Higher Metabolizable Energy Research Articles

265 Effects of non-Starch Polysaccharide Degrading Enzymes + Lysophospholipids in Feeds with Varied ME Contents on Growth Performance and Nutrient Utilization of Pigs from 25 to 75 Kg BW

Abstract This study aimed to investigate efficacy of the combinational use of non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzymes (NSPase) and lysophospholipids (LPL) on growth performance and nutrient utilization in pigs fed feeds with varied metabolizable energy (ME) levels. Grower pigs (n = 270; 28.1 ± 0.6 kg BW) were allotted in a randomized complete block design with a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments fed for 51 d in 2 phases (30 and 21 d, respectively). Two factors were ME (3,260, 3,335, and 3,410 kcal/kg) and NSPase + LPL (ELPL at 0.00, 0.05, and 0.10%). Growth performance and backfat were measured. Blood was collected to measure plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure on SAS 9.4. Increasing ME tended to increase (P = 0.066) ADG during Grower 2 and increased (P < 0.05) G/F during the overall period. Increasing ELPL supplementation increased (P < 0.05) both ADG and ADFI during Grower 2, whereas it tended to reduce (P = 0.084) G/F during the overall period. Supplemental effects of ELPL on increasing ADG was prominent (P < 0.05) at high ME content (3% above NRC requirement). Supplementation of ELPL tended to reduce (P = 0. 057) G/F during Grower 2 at low ME content (3% below NRC requirements). Backfat thickness and NEFA were not influenced by 2 factors. Increasing ME increased (P < 0.05) PUN during Grower 1 whereas increasing ELPL tended to increase (P = 0.077) PUN during Grower 2. In conclusion, supplementation of ELPL enhanced growth and feed intake of pigs from 50 to 75 kg BW, especially when dietary ME was above NRC requirement (3%) by fat supplementation (4%). These improvements may be due to increased nutrient utilization as indirectly indicated by increased PUN during fed status.

Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Different Pastures Implemented as a Management Strategy for Climate Change

The increase in global average temperature has significant implications for food security and agriculture production. Grass species adapted to new climate scenarios are essential for the success of livestock production. The aim of this study was to evaluate different forage species, providing animal feed during critical dry periods as an adaptation strategy for livestock grazing systems, and its implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The field experiment was conducted during September 2015 to September 2017, with four treatments (n = 5, completely randomized block design), including two perennial forages, Bromus valdivianus (Bromus), Lotus corniculatus (Lotus), alone and in a mixture pasture (Br/L). As a control treatment, the forage species commonly seeded by the farmer was used (hybrid ryegrasses + Oat, Control). One-half of the plots was used for nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) measurements, and the remaining half for destructive soil and forage sampling. Gas fluxes were measured using the static chambers technique. Cumulative emissions of N–N2O, C–CH4 and CO2−eq were not affected by treatments, averaging 1.7 kg N–N2O ha−1, 3.2 kg C–CH4 ha−1 and 635.5 kg CO2 ha−1, respectively (p > 0.05). However, emission intensity tended to be lower for Br/L compared with other treatments (p = 0.06) during the second year, while pasture yield was greater for Br/L (p < 0.05). The control showed a greater average pasture yield (first and second years) compared to other treatments, with the highest metabolizable energy and the lowest crude protein content. Our results suggest that a mix pasture Br/L as a management strategy would promote farm adaptation, given that it favors pasture yield at critical dry periods during the year. This inclusion also reduces N–N2O emissions from grassland soils as well as favoring C–CH4 capture. Our study determined that N–N2O and C–CH4 emissions were regulated by soil variables, mainly soil moisture and soil temperature. Extension and knowledge transfer should be provided to farmers to account for potential adoption barriers, such as low short-term yield.

