Effects of feeding dry-rolled corn-based diets with and without wet distillers grains with solubles and zilpaterol hydrochloride on performance, carcass characteristics, and heat stress in finishing beef steers1

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of bunk management on animal performance, carcass characteristic, and hydrogen sulfide gas concentrations in beef steers fed modified distillers grains with solubles (MDGS; DM basis). One hundred and thirty-nine steers (initial BW = 240 ± 5.17 kg) were allocated into 16 pens and assigned to one of two treatments: 1) Control-managed bunks: bunks devoid of feed prior to feeding; and 2) Long-managed bunks: bunks with approximately 2.54cm of feed remaining at the time feeding. Treatments were applied during a 28-d adaptation period, during which time, steers were adapted to a common finishing ration containing 25% MDGS (DM basis). Ruminal hydrogen sulfide gas was collected by rumenocentesis from two steers from each of three pens per treatment on d 0, 7, 14, and 28, which correspond to days of diet transition. Animal performance data were collected throughout the study and carcass characteristic data were collected when steers reached market weight. There were no differences (P < 0.13) in BW, ADG, or F:G between treatments during the adaptation period or throughout the entire study. Steers managed with long bunks had greater (P = 0.001) intake during adaptation; however, overall DMI was not different (P = 0.14) between treatments. Hydrogen sulfide gas concentrations were not affected by the day x treatment interaction (P = 0.30) but were affected by day (P = 0.003) with hydrogen sulfide concentrations increasing throughout adaptation. Hydrogen sulfide concentrations tended (P = 0.07) to be greater in steers with long-managed bunks vs. control-managed bunks. There were no differences (P > 0.53) in carcass characteristics. In summary, bunk management had no effect on performance or carcass characteristics and only tended to impact hydrogen sulfide gas concentrations.

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337 Effect of adding urea to finishing diets containing two different inclusions of distillers grains on steer performance and carcass characteristics

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz122.239 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 134-135

Author(s):

Bradley M Boyd ◽

James C MacDonald ◽

Matthew Luebbe ◽

Galen E Erickson

Keyword(s):

Fixed Effects ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Carcass Characteristics ◽

Distillers Grains ◽

Beef Steers ◽

Performance Measurements ◽

Minimal Impact ◽

Wet Distillers Grains ◽

Improved Performance ◽

Urea Inclusion

Abstract Crossbred beef steers (n = 384) were utilized to evaluate the effects of adding urea to a dry rolled corn based finishing diet containing low inclusions of wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS). Treatments were set up as a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement with factors consisting of WDGS inclusion at either 12 or 20% of diet dry matter (DM) and urea inclusion at either 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2% of diet DM. Cattle were blocked and stratified by initial body weight (BW) and assigned randomly to treatment. The heavy block of cattle were harvested after 160 d on feed (DOF) and the middle and light blocks of cattle were harvested after 179 DOF. The model include the fixed effects of weight block, WDGS inclusion, urea inclusion, and their interactions. There were no significant interactions (P > 0.12) observed between WDGS inclusion and urea inclusion in the diet; therefore, only main effects are discussed. Increasing inclusion of WDGS improved (P < 0.04) carcass adjusted ADG and G:F. Dry matter intake was reduced (P = 0.04) with increasing WDGS inclusions. Fat thickness was increased (P = 0.04) with increased WDGS inclusion; however, no other carcass characteristics were significantly affected by WDGS inclusion. Cubic effects of urea inclusion were observed (P < 0.05) for HCW, final BW, ADG, and DMI on a carcass adjusted and live BW basis; however, cubic effects with increasing urea inclusion are of minimal biological relevance. There were no linear or quadratic responses (P > 0.11) for increasing urea inclusion in the diet for performance measurements or carcass characteristics. Increasing WDGS inclusion in the diet improved performance. Added urea in the diet had minimal impact on performance, regardless of wet distillers grains plus solubles inclusion.

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Persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Total Escherichia coli in Feces and Feedlot Surface Manure from Cattle Fed Diets with and without Corn or Sorghum Wet Distillers Grains with Solubles

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-17-018 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 80 (8) ◽

pp. 1317-1327 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Elaine D. Berry ◽

James E. Wells ◽

Vincent H. Varel ◽

Kristin E. Hales ◽

Norasak Kalchayanand

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Distillers Grains ◽

Transmission Risk ◽

Escherichia Coli O157 ◽

High Moisture ◽

E Coli ◽

Distillers Grains With Solubles ◽

Wet Distillers Grains ◽

High Moisture Corn

ABSTRACT Feeding corn wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) to cattle can increase the load of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feces and on hides, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. The objective of these experiments was to examine a role for the persistence of E. coli O157:H7 in the feces and feedlot pen surfaces of cattle fed WDGS. In the first study, feces from steers fed 0, 20, 40, or 60% corn WDGS were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7. The E. coli O157:H7 numbers in feces from cattle fed 0% corn WDGS rapidly decreased (P < 0.05), from 6.28 to 2.48 log CFU/g of feces by day 14. In contrast, the E. coli O157:H7 numbers in feces from cattle fed 20, 40, and 60% corn WDGS were 4.21, 5.59, and 6.13 log CFU/g of feces, respectively, on day 14. A second study evaluated the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in feces from cattle fed 0 and 40% corn WDGS. Feces were collected before and 28 days after the dietary corn was switched from high-moisture corn to dry-rolled corn. Within dietary corn source, the pathogen persisted at higher concentrations (P < 0.05) in 40% corn WDGS feces at day 7 than in 0% WDGS. For 40% corn WDGS feces, E. coli O157:H7 persisted at higher concentrations (P < 0.05) at day 7 in feces from cattle fed high-moisture corn (5.36 log CFU/g) than from those fed dry-rolled corn (4.27 log CFU/g). The percentage of WDGS had no effect on the E. coli O157:H7 counts in feces from cattle fed steam-flaked corn-based diets containing 0, 15, and 30% sorghum WDGS. Greater persistence of E. coli O157:H7 on the pen surfaces of animals fed corn WDGS was not demonstrated, although these pens had a higher prevalence of the pathogen in the feedlot surface manure after the cattle were removed. Both or either the greater persistence and higher numbers of E. coli O157:H7 in the environment of cattle fed WDGS may play a part in the increased prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle by increasing the transmission risk.

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