Effect of bird-resistant and non-bird-resistant sorghum grain on amino acid digestion by beef heifers.

The effects of sorghum type on amino acid digestion were determined by feeding heifers (230 kg) equipped with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas bird-resistant (BR) or non-BR grains that had a normal or waxy endosperm (NORMAL-BR, WAXY-BR, NORMAL, WAXY). Dry-rolled grain diets were fed at 2% of BW in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Total (TAA), essential (EAA), and nonessential (NAA) amino acid intake (grams/day) tended to be greater for BR than for non-BR grains. Feed (plus endogenous) amino acids reaching the duodenum were calculated by subtracting amino acids of microbial protein from total flow. Flow (grams/day) of total and feed TAA, EAA, NAA, and proline-rich-protein (sum of aspartate, glutamate, glycine, and proline) to the duodenum was greater (P < .05) for BR than for non-BR grains. The ratio between feed proline-rich-protein and NAA reaching the duodenum was similar to that noted with feed intake. Amino acid disappearance (grams/day) from the small intestine was unchanged (P > .10) by sorghum type, although the digestibility (percentage of duodenal flow) of TAA, EAA, NAA, and most individual amino acids was decreased (P < .05) for BR varieties. Amino acid flow to the cecum (grams/day) was generally greater for NORMAL-BR than for WAXY-BR (P < .10) or for NORMAL (P < .01) and greater (P < .10) for WAXY-BR than for WAXY.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of pure and partial yellow endosperm sorghum grain hybrids on site and extent of digestion in beef steers.

To compare the effects of sorghum grain hybrids on site and extent of digestion, two yellow (Y1 and Y2), two cream (C1 and C2), and two hetero-yellow (HY1 and HY2) sorghum grains were fed (1.85% BW, DM basis) in an 81% dry-rolled grain diet to steers (342 kg BW) equipped with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas within a 6 X 6 Latin square. Yellow (YEL) hybrids had a homozygous yellow endosperm and a yellow seed coat; cream (CREAM) and hetero-yellow (HET-YEL) hybrids had a heterozygous (partial) yellow endosperm, with white or red seed coats, respectively. Total tract starch digestibility (percentage) was greater (P less than .10) for CREAM and HET-YEL (82.3) than for YEL (78.9), primarily because of greater (P less than .05) starch digestion in the large intestine. Ruminal starch digestibility (percentage) was greater (P less than .10) for HET-YEL (73.2) than for CREAM (66.3) and was a larger proportion of total tract digestion for HET-YEL (90.6) than for CREAM (80.1). Ruminal starch digestion was correlated negatively (r = -.46; P less than .08) with ruminal escape of feed N. Prececal starch digestibility (average 76.2%) was more strongly correlated with ruminal digestibility (r = .69; P less than .01) than with digestion in the small intestine (r = .41; P = .12). Total tract nonammonia N (NAN) digestibility (percentage) was greater (P less than .10) for CREAM than for HET-YEL, greater for Y1 (P less than .10) than for Y2, greater for C2 (P less than .05) than for C1, and greater for HY2 (P less than .05) than for HY1. Flow of NAN to the duodenum was correlated negatively (r = -.55; P less than .05) with prececal starch digestion. Small intestinal NAN disappearance (g/d) was greater (P less than .01) for HY1 (76.0) than for HY2 (52.2). Microbial N flow (r = .88; P less than .01), but not feed N flow (r = .17; P = .52), to the duodenum was correlated with partial NAN digestibility in the small intestine. Hybrids differed in site and extent of digestion. Differences were generally larger for N than for starch.

Technical note: a double L intestinal cannula for cattle.

A double L-shaped intestinal cannula was developed in an attempt to overcome problems observed previously with simple T-type cannulas. The cannula was constructed from cyclopolyvinyl chloride water pipe fittings. Construction materials were fairly rigid, but by connecting the split cannula pieces with elastic castration bands the cannula had some flexibility. Placing a short cone over the exposed cannula barrel reduced mechanical damage to the intestine. The double L cannula required a much smaller incision in the intestine during surgical insertion than a T-type cannula; it also simplified replacement. Construction is described; use and performance of the cannula has been satisfactory.

