Flint corn grain processing and citrus pulp level in finishing diets for feedlot cattle.

Four trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of flint corn processing and the replacement of corn with citrus pulp (CiP) in diets for Nellore feedlot cattle. In a 103-d finishing trial, 216 Nellore bulls (350 ± 24 kg initial BW) were used in a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors included 2 processing methods, either ground corn (GC) or steam-flaked corn (FC), with CiP replacing each corn type at 4 levels (0, 25, 50, and 75% of DM). All diets contained 12% sugarcane bagasse and 88% concentrate (DM basis). Treatments were also evaluated in metabolism trials, in which 10 ruminally cannulated Nellore steers (389 ± 37 kg) were assigned to 2 independent but simultaneous 5 × 5 Latin squares, each using 1 method of corn processing (GC and FC). Interactions ( < 0.05) between corn processing and CiP inclusion level were observed for final BW, DMI, ADG, G:F, and HCW. With FC-based diets, added CiP linearly decreased final BW ( = 0.04), whereas with GC-based diets, added CiP quadratically increased final BW ( = 0.002). With FC-based diets, the inclusion of CiP linearly increased DMI ( = 0.03) and linearly decreased ADG ( = 0.03) and G:F ( = 0.001). Increasing CiP in GC-based diets quadratically increased DMI ( = 0.001), ADG ( = 0.005), and HCW ( = 0.003). In FC-based diets, CiP inclusion had no effect on HCW ( = 0.21). Dressing percent, LM area, and 12th-rib fat were not affected by diet ( ≥ 0.05). For steers fed GC diets, CiP inclusion in the diet quadratically decreased the molar proportion of isovalerate ( = 0.001) but linearly increased ruminal butyrate ( = 0.006). No differences ( ≥ 0.16) were observed for total VFA concentrations, acetate:propionate ratio, and ruminal NH-N as CiP replaced GC. For steers fed FC diets, the molar proportion of acetate linearly increased ( = 0.002) whereas the proportion of propionate was linearly decreased ( < 0.001), resulting in a linear increase ( = 0.001) in the acetate:propionate ratio. Replacing corn with CiP linearly reduced NEm ( = 0.001) and NEg ( < 0.001) of FC-based diets but did not affect ( = 0.15) NE values of CG-based diets. Steam flaking flint corn improved cattle performance in this trial more than has been reported for dent corn in the published literature.

Effects of various roughage levels with whole flint corn grain on performance of finishing cattle.

Performance responses to steam flaking flint corn as well as to the addition of roughage to finishing diets composed of whole flint corn were evaluated. Ninety-six Nellore bulls were stratified by initial BW (373 ± 11 kg) and randomly allotted to 16 feedlot pens (6 bulls/pen) in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates/treatment. Dietary treatments for the 86-d feeding trial consisted of (DM basis) 1) 78.8% steam-flaked flint corn with 6% sugarcane bagasse and 0.20% urea, 2) 85% whole flint corn without sugarcane bagasse, 3) 81.9% whole flint corn with 3% sugarcane bagasse and 0.10% urea, and 4) 78.8% whole flint corn with 6% sugarcane bagasse and 0.20% urea. All diets contained 15% (DM basis) of a pelleted protein, mineral, and vitamin supplement. Compared with whole flint corn grain, flaking of flint grain decreased ( < 0.01) DMI but did not alter ADG ( = 0.86), so G:F was increased ( = 0.02). Although steam flaking did not alter final BW and carcass characteristics ( > 0.47), it increased energy content of the diet ( < 0.03) and total tract starch digestibility ( < 0.01). In addition, flaking increased ( < 0.01) NEg of flint corn when compared with whole corn. Increasing the roughage content of WC-based diets resulted in quadratic ( < 0.02) responses in DMI, NEm and NEg intakes, ADG, and final BW but had no effect ( > 0.47) on G:F or on observed energy content of the diet. In summary, steam flaking of flint corn when fed in diets containing 6% sugarcane bagasse decreased DMI by 17% but increased G:F by 20% and NEg of corn calculated from feedlot performance by 23%; these responses markedly exceed those typically observed with dent corn grain. Moreover, adding 3% sugarcane bagasse to a flint whole corn grain diet optimized feedlot performance of Nellore bulls.

