scholarly journals Feeding a brown midrib corn silage-based diet to growing beef steers improves growth performance and economic returns

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Saunders ◽  
S. Y. Yang ◽  
J.-S. Eun ◽  
D. M. Feuz ◽  
D. R. ZoBell

Saunders, C. S., Yang, S. Y., Eun, J.-S., Feuz, D. M. and ZoBell, D. R. 2015. Feeding a brown midrib corn silage-based diet to growing beef steers improves growth performance and economic returns. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 625–631. A feedlot experiment was performed to determine growth performance, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and economic returns for growing beef steers when fed a brown midrib corn silage-based total mixed ration (BMRT) compared with a conventional corn silage-based total mixed ration (CCST). Twenty-four Angus crossbred steers (initial body weight=258±23.2 kg) in individual pens were used in a completely randomized design (n=12). Intake of dry matter was not different between the treatments. Steers fed the BMRT tended to have greater average daily gain (1.54 vs. 1.42 kg d−1; P=0.09) and gain-to-feed ratio (0.165 vs. 0.146; P=0.07) compared with those fed the CCST. Feeding the BMRT increased total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration (P=0.01) compared with the CCST, while it decreased molar proportion of acetate (P<0.01), and increased propionate proportion (P=0.01), resulting in decreased acetate-to-propionate ratio compared with the CCST (P<0.01). Steers fed the BMRT increased feed margin (P=0.05) and net return (P=0.02) compared with those fed the CCST throughout the trial. Overall results of this study indicate that feeding the BMRT to growing beef steers enhanced ruminal fermentation and beneficially shifted VFA profiles, which contributed to improved growth and economic performance of steers.

Author(s):  
B.D. Sutherland ◽  
J.A. Johnson ◽  
J.J. McKinnon ◽  
T.A. McAllister ◽  
G.B. Penner

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding barley silage (BS) or corn silage (CS) with dry-rolled barley (BG), dry-rolled corn (CG), or a blend of barley and corn grain (BCG), on growth performance and nutrient digestibility, the latter predicted using near-infrared spectroscopy for backgrounding cattle. Steers (n = 288) were stratified by body weight (BW) into 24 pens and pens were randomly assigned to one of six treatments (n = 4) in a 2 × 3 factorial design. Main factors included BS or CS in combination with BG, CG, or BCG. There were no silage × grain interactions. Dry matter intake (DMI; P = 0.018) and final BW (P = 0.004) were greater for steers fed CS than BS, but average daily gain (1.01 kg d−1) and gain-to-feed ratio (0.10 kg kg−1) were not affected by silage or grain source. Steers fed CS also had greater dry matter, organic matter, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), starch, and gross energy digestibility values (P < 0.01) than BS. Feeding BG increased starch, neutral detergent fiber, ADF, and CP digestibility values (P ≤ 0.01) over CG and BCG. Relative to BS, feeding CS increased DMI, final BW, and nutrient digestibility, whereas dry-rolled BG improved nutrient digestibility when compared with CG and BCG in backgrounding diets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 168-168
Author(s):  
Wyatt N Smith ◽  
Catherine L Lockard ◽  
Caleb G Lockard ◽  
Megan Homolka ◽  
Kendall Karr ◽  
...  

Abstract We hypothesized that roughage source would not impact rumination time and growth performance if the different sources provided a similar concentration of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and physically effective NDF (peNDF). This experiment’s objective was to evaluate rumination time, and growth performance steers consuming finishing diets with differing roughage sources (corn stalks, cotton burrs, or wheat silage). Beef steers (n = 49; BW = 317 + 5.6 kg) were used in a completely randomized design with 3 dietary treatments. Steers consumed a steam-flaked corn-based diet containing corn stalks (CS), cotton burrs (CB), or wheat silage (WS) included at 7% (DM basis). Dietary NDF was similar (P = 0.36) across treatments. Each steer was fitted with a sensory collar to record daily rumination. Weekly ingredient and dietary samples were estimated for physically effective NDF (epeNDF) using the Penn State Particle Separator. Actual physically effective NDF (apeNDF) was calculated based upon rumination time. Neither initial nor final body weight (BW) differed between treatments (P &gt; 0.52); nor did average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake or carcass adjusted variables of FBW, ADG, empty BW, or empty body fat (P &gt; 0.31). However, gain to feed (G:F) tended to differ (P = 0.06) between treatments. The CS diet had the greatest G:F with no difference (P = 0.75) between CB and WS. Dietary NDF and epeNDF were similar (P &gt; 0.35) among roughage sources; however, CB had the least apeNDF, consistent with lower rumination time (P &lt; 0.01). When energy values were calculated from animal performance, the CS diet had the greatest observed energy values, followed by WS and CB having the least. These results indicate roughage source impacted rumination time, although steers were fed a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet with similar dietary roughage and NDF inclusions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 58-59
Author(s):  
Russell W Fent ◽  
Jim D Hedges ◽  
Kelly M Peper ◽  
Dennis O Liptrap

