Effect of intake level and alfalfa substitution for grass hay on ruminal kinetics of fiber digestion and particle passage in beef cattle.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate digestion kinetics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) substitution for grass hay in beef cattle. In Exp. 1, forage combinations evaluated in situ consisted of 0% alfalfa-100% big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi Vitman), 25% alfalfa-75% big bluestem, 50% alfalfa-50% big bluestem, and 100% alfalfa-0% big bluestem. Nonlinear regression was used to determine the immediately soluble fraction A, the potentially degradable fraction B, the undegraded fraction C, and the disappearance rate of DM and NDF. Dry matter fraction A increased linearly (P = 0.03), and DM and NDF fraction B decreased linearly (P = 0.01) with increasing alfalfa substitution. Rate of DM and NDF disappearance increased linearly (P /= 0.23) on total tract apparent digestibility of all nutrients except CP. Steers fed orchardgrass plus alfalfa had 33% greater (P = 0.01) total tract apparent digestibility for CP than those fed orchardgrass alone. Lag time of DM and NDF disappearance was not affected (P >/= 0.20) by alfalfa supplementation or intake level. Rate of DM and NDF disappearance of orchardgrass was faster (P

Increased puroindoline levels slow ruminal digestion of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) starch by cattle.

Starch is the primary nutrient in ruminant diets used to promote high levels of performance. The site of starch digestion alters the nature of digestive end products (VFA in the rumen vs. glucose in the small intestine) and the efficiency of use. Cereal grain endosperm texture plays a major role in the rate and extent of starch degradation in ruminants. Wheat grain texture is regulated by the starch surface protein complex friabilin that consists primarily of puroindoline (PIN) A and B. Soft kernel texture in wheat is a result of both PIN genes being in the wild type active form and bound to starch. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of varying PIN content in wheat on the rate of starch digestion in the rumen of beef cattle. In Exp. 1, 6 transgenic soft pin a/b isolines created in a hard wheat background, and 2 hard wheat controls were milled to yield a wide range of mean particle sizes across all lines. Milled samples were incubated in situ for 3 h. Increased expression of both PINA and PINB decreased DM digestibility (DMD) by 29.2% (P < 0.05) and decreased starch digestibility by 30.8% (P < 0.05). Experiment 2 separated the effects of particle size and total PIN content on digestion by milling the hardest and softest lines such that the mean particle size was nearly identical. Increased PIN decreased DMD by 21.7% (P < 0.05) and starch digestibility by 19.9% (P < 0.05) across particle sizes smaller than whole kernel. Experiment 3 addressed the time course of PIN effects in the rumen by observing ground samples of the hardest and softest lines over a 12-h in situ period. Increased PIN decreased DMD by 10.4% (P < 0.05) and starch digestibility by 11.0% (P < 0.05) across all time points. Dry matter and starch digestibility results demonstrated that increased expression of PIN was associated with a decreased rate of ruminal digestion independent of particle size. Puroindolines seem to aid in the protection of starch molecules from microbial digestion in the rumen, potentially increasing the amount of starch entering the small intestine.

Meat color stability affected by barley variety fed in finishing diet to beef steers.

Angus crossbred steers were assigned randomly to one of four finishing diets based on corn, Chinook, Logan, or H3 barley. Steers were harvested and after a 72-h chill, carcass quality and yield grade data were collected. Beef ribs were removed from 72 carcasses for further analysis. Ribs were aged in vacuum bag at 2°C for 14 days. After aging three adjacent steaks (3.18cm) were removed to determine color stability, tenderness, proximate analysis and pH. Diets fed to steers had no effect on quality and yield grade or tenderness of beef steaks. Steaks from steers fed Logan barley variety were significantly less red at 10 days of storage (Hunter a*=24.06) than steaks from steers fed the other barley varieties (Chinook a*=26.4; H3 a*=28.05) or corn (a*=26.14). Identification of barley varieties that affect color stability could result in designing diets specifically for improved color and increase the use of barley as a finishing grain.

Nonstructural carbohydrate supplementation of yearling heifers and range beef cows.

