Abstract
Studies of aerobic stability, digestion and growth performance were conducted with steers to determine the mode of action of a bacterial inoculant in altering the feeding value of ensiled high-moisture ear corn (HMEC); a comparison was made with propionic acid (PA) treated HMEC (10 g kg–1 fresh matter). The inoculant consisted of Lactobacillus plantarumand Enterococcus faecium, and was applied as an aqueous solution to provide 104 colony-forming units (cfu) per gram of HMEC. Inoculation of HMEC was not as effective as PA in improving aerobic stability, as assessed by changes in populations of yeasts and moulds. However, steers fed inoculated HMEC gained 11% more weight (P < 0.05) than animals fed untreated HMEC, and 9% more (P < 0.10) than those fed PA-treated material. There were no effects of treatment on food intake or digestion of organic matter (OM). At 4 h after feeding, rumen pH and molar proportions of isovalerate were greater (P < 0.05) with inoculated than untreated or PA-treated HMEC. Treatment differences in aerobic stability of HMEC did not account for the responses in growth performance. It appears that improvements in growth rate of beef cattle fed inoculated HMEC may be related to pH and/or the production of iso-acids in the rumen. Key words: Beef cattle, high-moisture ear corn, inoculant, propionic acid, growth rate, rumen fermentation
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