Assessing the Fodder Potentials of Drought-Tolerant Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids in West Africa

The study evaluated the fodder potential of 42 promising drought-tolerant (DT) three-way cross maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids, 11 commercial hybrid checks, and 1 local variety check under irrigation. Agronomic and laboratory trials were conducted to determine their morphological traits and fodder potential. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to group cultivars into clusters is based on quantity, quality, and the combination of both variables. Selection of potential food-feed cultivars was based on the quantity traits (grain and biomass yield) and quality traits crude protein (CP), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and metabolizable energy (ME). Variation was found for dry matter yield (DMY) at harvest as commercial hybrid recording the maximum DMY of 14.1 t ha−1 and the highest grain yield of 1.4 t ha−1 (P < 0.01), while local check produced a minimum grain yield of 0.54 t ha−1 (P < 0.01) with grain moisture content range between 8.4 and 11.6%. The maximum mean ash content was 5.8% for DT hybrids. Average CP was the highest in commercial hybrids with a value of 6.1%. The mean values for ME were similar (P > 0.01) in both commercial hybrids (7.2 MJ/kg DM) and DT hybrid (7.2 MJ/kg DM), while the highest ME (7.6 MJ/kg DM) was recorded for the local check. Ranking of the hybrids based on grain yield, DMY, CP, ME, and IVOMD showed that cluster subgroup A3 (M1124–24, M1527-7, 30F32, and M1427-6) and A4 (M1427-3, SC637, and M1627-11) exhibited the best potential traits and can therefore be recommended for commercial cultivation following adoption trials by farmers.

Morphology and forage quality in buffel, rhodes, and blue grama grasses in Valle del Mezquital

This study aims to evaluate the production and quality of buffel (Pennisetum ciliare), rhodes (Chloris gayana), and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) forage with three defoliation dates —at 50, 80, and 110 days after regrowth (dar)— in Valle del Mezquital. Crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), and metabolizable energy (ME) were determined. A completely randomized design with three repetitions, a Tukey test for mean separation (α 0.05), and SAS Proc GLM for data analysis were used. The highest forage production occurs in the rhodes forage at 110 dar (12,936 kg DM ha-1). The highest CP (10.6%) was found in the buffel forage at 50 dar; in the rhodes forage, both values (80 and 110) were lower than 7%. The highest RFV was obtained by exotic grasses; however, higher TDN was recorded for the blue grama grass. Rhodes grass obtained the lowest ME at 80 dar (1.76), while the highest ME was obtained by buffel at 50 dar (1.91). The three varieties can be defoliated when the plants show intermediate yield and nutritional value, i.e., 80 days after the regrowth begins; nevertheless, buffel and rhodes should be defoliated at 50 dar.

Progress towards delivering high metabolisable energy ryegrass

A method developed at AgResearch to increase leaf fatty acids (FA) and plant growth called ‘High metabolizable energy’ (‘HME’) could elevate the nutritional quality and productivity of perennial ryegrass-based pastures. The industry strategy has been to perform HME ryegrass field trials offshore to test whether the herbage FA, gross energy (GE) and yield enhancing traits observed in containment translate into field swards. To complement the field testing programme, we have also characterised the growth and nutritional profile of HME miniswards under simulated grazing in containment. The results from one such trial are presented. The major changes measured in HME miniswards; increased FA (+0.8–1.4 %DW), increased GE (+0.3–0.5 MJ/kgDM), and generally similar herbage DW production, closely mirror data from field trials with hemizygous HME populations in the Midwest USA. Changes in other HME nutritional components were generally minor, although WSC was reduced late in the diurnal cycle. Secondary effects of HME on photosynthesis appear to be diminished in swards, suggesting that HME yield benefits may be limited to specific environment and management scenarios. The primary benefit of HME technology is thus expected to come from increasing the energy density of pasture, and animal feeding trials using homozygous HME material are now required.

