scholarly journals Effects of increasing dietary level of a commercial liquid supplement on growth performance and carcass characteristics in feedlot steers

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-222
Author(s):  
Tara L Felix ◽  
Chloe J Long ◽  
Madeline R Stierwalt ◽  
Pedro H V Carvalho ◽  
Howard M Blalock

Abstract Feeding cattle liquid supplements has become increasingly popular in the feedlot industry; however, optimal inclusion of liquid supplements in feedlot cattle diets is not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal inclusion of liquid supplementation to maximize growth performance and improve carcass characteristics, as well as estimate the energy value of liquid supplementation when used as a direct corn replacement, for feedlot steers fed a concentrate-based diet. Two hundred and eighty steer calves were stratified by BW into light (BW = 208 ± 9 kg; n = 24) and heavy (BW = 275 ± 8 kg; n = 16) pens. Pens within BW block were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 supplements: 1) dry at 4.5% inclusion (0LIQ), 2) liquid (a proprietary blend from Quality Liquid Feeds; Dodgeville, WI) at 4.5% inclusion (4.5LIQ), 3) liquid at 9% inclusion (9LIQ), or 4) liquid at 13.5% inclusion (13.5LIQ). The remainder of the diet was 47.5% to 55.5% dry rolled corn, 20% corn silage, and 20% modified wet distillers grains with solubles (DM basis). Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design and linear and quadratic were examined to determine effects of increasing dietary concentrations of liquid. Steers fed 4.5LIQ and 9LIQ had greater (quadratic; P ≤ 0.05) final BW, HCW, and NEm and NEg, and less DMI as a percent of BW compared to steers fed 13.5LIQ. Steers fed 0LIQ were intermediate and not different from other treatments. However, ADG and total BW gain did not differ (P ≥ 0.15) among treatments. Despite the lack of treatment effect on live measures of gain, feeding steers 4.5LIQ and 9LIQ resulted in greater carcass ADG (quadratic; P = 0.03), total carcass gain (quadratic; P = 0.04), and more efficient carcass gain (quadratic; P ≤ 0.01) compared to carcasses from steers fed 13.5LIQ. Feeding steers a liquid supplement at 9% of the diet, DM allowed for the greatest final BW and ADG in this study; however, there was no benefit of increasing liquid to 13.5%.

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 49-49
Author(s):  
Socorro Martinez ◽  
Alyssa B Word ◽  
Ben P Holland ◽  
Kendall Karr ◽  
John P Hutcheson ◽  
...  

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of a single slow-release implant compared to two re-implant programs administered at either 120 days on feed (DOF) or 80 days from harvest on performance, carcass characteristics, and activity of serially harvested feedlot cattle. Using a randomized complete block design, steers (n = 4,680) were randomly assigned to 72 pens and 1 of 12 treatments in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement. Treatments were either a slow-release implant (SR), an initial slow-release implant followed by re-implant at 120 DOF (SR+RI-120), or an initial slow-release implant followed by re-implant 80 days from harvest (SR+RI-80) administered to cattle harvested at 166, 180, 194, or 208 DOF. A 3-axis accelerometer ear-tag was used in a subset (n =1,080) of animals to quantify rumination time and activity. No interactions (P ≥ 0.09) were observed for implant × DOF. Implant did not affect (P ≥ 0.25) final BW, ADG, or DMI, but re-implanted steers had a greater (P < 0.01) G:F ratio than SR. Re-implanted steers also had greater (P ≤ 0.03) HCW, dressed yield, and ribeye area, but less (P < 0.01) backfat, marbling, and empty body fat (EBF) compared to SR. Re-implanted steers had less (P < 0.01) choice and yield grade 4 and 5 carcasses than SR steers. As DOF increased, HCW, dressed yield, backfat, marbling, and EBF increased linearly (P < 0.01). The percentage of choice and yield grade 4 and 5 carcasses also increased (P < 0.01) linearly with additional DOF. An implant × day effect (P < 0.01) for weekly activity minutes suggests re-implanted steers had greater activity after re-implant administration. Re-implanting within the payout period of a slow-release implant increases feed efficiency, HCW, dressed yield, and activity minutes, but decreases carcass fatness and reduces quality grade regardless of timing of secondary implant administration.


