater (P < 0.05) with than without supplementation (3.33, 4.08, 4.24, 4.08 and 4.17 kg day−1 for Control, 1M, 2M, BUFF and SALT, respectively). In the second study (Latin square), six steers (156 and 251 kg initial and final BW, respectively) were not supplemented (Control) or received a ground corn-based supplement (approximately 1.0% BW of corn dry matter) alone (Basal) or with culture extract from Aspergillus oryzae (CUEX), niacin (NIA), lysine (LYS) or phenylalanine (PHE). Supplement treatments depressed (P < 0.05) hay OM intake similarly (4.57, 3.82, 3.73, 3.83, 3.99 and 3.86 kg day−1 for Control, Basal, CUEX, NIA, LYS and PHE, respectively). Digestible OM intake was 2.90, 3.88, 3.87, 3.90, 4.09 and 3.79 kg day−1 (standard error 0.077) for Control, Basal, CUEX, NIA, LYS and PHE, respectively. No additive markedly affected intake or digestion. The long period of corn consumption with added salt apparently tended to elevate digestion but to depress total intake.

Digestion in steers and lactational performance of Jersey cows fed diets varying in natural protein level continuously or on alternate days.

Five crossbred beef steers (515 kg) were used in a Latin square experiment and 36 lactating Jersey cows (12 primiparous, 310 kg; 24 multiparous, 365 kg) were used in a completely randomized design study to determine effects on characteristics of digestion and lactational performance of daily alternation of the dietary level of natural protein (NP). In Experiment 1, steers were fed diets of 50% bermudagrass hay and 50% concentrate. Concentrate was approximately 18% crude protein (CP), formulated to be 60, 80 or 100% NP (varying proportions of soybean meal, urea and ground corn), and was fed at 1.5% body weight (dry matter basis). These concentrates were fed daily or ones with 60 and 100% NP were fed on alternate days. Alternate day feeding did not markedly affect characteristics of digestion, including ruminal escape of feed protein, and NP level of concentrate fed continuously had no effects either. In Experiment 2, cows were subjected to treatments similar to those in Experiment 1, and performance on d 20-40 of lactation was measured. Concentrate was given at 1 kg (as fed)/2.15 kg milk produced, yielding a dietary concentrate level of approximately 40% (dry matter basis). Alternate feeding depressed (P less than 0.05) overall milk fat percentage. Alternate feeding increased production of milk and protein and body weight of primiparous cows but caused little change with multiparous cows. Besides increasing the dietary level of concentrate, perhaps alternate feeding regimes have utility to lower milk fat level without impairing milk production. Level of NP in concentrate fed continuously did not affect performance by multiparous cows though primiparous cow performance was generally enhanced, possibly because CP intake was adequate for multiparous cows but marginal for primiparous cows. However, overall, efficiency of production of solids-corrected milk rose slightly with increasing NP.