Effects of dietary palm oil on broiler chicken productive performance and carcass characteristics: a comprehensive review

Palm oil is a natural energy source ingredient in poultry diets that offers a broad range of beneficial effects on the performance of broiler chickens. This review was conducted to highlight the impact of palm oil as a feed ingredient on growth performance and carcass quality, as well as the biochemical, antioxidant activity and tissue fatty acids (FA) composition of broiler chickens. Palm oil inclusion in broiler chickens' rations contributes significantly to the high metabolisable energy (ME) of feed formulation, increases feed palatability and decreases digesta passage rate in the intestine. The reviewed literature indicated that dietary palm oil has a beneficial effect on broiler chickens' overall growth performance traits. The addition of palm oil can also improve the heat tolerance of chickens reared in high ambient temperature conditions. Regardless of breed and breeding conditions, palm oil exhibits good oxidative stability in broiler chickens due to the presence of prevalent phytonutrient elements in this oil. The inclusion of palm oil increased palmitic (C16:0) and oleic (C18:1) acids in tissue deposits, which improves meat stability and quality. Moreover, molecular studies have revealed that higher mRNA expression of several lipid-related hepatic genes in broiler chickens fed palm oil. Nonetheless, dietary palm oil can influence FA deposition in tissues, modulate lipoprotein and triglycerides (TG) levels, and cytokine contents in the blood serum of broiler chickens.

Determination, comparison, and prediction of digestible energy, metabolizable energy, and standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in novel maize co-products and conventional distillers dried grains with solubles for swine

The objectives of this study were to determine and compare the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and the coefficient of standardized ileal digestibility (CSID) of amino acids (AA) in novel maize co-products and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for swine and to compare in vivo determined values with calculated values from published equations. Seven maize co-products were used including two sources of conventional DDGS (DDGS-A and DDGS-B), two sources of high protein distillers dried grains (HPDDG-A and HPDDG-B), two sources of high yeast and protein co-products (HYP-A and HYP-B), and one source of maize fiber and solubles (MFS). In Exp. 1, thirty-two barrows (initial body weight = 24.2 ± 3.4 kg) were housed individually in metabolism crates and randomly allotted to a maize-soybean meal basal diet or 1 of 7 diets, in which 300 g/kg of each co-product partially replaced a portion of maize and soybean meal, in a randomized two-period crossover design. Feces and urine were collected in two 7-d adaptation and 4-d collection periods. In Exp.2, sixteen ileal-cannulated barrows (initial body weight = 37.0 ± 3.8 kg) were housed in metabolism crates and assigned to a nitrogen-free diet or 1 of 7 diets containing 300 g/kg of each maize co-product as the sole crude protein (CP) source in a repeated 8 × 4 Youden square design to determine CSID of AA. Diets were fed for four consecutive 7-d periods (5-d adaptation and 2-d ileal digesta collection). Co-products contained 18.34–22.28 MJ/kg gross energy, 155.3–502.0 g/kg CP, 46.2–137.4 g/kg ether extract, 95.2–463.2 g/kg neutral detergent fiber, and 4.3–20.8 g/kg Lys on an as-fed basis. The HYP-A and HYP-B had the greatest DE (18.04 and 17.51 MJ/kg DM, respectively) and ME (17.24 and 16.63 MJ/kg DM, respectively) compared with other co-products (P < 0.05), and HPDDG-B had the lowest (P < 0.05) DE and ME. The CSID of Lys ranged from 0.30 to 0.70 among co-products. The CSID for Arg, His, Ile, Lys, Met, Thr, and Val were not different among DDGS-B, HPDDG-A, HYP-A, and HYP-B, while HPDDG-B had the lowest (P < 0.05) CSID for all AA. Use of published equations for DDGS resulted in low prediction accuracy and precision for estimating DE, ME, and SID AA compared with observed values. The high ME and SID Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp of HYP-A and HYP-B indicated greater feeding value for swine compared to other co-products evaluated.

