Dairy cattle in Sudan are traditionally fed on separate concentrate and roughage diets. Because of the high cost of forages, feeding strategies should be attempted to reduce feeding costs. A ...traditional dairy ration (As-fed), composed of 49% sorghum grains (SG), 29.4% groundnut seed cake (GSC), 19.6% wheat bran (WB), 1% limestone (LS) and 1% salt (NaCl), was used as a control. The test ration was a total mixed ration (TMR) composed of 40% SG, 23% groundnut seed hulls (GSH), 20% GSC, 15% WB, 1% LS and 1 % NaCl. The control traditional ration was fed at 10 Kg/cow/day together with 7 Kg sorghum chaff. Two levels of TMR were used with alfalfa hay (AH); (17 Kg TMR + 1 Kg AH/cow/day and 15 Kg TMR + 2 Kg AH. Three cross-bred dairy cows (European x Local) were used with the feeding regimes in a 3x3 Latin square design. Cows consumed similar amounts of DM, CP and ME and produced similar quantities of milk (P > 0.05). TMR had no effects (P > 0.05) on the composition of milk. The cost for TMR was decreased by 19%.TMR was thus effective in reducing feeding costs without affecting milk production and composition.
•Lactobacillus buchneri is a silage inoculant that has improved the lambs’ production in some cases.•Effects from Lactobacillus buchneri are dependent of the dietary forage:concentrate ratio.•Feed ...digestibility was reduced by inoculation of maize silage with Lactobacillus buchneri.•Increasing proportion of concentrate in the diet resulted in higher liveweight gain of lambs.•Lambs have increased performance consuming diets with Lactobacillus buchneri and more concentrate.
Inoculation of maize silage with Lactobacillus buchneri has improved livestock production in some cases, but the published literature has shown that results depend on the dietary forage: concentrate (F:C) ratio; however, there is little knowledge on the interaction between the silage inoculant and F:C ratio. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of feeding maize silage inoculated with L. buchneri NCIMB 40788 and two F:C ratios on feed intake and growth performance of lambs. Twenty-eight Dorper × Santa Ines lambs were arranged in a randomized block design (n = 7) and then assigned to one of four diets as follows: 1) untreated maize silage (with no silage inoculant) and low concentrate (400 g/kg dry matter (DM); US-LC); 2) maize silage inoculated with L. buchneri and low concentrate (400 g/kg DM; IS-LC); 3) untreated maize silage and moderately high concentrate (600 g/kg DM; US-HC); and 4) maize silage inoculated with L. buchneri and moderately high concentrate (600 g/kg DM; IS-HC). There was an interaction between inoculation and F:C ratio for DM intake (DMI), in which lambs fed the US-LC diet had lower DMI (P = 0.013) than that of all the other diets. Inoculation decreased crude protein (CP) digestibility (P = 0.003; –6.1%). As compared with the LC diet, the HC diet had a lower (P ≤ 0.016) apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, and CP. Inoculation increased the average daily gain of lambs (P = 0.022) mostly when they were fed the LC diet than that observed for the HC diet. In conclusion, inoculation of maize silage with L. buchneri improved lamb production on feeding of diets having a higher proportion of silage, but this response was not accompanied of higher profitability. Additionally, the response of L. buchneri on lamb production is highly dependent of the F:C ratio.
This study was carried out to compare the fattening performances, some slaughter and carcass characteristics of 10-month-old Hereford (HER) and Angus (ANG) steers fed a high roughage with the same ...care and feeding conditions in Türkiye. A total of 40 steers, 20 HER and 20 ANG from the same herd, were selected as homogeneously and randomly divided into two groups. The average body weights of the breeds were determined as 276.85±9.70 and 288.10±9.86 kg, respectively, and the differences between the breeds were insignificant (P>0.050). All animals were fed ad-libitum with two different Total Mixed Rations (TMRs) prepared with a concentrate: roughage ratio of 34:66% during the fattening. In the experiment, fattening feed containing 14.12% crude protein (CP) and 2671 kcal/kg metabolic energy (ME) for the first 300 days and fattening finisher feed containing 14.11% CP and 2717 kcal/kg ME for the last 45 days were used. At the end of the study, which lasted for a total of 345 days, the 1 kg live weight costs of the animals were calculated. Differences were insignificant between the two breeds in terms of body weights, final weights (slaughter weights), total weight gains, daily live weight gains, daily dry matter consumption, feed conversion ratios, hot and cold carcass weights, head weight to carcass ratio and longissimus muscle area (LMA) during fattening (P>0.050). Head and skin weights (P=0.000 and P=0.003) and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) (P=0.000) were higher in the HER breed. The profit ratio with the cost did not change. It was concluded that both breeds had similar characteristics.