A digestion study with 28 yearling heifers (428 +/- 9.9 kg; Exp. 1) and a 2-yr winter grazing trial with 60 crossbred cows (552 +/- 6.9 kg; Exp. 2) were used to determine the effects of level of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) supplementation on intake and digestibility of low-quality forage. Treatments were as follows: 1) control, no supplement; 2) 0.32 kg of NSC (1.8 kg/d of soybean hulls and soybean meal; DM basis); 3) 0.64 kg of NSC (1.7 kg/d of wheat middlings; DM basis); and 4) 0.96 kg of NSC (1.7 kg/d of barley and soybean meal; DM basis). Supplements provided 0.34 kg of CP/d and 5.1 Mcal of ME/d. In Exp. 1, heifers were individually fed hay (5.5% CP, DM basis) and their respective supplements in Calan gates for 28 d. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. In Exp. 2, cows were individually fed supplement on alternate days, and grazed a single rangeland pasture stocked at 1.8 ha/ animal unit month. Two ruminally cannulated cows were used per treatment to obtain forage extrusa and to measure in situ DM disappearance (DMD) and carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activity of particle-associated ruminal microbes. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with the effects of treatment, year, and their interaction. In both experiments, Cr2O3 boluses were used to determine fecal output, individual animal was the experimental unit, and contrasts were used to test linear and quadratic effects of NSC level and control vs. supplemented treatments. In Exp. 1, hay and diet DM, NDF, and CP intakes and digestibilities were increased (P < 0.01) by NSC supplementation compared with the control. In Exp. 2, 72-h in situ DMD and CMCase were decreased linearly (P < 0.08) with increasing NSC supplementation. Intake of forage DM, NDF, and CP was decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing NSC supplementation during both years. Supplementation with NSC decreased (P = 0.01) cow BW loss compared with the control in yr 1, whereas in yr 2, cow BW loss was linearly increased (P = 0.03) by increasing NSC supplementation. Supplements containing NSC improved forage digestion and intake when heifers consumed forage deficient in CP relative to energy (digestible OM:CP > 7), but decreased forage digestion and intake when cows grazed forage with adequate CP relative to energy (digestible OM:CP < 7). Forage and supplement digestible OM:CP seemed to be superior predictors of response to supplementation with NSC compared with forage CP levels alone.

Liquid supplement and forage intake by range beef cows.

One hundred eighty crossbred cows were assigned to one of six native range pastures during two winters to evaluate forage and supplement intake as affected by liquid supplement (yr 1: 50% crude protein, 84% from urea; yr 2: 57% crude protein, 91% from urea) delivery method and cow age (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 yr). Treatments were: 1) no supplement (Control); 2) a lick-wheel feeder containing liquid supplement (ADLIB); and 3) a computer-controlled lick-wheel feeder that dispensed 0.9 kg x cow(-1) x d(-1) of liquid supplement (average 0.5 kg of dry matter x cow(-1) x d(-1); Restricted). Each treatment was applied to two pastures. Forage digestibility was increased (P = 0.03) by supplementation. Supplemented cows lost less (P = 0.05) body condition than unsupplemented cows (average -0.3 vs -0.6). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was highest (P = 0.001) for ADLIB (8.7 mg/dL), intermediate for Restricted (6.2 mg/dL), and lowest for Control (2.3 mg/dL). Forage DMI was 31% higher (P = 0.01) in 1995 than in 1996, and was increased (P = 0.02) by supplementation both years. Cows supplemented with ADLIB consumed 23% more forage dry matter than Control cows, whereas Restricted cows consumed 21% more dry matter than ADLIB cows. Supplement intake by cows on ADLIB was greater (P = 0.001) than by cows on Restricted in both years. Supplement intake was lowest (P = 0.002) by 2-yr-old cows, intermediate by 3-yr-olds, and greatest by 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old cows. Variation in supplement intake by individual cows was higher (P = 0.09) for cows in the Restricted treatment (coefficient of variation [CV] = 117%) than those on ADLIB (CV = 68%) during the first year, but did not differ between supplement treatments (average CV = 62%) in the second year. The proportions of cows consuming less than 0.3 kg/d of supplement dry matter intake (DMI) and consuming less than the target amount of supplement (0.5 kg DMI) were less (P = 0.001) for ADLIB than for Restricted during both years. ADLIB cows spent more (P = 0.001) time at the supplement feeder and had more (P < 0.002) supplement feeding bouts than Restricted cows during both years. During the first year, 2- and 3-yr-old cows spent less (P < 0.01) time at the feeder and had fewer feeding bouts per day than 6-yr-old cows. Age had no effect (P > 0.24) on feeding behavior during the second year. Supplementation of beef cows grazing winter range with 50 to 57% crude protein liquid supplement increased forage digestibility and intake. Restricting supplement access increased forage consumption and variability of supplement intake.