Intake and digestion by Holstein steer calves consuming grass hay supplemented with broiler litter

Abstract

Effects of substituting broiler litter for supplemental corn on feed intake and digestion by Holstein steer calves consuming low-quality grass hay were determined. In Experiment 1, eight steer calves (176 ± 3.4 kg average trial body weight (BW)) in two simultaneous 4 × 4 Latin squares consumed vegetative bermudagrass (BER) or mature bromegrass (BRO) hay ad libitum without an energy supplement (control) or with (dry matter basis) 0.75% BW of ground corn (C), 0.56% BW of corn plus 0.26% BW of deep-stacked broiler litter (LL), or 0.38% BW of corn plus 0.52% BW of litter (HL). Litter was 24% ash, 5.0% nitrogen, 40% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and 6.3% acid detergent lignin (ADL). Total organic matter (OM) intake was 4.32, 5.10, 5.16, 5.12, 4.89, 5.66, 5.90 and 5.58 kg day −1 (SE 0.084), and digestible OM intake was 2.57, 3.35, 3.21, 3.01, 2.72, 3.39, 3.42 and 3.06 kg day −1 (SE 0.055) for BER, BER-C, BER-LL, BER-HL, BRO, BRO-C, BRO-LL and BRO-HL, respectively. In Experiment 2, six Holstein steer calves (189 ± 15.6 kg average trial BW) in a 6 × 6 Latin square consumed BRO ad libitum without an energy supplement (control) or with 0.75% BW of corn (C), 0.75% BW of corn plus 0.13% BW of peanut skins (CS), 0.5% BW of corn plus 0.35% BW of broiler litter (CL), or 0.5% BW of corn plus 0.13% BW of peanut skins mixed with 0.35% BW of litter at feeding (CLS-F) or before deep-stacking (CLS-ST). Litter contained 22% ash, 4.0% N, 49% NDF and 5.5% acid detergent lignin. Total tract NDF digestibility was similar among treatments. Total and digestible OM intake (2.28, 3.01, 2.93, 3.21, 3.14 and 3.04 kg day −1 for control, C, CL, CS, CLS-F and CLS-ST, respectively) were increased ( P < 0.05) by supplementation and similar among supplement treatments. In conclusion, mixed broiler litter-corn supplements decreased consumption by Holstein steer calves of low-quality grass hay less than all-corn supplements, that partially or completely compensated for low digestibility of litter.