Abstract A total of 1,000 Genesus (Oakville, Manitoba, Canada) genetics pigs (51.8 kg body weight) were used to estimate the standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine requirement by dietary phase. Pigs were penned by sex at 25 pigs per pen. Pens were allotted to one of five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with eight replicate pens (four barrow, four gilt) per treatment. Growth performance was evaluated in four independent phases in which pens were re-allotted to dietary treatment between phases. Dietary SID Lys concentrations evaluated were 0.78, 0.88, 0.98, 1.08, and 1.18% for phase 1, 0.68, 0.77, 0.86, 0.95, and 1.04% for phase 2, 0.60, 0.67, 0.75, 0.83 and 0.90% for phase 3, and 0.53, 0.60, 0.67, 0.74, and 0.81% for phase 4. Diets were formulated to be isoenergetic within each phase. During phase 1 (52-64 kg), average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed ratio (G:F) increased (P &lt; 0.01) quadratically with increasing SID Lys. Breakpoint analysis estimated the SID Lys requirement for ADG and G:F for phase 1 at 0.99 and 1.02%, respectively. During phase 2 (64-82 kg), ADG increased (P &lt; 0.10) quadratically as dietary SID Lys increased with a plateau observed above 0.86% SID Lys. Gain:feed increased linearly (P &lt; 0.01) with increasing SID Lys. During phase 3 (82-97 kg) cost of gain was a quadratic response (P &lt; 0.10) with the breakpoint being at 0.76% SID Lys. During phase 4 (97-131 kg), a linear response (P &lt; 0.02) in G:F was observed with increasing SID Lys but with no improvement above 0.67% SID Lys. These data indicate the SID lysine requirement for Genesus finishing pigs to be approximately 0.99% (23.0 g/d) for 52-64 kg, 0.86% (21.9 g/d) for 64-82 kg, 0.76% (20.2 g/d) for 82-97 kg, and 0.67% (21.6 g/d) 97-131 kg.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 152-153
Author(s):  
Aubree M Beenken ◽  
Erin L Deters ◽  
Colten W Dornbach ◽  
Stephanie L Hansen ◽  
Joshua C McCann ◽  
...  

Abstract Ninety-one early-weaned (65 ± 11 d) Angus steers (92 ± 4 kg) were blocked by age to a 2 × 2 factorial examining effects of injectable vitamin C (VC) at weaning and/or prior to transport to the feedlot on antibody titers and growth performance. Injections (20 mL/steer) of VC (250 mg sodium ascorbate/mL) or saline (SAL) were given at time of weaning on d 0 (WEAN) and/or prior to a 6 hr trucking event to a feedlot on d 49 (TRANS). Steers were given booster vaccinations on d 0. Steers were weighed on d 0, 1, 14, 48, 49, 64, 106, and 107. Blood was collected (12 steers/treatment) on d 0, 1, 2, 14, 49 (pre- and post-transit), 50, and 51. Data were analyzed via Proc-Mixed of SAS (experimental unit = steer; n = 22–23/treatment) with fixed effects of block, WEAN, TRANS, and WEAN × TRANS. Plasma ascorbate concentrations for weaning (d 0, 1, and 2) and transit (d 49-pre-trucking, 49-post-trucking, 50, and 51) were analyzed as repeated measures (repeated effect = day). Plasma ascorbate concentrations were greater on d 1 and 2 for steers that received VC at weaning (VC = 19.6, SAL = 8.8 ± 1.26 µM; WEAN × day P &lt; 0.01). Similarly, ascorbate concentrations were greater on d 49 post-trucking, 50, and 51 for steers that received VC pre-transit (TRANS × day P = 0.01). Treatments did not affect bodyweight or average daily gain throughout the trial (P &gt; 0.32). There were no effects of treatment on serum Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus type 2 antibody titers on d 14 or 51 (P &gt; 0.33). An injection of VC administered to early weaned beef steers at weaning or pre-transit increases plasma ascorbate concentrations but does not improve growth performance or antibody response to vaccination booster.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro H V Carvalho ◽  
Mariana F Westphalen ◽  
Jonathan A Campbell ◽  
Tara L Felix