Energy efficiency of growing ram lambs fed concentrate-based diets with different roughage sources.

Poor-quality roughages are widely used as fiber sources in concentrate-based diets for ruminants. Because roughage quality is associated with the efficiency of energy use in forage-based diets, the objective of this study was to determine whether differing the roughage source in concentrate-based diets could change the energy requirements of growing lambs. Eighty-four 1/2 Dorper × 1/2 Santa Inês ram lambs (18.0 ± 3.3 kg BW) were individually penned and divided into 2 groups according to primary source of dietary roughage: low-quality roughage (LQR; sugarcane bagasse) or medium-quality roughage (MQR; coastcross hay). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (2.6% N) and to meet 20% of physically effective NDF. After a 10-d ad libitum adaptation period, 7 lambs from each group were randomly selected and slaughtered (baseline). Twenty-one lambs in each diet group were fed ad libitum and slaughtered at 25, 35, or 45 kg BW. The remaining 28 lambs (14 from each diet group) were submitted to 1 of 2 levels of feed restriction: 70% or 50% of the ad libitum intake. Retentions of body fat, N, and energy were determined. Additionally, 6 ram lambs (44.3 ± 5.6 kg BW) were kept in metabolic cages and used in a 6 × 6 Latin square experiment designed to establish the ME content of the 2 diets at the 3 levels of DM intake. There was no effect of intake level on diet ME content, but it was greater in the diet with LQR than in the diet with MQR (3.18 vs. 2.94 Mcal/kg, respectively; P < 0.01). Lambs fed the diet with LQR had greater body fat (g/kg of empty BW) and energy concentrations (kcal/kg of empty BW) because of a larger visceral fat deposition (P < 0.05). Using a low-quality roughage as a primary source of forage in a concentrate-based diet for growing lambs did not change NEm and the efficiency of ME use for maintenance, which averaged 71.6 kcal/kg(0.75) of shrunk BW and 0.63, respectively. On the other hand, the greater nonfibrous carbohydrate content of the diet with LQR resulted in a 17% better efficiency of ME use for gain (P < 0.01), which was associated with a greater partial efficiency of energy retention as fat (P < 0.01). This increased nutritional efficiency, however, should be viewed with caution because it is related to visceral fat deposition, a nonedible tissue.

Effect of protein supplementation on milk production and metabolism of dairy cows grazing tropical grass.

The objectives of this study were to determine if midlactation dairy cows (Bos taurus L.) grazing intensively managed elephantgrass would have their protein requirement met exclusively with the pasture and an energy concentrate, making the use of protein ingredients unnecessary, as well as to determine the dietary crude protein (CP) content that would optimize the efficiency of N utilization (ENU). Thirty-three Holstein and crossbred (Holstein × Jersey) midlactation dairy cows, producing approximately 20 kg/d, were grouped within breed into 11 blocks according to milk yield and days in milk. Within blocks, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments and remained in the study for 11 wk. The control treatment contained only finely ground corn, minerals, and vitamins, and it was formulated to be 8.7% CP. Two higher levels of CP (formulated to be 13.4 and 18.1%) were achieved by replacing corn with solvent-extracted soybean meal (SSBM). Pasture was fertilized with 50 kg of N/ha after each grazing cycle and averaged 18.5% CP (dry matter basis). No differences were observed in milk yield or milk fat, protein, and casein content or casein yield. In addition, pasture intake was not different among treatments. Milk urea N increased linearly as the concentrate CP content increased. Cows fed the 8.7% CP concentrate had higher ENU. In another experiment, 4 ruminally cannulated Holstein dry cows were used in a metabolism trial designed in a 4×4 Latin square. Cows were fed the same treatments described as well as a fourth treatment with 13.4% CP in the concentrate, in which urea replaced SSBM as the main N source. Ruminal volatile fatty acid concentration and microbial synthesis were not affected by levels or sources of N in the concentrate. Ruminal NH(3)N content increased as the concentrate CP content increased. Inclusion of SSBM in the concentrate did not increase production and decreased the ENU of midlactation dairy cows grazing on tropical forage. Supplementation of an 8.7% CP concentrate, resulting in a diet with CP levels between 15.3 and 15.7% of dry matter, was sufficient to meet the protein requirements of such milk production, with the highest ENU (18.4%).