Effect of urea inclusion in diets containing corn dried distillers grains on feedlot cattle performance, carcass characteristics, ruminal fermentation, total tract digestibility, and purine derivatives-to-creatinine index

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 357-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ceconi ◽  
M. J. Ruiz-Moreno ◽  
N. DiLorenzo ◽  
A. DiCostanzo ◽  
G. I. Crawford
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


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 134-135
Author(s):  
Bradley M Boyd ◽  
James C MacDonald ◽  
Matthew Luebbe ◽  
Galen E Erickson

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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