Finishing cattle are fed high concentrate diets to increase deposition of both muscle and adipose tissue and decrease cost of gain. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of ...increased roughage inclusion late in the finishing period on growth performance, carcass traits, and ruminal and fecal characteristics of feedlot steers. Treatments included a control (CON; 6% roughage DM), intermediate (INT; 12% roughage DM), and high (HGH; 18% roughage DM) roughage diets. Crossbred beef steers (n = 54; BW = 289 ± 35.6 kg) were assigned to treatments for the late finishing period in a randomized complete block design (4 pens of INT and HGH, 5 pens of CON; 4 steers per pen). Experimental diets contained prairie hay, Sweet Bran, rolled corn, dry supplement, urea, and a corn steep and molasses-based liquid supplement. The inclusion rate of roughage and rolled corn were adjusted for each treatment diet. Steers in HGH tended to have increased overall DMI (P = 0.07). No differences in final BW, overall ADG, or gain:feed were observed among treatments (P > 0.72). Steers fed HGH had the greatest REA (P = 0.03) and a tendency for a lower yield grade (P = 0.08). Fat thickness, HCW, marbling, liver scores, and KPH did not differ (P > 0.29) among treatments. Steers fed the HGH diet had a lower fecal pH at the end of finishing (P = 0.05) compared to CON and INT steers. Ruminal lactate was increased on d 14 for CON steers compared to other treatments (P < 0.001). No differences were observed for ruminal pH (P > 0.11). Results of this experiment suggest that increasing roughage late in the finishing period does not negatively impact growth performance or carcass characteristics, but may alter ruminal fermentation and post ruminal digestion.
A randomized design trial was used to evaluated effects of cottonseed hulls (CSH) and bermudagrass hay (BGH) particle size in feedlot diets fed to female Rambouillet lambs (n = 10/treatment) on dry ...matter intake (DMI), physiological parameters, and growth performance. After 14 days of adaptation, lambs were individually fed 80% concentrate diets during two distinct 21-d periods with either CSH or BGH as the roughage source, respectively. Diets were identical except for the roughage particle size (3/8, 1/4, or 3/16-inch hammermill screens); control diets contained unground CSH or course-ground BGH. Data were analyzed by period using a model including treatment as main effect and animal as repeated measure. No differences in initial and final BW were observed. Lamb DMI (g/d) did not vary (P > 0.10) among the different particle sizes. However, there was a linear decrease (P = 0.007) in DMI as a percentage of BW when CSH particle size increased, while no difference was observed for BGH (P > 0.55). Rumen fluid pH was not affected by roughage particle size (P > 0.19) in either Period. No differences (P > 0.10) in rumen fluid FAs concentration were observed related to CSH despite a quadratic trend (P = 0.07) in acetate concentration. Total VFA (P = 0.01), acetate (P = 0.008), and propionate (P = 0.04) concentrations in ruminal fluid from lambs fed diets containing BGH quadratically increased, while butyrate linearly decreased (P = 0.03). There was a trend for a quadratic increase (P = 0.09) in blood serum ammonia when CSH particle size increased. Blood serum urea during both periods and ammonia during Period 2, did not vary with roughage particle size. Results suggested that particle size is dependent upon type of roughage. Generally, in high concentrate lamb feedlot diets a course particle size (3/8" screen) is recommended.
