Corn silage or high moisture corn supplements for beef heifers grazing temperate pastures: effects on performance, ruminal fermentation and in situ pasture digestion

Abstract Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) improve the energy availability of grains for nonruminant animals by reducing encapsulation of the endosperm nutrients within grain cell walls; however, these benefits are unknown in the treatment of corn-based silage for cattle. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of adding EFE at ensiling on the nutritive value of high-moisture corn (HMC) and snaplage (SNAP) for finishing Nellore bulls. The EFE dose was 100 g/Mg fresh matter in both HMC and SNAP. Diets were 1) a SNAP + HMC control (without enzyme addition); 2) SNAP + HMC EFE (with enzymes); 3) a whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) + HMC control (without enzyme addition); and 4) WPCS + HMC EFE (with enzymes). In addition to the silages, the diets were also composed of soybean hulls, soybean meal, and mineral–vitamin supplement. The statistical design was a randomized complete block with a factorial arrangement of treatments, and the experiment lasted 122 d. For in situ and in vitro analyses, 2 cannulated dry cows were used. There was no interaction between the diets and EFE application (ADG, P = 0.92; DMI, P = 0.77; G:F, P = 0.70), and there was no difference between the SNAP and WPCS diets regarding the DMI (P = 0.53), ADG (P = 0.35), and feed efficiency (ADG:DMI, P = 0.83). Adding EFE to the HMC and SNAP at ensiling did not affect ADG but decreased DMI (P = 0.01), resulting in greater feed efficiency by 5.91% (P = 0.04) than that observed in animals fed diets without the addition of EFE. Addition of EFE to HMC resulted in reduced NDF content and increased in vitro and in situ DM digestibility compared with untreated HMC. No effects were found for the addition of EFE to SNAP. Fecal starch decreased with EFE application (P = 0.05). Therefore, the diet energy content (TDN, NEm, and NEg) calculated from animal performance increased (P = 0.01) with the addition of EFE to HMC. In conclusion, exchanging the NDF from WPCS with that from SNAP did not affect the performance of finishing cattle, whereas the addition of EFE to HMC at ensiling improved animal performance by increasing the energy availability of the grain.

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MONENSIN FED TO GROWING AND FINISHING CATTLE

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas77-098 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 769-773 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

D. N. MOWAT ◽

J. W. WILTON ◽

J. G. BUCHANAN-SMITH

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

Feed Efficiency ◽

Carcass Characteristics ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

High Moisture ◽

Molar Percentage ◽

Finishing Cattle ◽

Weight Gains ◽

Alfalfa Silage

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of monensin with growing and finishing cattle. In experiment 1, 80 Hereford steer calves were fed two different silage rations. With alfalfa silage, monensin increased weight gains (+12%) and feed efficiency (P < 0.05) (+11%). When high moisture (HM) shelled corn was fed along with alfalfa silage, monensin had no effect on weight gains, but increased feed efficiency (P < 0.05) (+12%) largely by decreasing (P > 0.05) feed intake. In experiment 2, 72 steer and heifer crossbred calves were fed corn silage for 112 days followed by high levels of HM shelled corn through to marketing at a constant finish. Over an average total of 258 days on feed, monensin increased (P < 0.05) rate of gain (+9%) as well as feed efficiency (+13%). Monensin produced no effects on carcass characteristics. At least part of the improvement in feed efficiency could be attributed to altered ruminal fermentation. Molar percentage of propionic acid was increased (P < 0.05) and butyric and acetic acid decreased (P < 0.05) with monensin feeding.

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Nutritional value of high moisture corn silage in the diet of Holstein cows

Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/1678-5999 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 66 (5) ◽

pp. 1495-1503 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

P. Persichetti Júnior ◽

G.A. Almeida Júnior ◽

C. Costa ◽

P.R.L. Meirelles ◽

J.P.F. Silveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plasma Glucose ◽

Latin Square ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽

Holstein Cows ◽

High Moisture ◽

Linear Effect ◽

Five Phases ◽

High Moisture Corn

Five Holstein cows were distributed in a 5x5 latin square design to assess the effect of replacement levels of dry ground corn grain (DGCG) by high moisture corn silage (HMCS) on intake, total nutrient digestibility and plasma glucose, according to the following treatments: 1) 100% DGCG; 2) 75% DGCG and 25% HMCS; 3) 50% DGCG and 50% HMCS; 4) 25% DGCG and 75% HMCS; 5) 100% HMCS. The experiment lasted 70 days, divided into five phases of 14 days each. The digestibility was obtained using chromic oxide (Cr2O3) as the indicator. Fecal samples were collected twice daily and blood samples were collected on the last day of each period before the first meal (0h) and 2h, 4h, 6h and 12h after the meal. There was no effect (P>0.05) on the intake of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and starch. The total apparent digestibility of DM, crude protein (CP), NDF and ADF were not affected (P>0.05) by the treatments, as well as the plasma glucose concentration. However, there was a decreased linear effect (P<0.05) for the protein intake and increased linear effect (P<0.05) for starch digestibility, as the level of HMCS was increased in the diets.

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