Lignosulfonate-treated canola meal for nursing beef calves

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effects of lignosulfonate and heat treatment of canola meal on protein degradability, and to evaluate whether feeding treated canola meal to nursing beef calves enhances preweaning growth. Four supplements were formulated to contain 31% crude protein (CP) using either: (1) untreated canola meal (UTC), (2) heat-treated canola meal (HTC; 100 °C for 1 h), (3) lignosulfonate-treated canola meal (LTC; 5% calcium lignosulfonate and 100 °C for 1 h), or (4) corn distillers' dried grains (DDG). Degradability of canola meal CP was reduced significantly from 55.1% (measured in sacco) to 43.2% by heat, and to 26.7% by lignosulfonate treatment. One hundred and three nursing crossbred calves were given access to either no supplement (control) or one of the four supplements. Weight gain (kg d−1) increased (P < 0.05) from 0.90 for the control to 1.05 for calves fed DDG, and further increased (P < 0.05) to 1.16, 1.16 and 1.18 for calves fed UTC, HTC, and LTC, respectively. Consequently, calves fed canola meal gained 30.8 kg more (P < 0.05) than those fed control, and 12.8 kg more (P < 0.05) than those fed DDG. The performance of suckling calves during the grazing season and body condition of their dams were enhanced by offering canola-based creep feeds. Although degradability of canola meal CP was substantially lowered by lignosulfonate treatment, calf performance was not further enhanced by feeding treated canola meal. Key words: Beef cattle, creep feeding, canola meal, lignosulfonate, heat-treatment, distillers' dried grains, protein degradability