Increasing dietary roughage level is a commonly used strategy to prevent subacute ruminal acidosis. We hypothesized that high-roughage diets could promote chewing activity, saliva secretion, and ...hence more alkaline to buffer rumen pH. To verify the hypothesis, 12 multiparous Holstein cows in mid lactation were randomly allocated to 4 treatments in a triplicated 4 × 4 Latin square experiment with one cow in each treatment surgically fitted with a ruminal cannula. Treatments were diets containing 40, 50, 60, or 70% of roughage on a DM basis. Increasing dietary roughage level decreased DM, CP, OM, starch, and NEL intake, increased ADF intake, and decreased milk yield linearly. Intake of NDF was quite stable across treatments and ranged from 7.8 to 8.1 kg/d per cow. Daily eating time increased linearly with increased roughage level. The increase in eating time was due to increased eating time per meal but not number of meals per day, which was stable and ranged from 8.3 to 8.5 meals per day across treatments. Increasing dietary roughage level had no effect on ruminating time (min/d), the number of ruminating periods (rumination periods per d), and chewing time per ruminating period (min/ruminating period). Ruminating time per kilogram of NDF intake and total chewing time per kilogram of ADF intake were similar across treatments (57.4 and 183.8 min/kg, respectively). Increasing dietary roughage level linearly increased daily total chewing time; linearly elevated the mean, maximum, and minimum ruminal pH; and linearly decreased total VFA concentration and molar proportion of propionate in ruminal fluid. Saliva secretion during eating was increased, the secretion during rumination was unaffected, but the secretion during resting tended to decrease with increased dietary roughage level. As a result, total saliva secretion was not affected by treatments. In conclusion, the results of the present study did not support the concept that high-roughage diets elevated ruminal pH through increased salivary recycling of buffering substrates.
Condensed tannins (CT) might improve animal and system-level efficiency due to enhanced protein efficiency and reduced CH4. This study evaluated the impact of quebracho tannin (QT) extract fed at 0%, ...1.5%, 3%, and 4.5% of dry matter (DM), within a roughage-based diet on apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), fibrous fractions, and N retention and energy partitioning of growing steers (236 ± 16 kg BW). A Latin rectangle design with eight animals and four periods was used to determine the whole-animal exchange of CO2, O2, and CH4 as well as the collection of total feces and urine over a 48-h period, using two open-circuit, indirect calorimetry respiration chambers. Following the removal of steers from respiration chambers, rumen inoculum was collected to determine ruminal parameter, including volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia. Animals were fed a 56.5% roughage diet at 1.7% BW (dry matter basis). Dry matter and gross energy intakes were influenced by the level of QT inclusion (P < 0.036). Digestibility of DM, OM, and N was reduced with QT inclusion (P < 0.001), and fiber digestibility was slightly impacted (P > 0.123). QTs altered the N excretion route, average fecal N-tototal N ratio excreted increased 14%, and fecal N-to-urinary N ratio increased 38% (P < 0.001) without altering the retained N. Increased fecal energy with QT provision resulted in reduced dietary digestible energy (DE) concentration (Mcal/kg DM; P = 0.024). There were no differences in urinary energy (P = 0.491), but CH4 energy decreased drastically (P = 0.007) as QT inclusion increased. Total ruminal VFA concentration did not differ across treatments, but VFA concentration increased linearly with QT inclusion (P = 0.049). Metabolizable energy (ME) was not affected by the QT rate, and the conversion efficiency of DE-to-ME did not differ. Heat energy decreased (P = 0.013) with increased QT provision likely due to changes in the DE intake, but there was no difference in retained energy. There were no differences for retained energy or N per CO2 equivalent emission produced (P = 0.774 and 0.962, respectively), but improved efficiency for energy retention occurred for 3% QT. We concluded that QT provided up to 4.5% of dry matter intake (about 3.51% of CT, dry matter basis) does not affect N and energy retention within the current setting. Feeding QT reduced energy losses in the form of CH4 and heat, but the route of energy loss appears to be influenced by the rate of QT inclusion.