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Baah ◽  
Y. Wang ◽  
T A McAllister

The effect of a direct-fed microbial (DFM) poduct containing a mixed culture of Lactobacillus casei and L. lactis on in vitro ruminal fermentation of barley-grain/barley-silage-based backgrounding and finishing diets and on growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle was evaluated during backgrounding (84 d) and finishing (140 d) of 100 Hereford × Angus steers (initial body weight = 280 ± 15.5 kg). The inclusion rates of DFM in the in vitro study were 4, 8, 12 and 16 million colony forming units (CFU) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) kg-1 DM of substrate. Total in vitro volatile fatty acids (VFA) production increased at 6 and 12 h of incubation (P < 0.01; linear response) when the backgrounding diet was supplemented with DFM. Dry matter digestibility and VFA production also increased (P < 0.05) during a 12-h fermentation of the finishing diet. Steers were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments that comprised feeding DFM tp provide 0 (control), 4 × 107, 8 × 107, or 12 × 107 CFU kg-1 diet DM. Average daily gain (ADG, kg) and feed efficiency (G:F; kg gain kg-1 DM consumed) of steers improved (P = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively) as a result of feeding DFM during the backgrounding period, but not during the finishing period. Saleable meat and rib eye area decreased (P = 0.038, linear; and P = 0.041, quadratic) with DFM supplementation. The results indicated that supplementing barley-grain/barley-silage-based feedlot cattle diets with 12 × 107 CFU of the mixed culture of lactobacilli used in these studies could improve ruminal fermentation, ADG and G:F in backgrounding feedlot steers. However, supplementation during the finishing period may not be warranted in terms of growth performance and carcass characteristics. Differences in the microbial ecology of the intestinal tract as a result of differences in diet composition may account for the varied response between the backgrounding and finishing periods.Key words: Beef cattle, direct-fed microbial, growth performance, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus lactis, ruminal fermentation


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 848-853
Author(s):  
Dathan T Smerchek ◽  
Elizabeth M Buckhaus ◽  
Katie D Miller ◽  
Zachary K Smith

Abstract The influence of grass hay (GH) inclusion in replacement of corn silage in receiving diets on growth performance and dietary net energy (NE) utilization was evaluated in newly weaned beef steers (n = 162 Charolais-Red Angus cross steers; initial body weight [BW] = 278 ± 13.4 kg). Treatments were (DM basis): 1) 0% GH, 2) 10% GH, or 3) 20% GH inclusion in replacement of corn silage in receiving diets fed to newly weaned beef steers for 56 d. The study was conducted from October to December of 2019. Data were analyzed as randomized complete block design with pen serving as the experimental unit for all analyses. Increasing dietary inclusion of hay had no influence (P ≥ 0.11) on final BW, ADG, gain:feed or observed/expected dietary NEM and NEG, observed/expected dry matter intake (DMI), or observed/expected ADG. GH inclusion increased (linear effect, P = 0.01) DMI. Observed DMI for all treatments was approximately 15% to 17% less than anticipated based upon steer growth performance and tabular NE values. Evaluation of observed/expected ADG was 31% to 37% greater than expected for the steers in the present study. Particles less than 4 mm increased (linear effect, P = 0.01) and greater than 4 mm decreased (linear effect, P = 0.01) as GH replaced corn silage in the receiving diet. As the proportion of particles greater than 4 mm increased, cumulative ADG was decreased. These data indicate that GH should be considered in corn silage-based receiving diets to improve DMI. In high-risk calves, improved DMI could result in a lesser incidence of morbidity, although no morbidity was observed in any steers from the present study.


2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 1301-1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Z. Yang ◽  
Y. L. Li ◽  
T. A. McAllister ◽  
J. J. McKinnon ◽  
K. A. Beauchemin

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. He ◽  
L. Xu ◽  
W. Z. Yang ◽  
D. Gibb ◽  
T. A. McAllister

He, M. L., Xu, L., Yang, W. Z., Gibb, D. and McAllister, T. A. 2014. Effect of low-oil corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles on growth performance, carcass traits and beef fatty acid profile of feedlot cattle. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 343–347. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary inclusion of low-oil corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles (LO-DDGS) on growth, carcass traits and beef fatty acids profiles of finishing feedlot cattle. One hundred and eighty British crossbred steers (450±28.5 kg; six pens/treatment) were offered barley grain-barley silage as the control diet with LO-DDGS replacing barley grain at 200 and 300 g kg−1 dry matter basis in treatment diets. Compared with control, LO-DDGS at 200 g kg−1 did not affect growth performance or carcass traits, whereas at 300 g kg−1 it decreased (P<0.05) gain:feed, but increased (P<0.05) levels of desirable fatty acids in beef. LO-DDGS can replace 200 g kg−1 barley grain in finishing feedlot diets without undesirable impacts on growth performance or carcass traits.


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