Abstract The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of coated or noncoated hormone implants on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and serum estradiol-17β (E2) concentrations of Holstein steers fed a grain-based diet for 112 d. Seventy-nine Holstein steers [average initial body weight (BW) = 452 ± 5.5 kg] were stratified by BW and allotted to one of two treatments: 1) Holstein steers implanted with a coated implant containing 200 mg of trenbolone acetate (TBA) and 40 mg E2 (Revalor-XS (Merck Animal Health; Summit, NJ)] on day 0 (XS) or 2) Holstein steers implanted two times (days 0 and 56) with a noncoated implant containing 80 mg of TBA and 16 mg of E2 [(2IS) Revalor-IS (Merck Animal Health)]. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). There was no effect (P ≥ 0.71) of implant strategy on initial, middle, and final BW. No effect (P ≥ 0.12) of implant strategy was observed on average daily gain, dry matter intake, or gain-to-feed ratio. There were no effects (P ≥ 0.11) of implant strategy on carcass characteristics. There was an implant × day interaction (P &lt; 0.01) for the circulation of serum E2 concentrations. Serum E2 concentration increased similarly 14 d after Holstein steers were implanted, regardless of implant strategy. At 28 d, after steers were implanted, steers in the XS group had less serum E2 concentration than Holstein steers in the 2IS group. However, at 56 d after the first implantation, both groups, once again, had similar serum E2 concentrations and E2 concentrations were less on day 56 than day 28 for both strategies. Holstein steers implanted with 2IS had greater serum E2 concentration on day 70 and E2 concentrations remained greater than serum E2 of Holstein steers implanted XS for the duration of the trial (day 112). In summary, there was no effect of coated or two doses of noncoated implant on growth performance or carcass characteristics of Holstein steers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 239-239
Author(s):  
Shane Newton ◽  
Payton Dahmer ◽  
Larry Corah ◽  
Keith Harmoney ◽  
John Jaeger ◽  
...  

Abstract Historic data supports the use of pre-weaning implants to maximize beef calf weaning weight, but their use has declined over the recent decade. A total of 96 beef steers (initially 85.2 kg BW and &gt; 45 d of age) were used in a 168-d study to evaluate the effects of Synovex C® implantation during suckling on pre-weaning calf growth performance. At initial processing, calves were individually weighed and allotted in a completely randomized design to one of two treatments: 1) not implanted (control) or 2) implanted with 150 mg of trenbolone acetate and 21 mg of estradiol benzoate (SYNOVEX® ONE GRASS, Zoetis, Kalamazoo, MI). All calves were weighed on d 0 (implantation), 83, 126 and 168 (weaning), with ADG calculated for each period. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (v9.4, Cary, NC). There were 48 replicates per treatment, with grazing location as a random effect. While there were no detected differences in BW during the initial phases (P &gt; 0.10), implanted calves tended to have greater (P = 0.100) greater weaning weight than non-implanted calves (279 vs. 265 kg, respectively). Calves implanted with SYNOVEX® ONE GRASS had 0.8, 0.12, and 0.16 kg/d greater (P &lt; 0.05) ADG than those that were not implanted in all three phases. This resulted in an average of 0.10 kg/d greater (P = 0.002) ADG in implanted calves overall compared to the control. In conclusion, this research showed significant increases in suckling calf ADG in implanted calves compared to their non-implanted counterparts, which led to a tendency for 14-kg greater weaning weights. Additional research is warranted to consider the post-weaning growth and impact of re-implanting, but this data reinforces previous literature that suckling calf implantation continues to be cost effective for cow-calf producers.