Including a roughage source in high grain finishing diets can minimize the potential for acidosis and decreased animal performance. An individual feeding study was conducted comparing different ...levels of corn silage used as a roughage source on finishing performance and liver abscess rate. Sixty crossbred steers (432 kg ± 0.45 kg) were stratified by BW and assigned randomly to 4 treatments with 15 head per treatment. Treatments consisted of 3 inclusions of corn silage at 0 (CS0), 7.5 (CS7.5) and 15% (CS15) of the diet DM and a control treatment with 7.5% alfalfa (Alf). Steers were fed for 117 d in a Calan gate controlled individual feeding system. Refusals were taken weekly and corrected for DM. There were no differences for final BW (P < 0.88), DMI (P < 0.51), ADG (P < 0.88), or G:F (P < 0.20). There were no differences for carcass characteristics such as HCW (P < 0.83), marbling (P < 0.59), LM area (P < 0.84), or fat thickness due to treatment (P < 0.45). There were also no differences in dressing percentage (P < 0.26) or calculated yield grade (P < 0.63). Only 3 out of the 60 animals had liver abscesses, with 2 animals fed CS0 and 1 animal fed Alf. These data suggest that cattle, typically at high risk for reduced performance, are less likely to experience negative effects of high grain diets, like acidosis, when fed individually. When managed accordingly, no roughage is needed in the diet.
Abstract
Red clover produces isoflavones, including biochanin A, which have been shown to have microbiological effects on the rumen while also promoting growth in beef cattle. The objective was to ...determine if supplementation of biochanin A via red clover hay would produce similar effects on the rumen microbiota and improve growth performance of lambs. Twenty-four individually-housed Polypay ram lambs (initial age: 114 ± 1 d; initial weight: 38.1 ± 0.59 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets (85:15 concentrate:roughage ratio; N = 8 rams/treatment): CON—control diet in which the roughage component (15.0%, w/w, of the total diet) consisted of orchardgrass hay; 7.5-RC—red clover hay substituted for half (7.5%, w/w, of the total diet) of the roughage component; and 15-RC—the entire roughage component (15.0%, w/w, of the total diet) consisted of red clover hay. Feed intake and weight gain were measured at 14-d intervals for the duration of the 56-d trial, and rumen microbiological measures were assessed on days 0, 28, and 56. Red clover supplementation impacted growth performance of ram lambs. Average daily gains (ADG) were greater in ram lambs supplemented with red clover hay (7.5-RC and 15-RC) than for those fed the CON diet (P < 0.05). Conversely, dry matter intake (DMI) was lower in 7.5-RC and 15-RC than for CON lambs (P = 0.03). Differences in ADG and DMI resulted in greater feed efficiency in ram lambs supplemented with red clover hay (both 7.5-RC and 15-RC) compared to CON (P < 0.01). Rumen microbiota were also altered by red clover supplementation. The total viable number of hyper-ammonia-producing bacteria in 7.5-RC and 15-RC decreased over the course of the experiment and were lower than CON by day 28 (P ≤ 0.04). Amylolytic bacteria were also lower in 15-RC than in CON (P = 0.03), with a trend for lower amylolytic bacteria in 7.5-RC (P = 0.08). In contrast, there was tendency for greater cellulolytic bacteria in red clover supplemented lambs than in CON (P = 0.06). Red clover supplementation also increased fiber utilization, with greater ex vivo dry matter digestibility of hay for both 7.5-RC and 15-RC compared to CON by day 28 (P < 0.03). Results of this study indicate that low levels of red clover hay can elicit production benefits in high-concentrate lamb finishing systems through alteration of the rumen microbiota.
Supplementation of low levels of red clover hay, rich in the isoflavone biochanin A, altered the numbers of rumen bacteria functional groups, changed ruminal fermentation, and promoted growth performance in high-concentrate lamb finishing. Red clover may serve as a functional feed with production benefits in addition to its traditional use as a forage feedstuff.
Lay Summary
Red clover is rich in the bioactive isoflavone, biochanin A. The goal was to evaluate the impacts of biochanin A supplementation via red clover hay on growth performance of ram lambs as well as the rumen microbiota and fermentation. Low levels of red clover hay inclusion (7.5% and 15.0%, w/w, of the total diet) in high-concentrate finishing diets improved feed efficiency of ram lambs, promoting weight gain while decreasing feed intake. Red clover hay supplementation suppressed ruminal protein-wasting, peptide- and amino-acid degrading and starch-utilizing bacteria compared to control diets without isoflavones. Red clover hay also promoted fiber degrading bacteria and fiber utilization. Lamb growth and microbiological effects of red clover were consistent regardless of supplementation level in the diet. Results of this study indicate that low levels of red clover hay can produce production benefits in lamb finishing systems and demonstrated the efficacy of red clover as a functional feed, or feed with biological activities, in the context of its traditional use as a forage feedstuff.
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