Intake and digestibility of low-quality native grass hay by beef cows supplemented with graded levels of soybean hulls.

Twelve Hereford cows and four mature, ruminally cannulated Hereford x Angus heifers were fed supplements providing either 0 (control), 1, 2, or 3 kg/d of soybean hulls and including 440 g of protein/d (cottonseed meal was used to equalize protein intake) to determine the effects of supplementation on intake and utilization of low-quality native grass hay. Cattle were housed in individual pens and fed coarsely chopped (5-cm screen) native grass hay harvested in mid-November (4.1% CP, 76.9% NDF). Hay OM intake peaked (quadratic, P = .04) at 10.1 kg/d with 1 kg of soybean hulls and decreased when 2 kg (9.8 kg/d) or 3 kg (9.1 kg/d) of soybean hulls were fed. Although hay intake decreased when soybean hulls replaced cottonseed meal, feeding 3 kg soybean hulls decreased hay OM intake by only .64 kg. Total OM digestibility increased linearly (P = .009) with added increments of soybean hulls (45.8%, 46.2%, 46.6% and 48.6% for 0 through 3 kg soybean hulls/d, respectively), indicating that hulls were more digestible than the hay. Digestibility of NDF was not affected (P = .14) by level of soybean hull supplementation, although ADF digestibility increased (linear, P = .03). Increases in OM intake and digestibility with soybean hulls combined to increase digestible OM intake (linear, P = .0001). Soybean hull supplementation increased ruminal VFA concentrations (linear, P = .04) and the molar proportion of propionate (linear, P = .006).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of corn with four sorghum grain hybrids: site and extent of digestion in steers.

Four diverse sorghum hybrids (yellow, cream, hetero-yellow and red) and corn grain were dry-rolled and fed in an 85% grain diet to Angus-Hereford steers (241 kg) equipped with ruminal and double L-type duodenal and ileal cannulas to compare the effects of grain source on site and extent of digestion. Yellow (yel) has a homozygous yellow endosperm, with a yellow seed coat, whereas cream and hetero-yellow (het-yel) have a heterozygous yellow endosperm with white and red seed coats, respectively. Red has a homozygous white endosperm with a red seed coat. Diets were fed at 2% of initial BW (DM basis) in a 5 x 5 Latin square. Total digestive tract starch digestibility (%) was greater (P less than .05) for corn (92.5) than for red (84.3), yel (84.3) and het-yel (82.9) but not greater (P greater than .10) than for cream (87.9). Ruminal starch digestibility (%) was greater (P less than .10) for corn (85.8) than for sorghum hybrids (69.1). Pre-cecal starch digestibility (%) was greater (P less than .05) for corn (90.6) than for het-yel (76.2), red (74.8) and yel (74.1). Ruminal escape (%) of grain N was greater (P less than .10) for red (79.9) than for het-yel (69.2), cream (66.5) and yel (66.1), with corn (53.6) being less (P less than .10) than sorghum hybrids. Pre-cecal and total tract non-NH3 N digestibilities (%) were not altered (P greater than .10) by grain source. Hybrid of sorghum altered site and extent of starch digestion and ruminal escape of grain N; hybrids had estimated gain:feed ratios that were 81 to 93% of those of rolled corn grain.

Combinations of high-moisture harvested sorghum grain and dry-rolled corn: effects on site and extent of digestion in beef heifers.