2016 ◽  
pp. 174-182
Author(s):  
Clarita Morbos ◽  
Dinah Espina

This study aimed to assess the effects of different levels of Trichanthera gigantea leaf meal (TGLM) supplementation on the growth performance of Philippine Native chickens fed commercial chicken grower ration. A total of 96 three-month old native chickens of two sexes were randomly distributed to the four treatments with 3 replicates and 4 chickens per replicate in a 2 x 4 factorial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Under semi-confinement system, the dietary treatments consisted of 0, 5, 10, and 15% levels of TGLM supplementation for 13 weeks. Results revealed that cumulative voluntary feed intake (VFI) increased as TGLM supplementation increased, and was significantly highest with 15% level at weeks 10, 11 and 12. Although differences were not significant except at weeks 4 and 7, there was a decreasing trend in cumulative weight gain (CWG) with increasing TGLM level. Average daily gain (ADG) was not significantly affected by varying levels of TGLM supplementation, and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) showed a decreasing trend as TGLM level increased and was only significantly low (p<0.01) with 15% level at week 7. Comparing between sexes, the males were significantly higher than females in all production performance parameters. Therefore, TGLM is palatable but not adequate enough to supply the nutrients needed for a comparable weight gain with that of 0% supplementation, and a 5 10% inclusion in the diet is recommended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olufemi Oluwaseun Babatunde ◽  
Olayiwola Adeola

Abstract Two experiments were carried out to determine a time-series effect of phytase on phosphorus (P) utilization in growing and finishing pigs using growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, P excretion, and plasma concentrations of minerals as the response criteria for evaluation. In both experiments, treatments were arranged as a 3 × 4 factorial in a randomized complete block design with 3 corn–soybean meal-based diets including a P-adequate positive control (PC), a low-P negative control (NC; no inorganic P), and NC supplemented with phytase at 1,000 FYT/kg (NC + 1,000); and 4 sampling time points at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 in experiment 1, and days 14, 26, 42, and 55 in experiment 2. In both trials, 96 growing pigs with average body weight (BW) of 19.8 ± 1.16 and 49.8 ± 3.21 kg, respectively, were allocated to the 3 diets with 8 replicates pens (4 barrows and 4 gilts) and 4 pigs per pen. In experiment 1, pigs fed the PC had higher (P &lt; 0.01) BW, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) when compared with pigs fed the NC. There was an interaction (P &lt; 0.01) between time and diet on the BW and ADG of pigs while a linear and quadratic increase (P &lt; 0.01) was observed with the ADFI and G:F, respectively, over time. Phytase supplementation improved (P &lt; 0.01) all growth performance responses. Pigs fed the PC had greater (P &lt; 0.01) ATTD of P and Ca than pigs fed the NC. There was no interaction effect on the ATTD of nutrients. Phytase addition improved the ATTD of P and Ca over pigs fed the NC. There was an interaction (P &lt; 0.01) between diet and time on the total and water-soluble P (WSP) excreted. There was a quadratic decrease (P &lt; 0.01) in plasma concentration of Ca in pigs over time. In experiment 2, there was a quadratic increase (P &lt; 0.01) in BW, ADG, and G:F of pigs over time. Similarly, the inclusion of phytase improved (P &lt; 0.05) all growth performance parameters except ADFI. A linear increase (P &lt; 0.05) in the ATTD of DM, P, and Ca occurred over time. Phytase inclusion improved (P &lt; 0.01) the ATTD of P and Ca. Plasma concentrations of P were improved by phytase addition. Phytase supplementation of the NC reduced WSP excretion by 45%, 32%, and 35% over the growing, finishing, and entire grow-finish period, respectively. In conclusion, phytase improves the utilization of P in growing and finishing pigs; however, the magnitude of effect on responses may vary over time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 65-66
Author(s):  
Woong B Kwon ◽  
Kevin J Touchette ◽  
Aude Simongiovanni ◽  
Kostas Syriopoulos ◽  
Anna Wessels ◽  
...  

