L.B. Daniels

Nutritive value of ensiled broiler litter for cattle

Broiler litter, consisting of bedding material (chopped wheat straw or rice hulls), excreta, wasted feed and feathers was ensiled at 40 or 50% moisture for 42 days. Cheddar cheese whey was added to adjust the moisture level in some of the silage. The dry matter digestibility in vitro (IVDMD), after 21 days of ensiling was greater for silage containing the wheat straw base than for that with the rice hull base. Whey improved the IVDMD of the wheat straw base silage but not that of the rice hull base silage. Moisture levels did not influence the IVDMD. In a second trial, broiler litter consisting of chopped wheat straw bedding, excreta, wasted feed and feathers was ensiled for 28 days at approximately 45% dry matter. The litter was ensiled as: (1) litter alone; (2) litter plus Irish potato cannery waste (IPW); (3) litter plus ground maize, and (4) litter plus ground grain sorghum. The materials added supplied 33% of the dry matter of the silages. The pH of the silages 1 and 4 weeks after ensiling was (1) 6.00, 5.83; (2) 5.00, 4.56; (3) 4.96, 4.80; and (4) 4.92, 4.78. Total faecal and urine collection trials were conducted using 12 Holstein steers having an average body weight of 200 kg. Dry matter digestibility was greater (P < 0.01) for silages 2, 3 and 4. Digestible energy and protein were 61.2, 70.6; 65.3, 74.6; 65.2, 71.2; and 68.2, 76.4% for silages 1 through 4.

Effects of Supplemental Thiamin on Growth Performance and Immune Function in Stressed Stocker Cattle

Abstract Silzell, S A., Hellwig, D.H., Kegley, E.B., Coffey, K.P., Beers, K. and Daniels, L.B. 2002. Effects of supplemental thiamin on growth performance and immune function in stressed stocker cattle. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 22: 145–156. Two trials were conducted to determine the effect of supplemental thiamin in a receiving ration on thiamin status, immune response and growth performance of stocker calves. In Experiment 1, 32 crossbred calves (211±3.2 kg) were weaned, blocked by weight and assigned randomly to one of the eight pens. Pens were then assigned randomly within block to treatment. Treatments were control (no supplemental thiamin) or 956 mg/d supplemental thiamin as thiamin mononitrate. Calves were kept in 0.45 ha mixed grass pastures and fed 1.82 kg/d of a corn and soybean meal supplement. Daily gains for the 28-d study (P<0.10) were decreased by supplemental thiamin. On d14, blood thiamin monophosphate (TMP; P<0.001) and thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) concentrations (P<0.001) were greater for calves fed supplemental thiamin. In vivo cell-mediated immunity, measured on d 27 by determining the response of calves to an intradermal injection of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were not altered (P<0.10) by supplemental thiamin. In Experiment 2, 88 crossbred heifers (205±1.6 kg) were blocked by weight, assigned randomly to one of the 16 pens and then pens within a block were assigned randomly to treatments. Treatments were identical to Exp. 1. Heifers had ad libitum access to bermudagrass hay in this study. Average daily gain was not different between treatments (P<0.10) for the 42-d study. Supplemental thiamin did not improve ADG, antibody response, cell-mediated immune response or morbidity rates, but did increase TPP and TMP concentrations in these studies.

Evaluation of Soft Red Winter Wheat Forage Yield, Nutritive Value and Tetany Hazard as Influenced by Sampling Date and Nitrogen Fertilization

Abstract Bailey, C.R., Daniels, L.B., Coblentz, W.K., Kegley, E.B., McBeth, L.J., Turner, J.E., Wistuba, T.J. and Rosenkrans Jr., C.F. 2007. Evaluation of soft red winter wheat forage yield, nutritive value and tetany hazard as influenced by sampling date and nitrogen fertilization. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 32: 1–6. A study was conducted from December through March using a completely randomized design to evaluate yield, nutritive value and tetany hazard of soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) forage as influenced by nitrogen (N) fertilization rate and date of sampling. Dry matter (DM) yield, forage DM, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), in vitro, dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), organic matter (OM), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) were evaluated. Nitrogen fertilization had no effect (P>0.05) on forage yield, OM, ADF, NDF, IVDMD, Ca or Mg. Forage DM (P<0.01) decreased while CP (P<0.01) andK(P<0.05) increased linearly with increasing levels of N fertilization. Date of sampling exhibited linear, quadratic, cubic and quartic effects (P≤0.01) on concentrations of forage CP, DM, PVDMD, ADF, NDF and K. With respect to sampling date, linear (P<0.01) and quadratic (P=0.01) effects were observed for DM yield, but only linear effects were noted for OM (P<0.01). Calcium responded to sampling date with linear and cubic (P<0.01) patterns, while Mg exhibited linear (P<0.01), quadratic (P<0.01), and cubic (P=0.02) effects. No N × sampling date interactions were observed. Increasing levels of N enhanced concentrations of CP and decreased DM content, but had no effect on yield or other forage quality parameters. However, sampling date affected forage quality by decreasing concentrations of CP and IVDMD, while increasing concentrations of ADF and NDF.