To determine the effects of blends of high-moisture harvested sorghum grain (HMS) and dry-rolled corn (DRC) on site and extent of digestion, high-grain diets were fed to Angus-Hereford heifers (315 kg) in a 5 x 5 latin square. The grain portion consisted of ratios (HMS:DRC) of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0. Heifers were equipped with ruminal, duodenal and ileal T-type cannulas. Digestibilities of OM (P less than .05) and non-ammonia nitrogen (NAN; P less than .01) in the total tract declined linearly as HMS replaced DRC. Chyme flow (liters/d) through the duodenum increased linearly (P less than .01), and true ruminal OM disappearance tended to decline linearly (P less than .10) as HMS replaced DRC. A quadratic response (P less than .05) in extent of starch disappearance (g/d) in the rumen was noted; blends were lower than either individual grain. Ruminal escape of feed N tended to be quadratic (P less than .10); values for individual grain types were greater than blends. Microbial efficiency increased linearly (P less than .05) as HMS replaced DRC. Extent of starch digestion in the rumen averaged 82.7% compared to only 2.9% in the small intestine and 5.7% in the large intestine. Altering the ratio of HMS to DRC appeared to have more effect on ruminal fermentation than on digestion in the small intestine; most starch and nitrogen responses were quadratic. Increases in ruminal pH and chyme flow, potentially caused by increased salivary flow, may cause non-linear changes in the solubility of proteins in HMS and DRC, when fed as blends, altering the digestibility of protein and starch from values predicted from the individual grains.

Detoxification of high tannin sorghum grains.

One in vitro and two in vivo experiments were conducted to determine appropriate methodology for and effects of detoxifying Darset, Redlan, and one commercial hybrid brown sorghum grain variety in threonine-deficient and nutritionally complete poultry rations. The detoxification procedure, which involves adding water to sorghum grain to bring dry matter to 70% and subsequent anaerobic incubation at 32 C, removes up to 100% of the chemically detectable tannin. Rate of tannin elimination was dependent upon sorghum grain variety with commercial brown sorghum requiring approximately 3 days longer than the Darset for tannin elimination. Detoxification of high tannin sorghum grains improved (P less than .05) growth rate and feed efficiency dramatically in threonine-deficient, crystalline amino acid-fortified rations; the same process applied to low tannin sorghum grains was without benefit. The desirable effects of this type of grain processing appear to be due to the reduced grain tannin content. Including detoxified sorghum grains in a practical-type broiler ration failed to elicit a weight gain response although feed efficiency was improved by 13% over untreated sorghum and 3% over corn grain. Lack of a gain response was likely due to the excess protein included in the basal diet. This type of grain processing offers an alternative method of reducing sorghum grain tannin content and is likely of greatest value in rations containing marginal indispensable amino acid and protein levels.

Effect of sorghum grain variety and reconstitution on site and extent of starch and protein digestion in steers.

Hetero-yellow (HY), red (RED) and brown (BR, high tannin) sorghums were fed dry-rolled or reconstituted (RED and BR only) to evaluate the effect of variety and reconstitution on the site and extent of starch and protein digestion in steers fitted with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulae. Processed grains were incorporated into 88% sorghum (DM basis) diets fed at 2% of body weight in a 5 X 5 Latin square. Ruminal fermentation of organic matter, starch and protein tended to be lower for the dry-rolled RED than for either the dry-rolled HY or BR sorghum. Digestion of organic matter (OM) and starch in the small intestine was very low for dry-rolled sorghums. Total tract starch digestibility was lower for the dry-rolled RED sorghum (86.9%) than the BR (90.8%) and HY (91.4%). Nitrogen (N) digestibility ranged from 53.1% for the dry-rolled BR to 64.5% for the HY. Tannins were extensively (95.2%) degraded in the rumen, which may have enhanced fermentation of the BR sorghum. Reconstitution increased (P less than .05) total-tract starch digestion of the RED and tended to increase starch digestion of the BR as well. Total N flow to the duodenum tended to increase with reconstitution, with most of the increase being due to greater (P less than .05) microbial-N. Reconstitution also increased (P less than .05) total-tract N digestibility of the RED. The response to reconstitution for the RED sorghum appeared to be due primarily to an increase (P less than .10) in the extent of fermentation of organic matter and starch in the rumen. Reconstitution of BR, however, enhanced disappearance of starch from the small intestine. In both cases, most (97.3%) of the digestible starch of the reconstituted sorghums had disappeared before the terminal ileum. In contrast, 14.5% (621 g) of the digestible starch of dry-rolled RED disappeared in the large intestine. Sorghum grain variety and reconstitution appear to alter site and extent of starch and protein digestion, which may result in variable performance of cattle fed sorghum grain diets.