Abstract The hypothesis that excess dietary Leu affects growth performance and metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in growing pigs was tested. Forty barrows (30.0 ± 2.7 kg) were placed in metabolism crates and randomly allotted to 5 diets that contained 100, 150, 200, 250, or 300% of the requirement for standardized ileal digestible Leu. Initial and final body weight of pigs and daily feed provisions were recorded. Urine and fecal samples were collected for 5 d to measure N balance and biological value of diets. At the conclusion of the experiment, blood, brain, liver, and muscle samples were collected and average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio (G:F) were calculated. Orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to determine linear and quadratic effects of increasing Leu in the diets. Results indicated that ADG, ADFI, and G:F decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as dietary Leu increased (Table 1). A trend (linear, P = 0.082) for decreased N retention and decreased (linear, P < 0.05) biological value of protein was also observed. Plasma urea N increased (linear, P < 0.05) and a quadratic reduction (P < 0.05) in plasma serotonin and a linear reduction (P < 0.05) in cerebral serotonin were observed with increasing dietary Leu. Concentrations of BCAA in liver increased (linear, P < 0.001), concentrations of BCAA in muscle decreased (linear, P < 0.05), concentration of α-keto-isovalerate was reduced (linear and quadratic, P < 0.001) in liver, muscle, and serum, and α-keto-β-methylvalerate was reduced (linear and quadratic, P < 0.001) in muscle and serum, whereas α-keto-isocaproate increased (linear, P < 0.05) in liver and muscle, and in serum (linear and quadratic, P < 0.001) with increasing dietary Leu. In conclusion, excess dietary Leu reduced growth performance and cerebral serotonin and tended to reduce protein synthesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary K Smith ◽  
Kip Karges ◽  
Angel Aguilar

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of an active live yeast direct-fed microbial (DFM) product on receiving and backgrounding period growth performance and efficiency of dietary net energy (NE) utilization in low health risk beef steers. Maine-Anjou × Angus steers (n = 199; body weight [BW] = 252 ± 32.1 kg) were received from two sources at the Ruminant Nutrition Center in Brookings, SD, in November 2019 and used in a 77-d feedlot receiving and backgrounding experiment. Steers were provided access to long-stem hay and ad libitum water upon arrival. Steers were weighed, vaccinated for respiratory pathogens (source 2 only): infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea types 1 and 2, parainfluenza-3 virus, and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (Bovi-Shield Gold 5, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) vaccinated for clostridial species (Ultrabac 7/Somubac, Zoetis) and pour-on moxidectin (Cydectin, Bayer, Shawnee Mission, KS). Steers (n = 176 steers; initial unshrunk BW = 235 ± 27.6 kg) were allotted to pens (n = 20 pens; 10 pens per treatment; eight or nine steers per pen). Diets were based upon corn silage, dry-rolled corn, and dried distillers grains; dietary treatments were 1) no DFM (CON) and 2) DFM (Levucell SC, Advantage Titan, CNCM l-1077), fed at 10 g/steer/d providing 8 × 109 CFU of active live yeast to each steer daily (DFM). Initial BW was the average of day −1 and day 1 BW (n = 176 steers; initial BW = 253 ± 27.6 kg). On day 21, steers received a 200-mg progesterone and 20-mg estradiol benzoate implant. Data were analyzed from day 1 to 47 (receiving period), day 48 to 77, and from day 1 to 77 as a randomized complete block design; pen served as the experimental unit for all analyses. On day 47 of the experiment, DFM had greater BW (P = 0.01) by 0.9% and average daily gain (ADG; P = 0.01) by 4.2% and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) tended (P = 0.13) to be 2.8% greater. Day 77 BW did not differ (P = 0.60), cumulative (days 1–77): ADG (P = 0.47), dry matter intake (P = 0.66), and G:F (P = 0.56) were similar. Yeast inclusion had no appreciable influence on performance-based dietary NE utilization or the ratio of observed/expected dietary NE (P ≥ 0.59). In low health risk steers, DFM improved performance during the feedlot receiving period. However, no improvements for DFM were detected for cumulative performance from day 1 to 77. The confirmation of yeast counts indicated the CFU to be above the expected level at the start of the trial but was found below expected level at the end of the trial. This may explain differences during the initial 47 d compared to cumulative growth performance results.


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