Economic Returns from Cereal and Cereal/Vetch Forage Crops Grown as Fodder Conservation Options for Beef and Sheepmeat Production

The economic return from cereal or cereal/vetch crops was determined using previously published and new agronomic and herbage quality data from experiments conducted at four sites across southern New South Wales, Australia, over four years (2008 to 2011), to evaluate the agronomic and quality parameters of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), two barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), two oat (Avena sativa L.), and one triticale (x Triticosecale) variety, grown as monocultures or in combination with purple vetch (Vicia benghalensis L.). The crops (n = 193) were harvested at different stages of cereal maturity and ranged in metabolisable energy (ME) from 6.9 to 13.1 MJ/kg DM and crude protein (CP) content from 49.8 to 215.4 g/kg DM. Individual crop ME and CP content was used to predict dry matter intake and liveweight gain using Grazfeed decision support tool, assuming the forages were fed as the sole diet to either crossbred lambs or British breed steers, with initial liveweights of 30 or 300 kg respectively. Animal parameters and yield were used to estimate gross margins (GM) for each crop based on estimated fixed and variable costs, including sowing and fertiliser costs, and harvesting and feedout costs. Feed quality determined animal production and potential income per animal, while yield determined potential income per hectare for any given level of animal production. Across the three years GM ranged from −$1489 to $5788 in sheep and from −$1764 to $647 in cattle. Reducing costs or increasing livestock value improved the GM. The highest GM were for lambs fed crops with high ME, adequate CP, and good yields. Increasing yield reduced the GM when growth rates were low, and costs exceeded the value of liveweight gain.

Chemical Composition and Digestibility of Major Feed Resources in Tanqua-Abergelle District of Central Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Background A detailed study on the feed quantity and quality is required to document the available feeds and their nutritional values. Aim The study was aimed to investigate and document the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of major feed resources available in Tanqua-Abergelle district of central Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Methods Ten different feed resources were evaluated for their nutritive values. Representative feed samples were collected and prepared following appropriate procedures. The samples were subjected to analysis of chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) using proper scientific procedures. Results Wide variations were observed in nutritive values of the investigated feeds. The highest crude protein (CP) was measured in Atella (15.90%) followed by green grass (13.20%), mill waste (10.90%), groundnut straw (9.18%), and cowpea straw (8.11%) in descending order. Mill waste (11.84 MJ/kg DM) and Atella (11.81 MJ/kg DM) had the highest metabolizable energy (ME) followed by green grass (9.83 MJ/kg DM), groundnut straw (9.28 MJ/kg DM), Teff straw (8.56 MJ/kg DM), and cowpea straw (8.39 MJ/kg DM) in that order. The highest NDF was recorded in groundnut null (79.80%) and the lowest NDF in mill waste (35.00%) and Atella (40.60%). The highest IVDMD was seen in mill waste (81.43%) and Atella (81.21%) and the lowest in groundnut hull (39.95%). Conclusion The nonconventional feeds have moderate protein and reduced fiber contents, and thus, they can be utilized as supplement for poor-quality feeds. These feeds need further investigation using animals to substantiate the current study.

Feeding strategies for improving ruminant productivity in the post-COVID 19 pandemic era particularly for small holders

COVID-19 has highlighted the need for robust cattle supply chains using local feed resources. Higher Income Over Food Costs (IOFC) are usually achieved when live weight gains are high and the cost of the ingredients are low. There is a need to formulate rations with high metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) to achieve the high live weight gain. Rations can be formulated locally by farmer co-operatives, entrepreneurs and local commercial enterprises to take advantage of cheaper prices for local ingredients. To do this, rations need to be altered quickly to take advantage of local fluctuations in prices and availability of ingredients. A recent ACIAR funded project has developed a least cost ration (ACIAR LCR) system to formulate rations to meet minimum ME and CP contents for beef cattle using locally available ingredients. The use of cassava and its various products in combination with protein sources, such as tree legumes and high protein by-products, have markedly improved IOFC.

Effects of feed particle size on energy values for broiler chickens at various ages

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various geometric mean diameters (GMDs) of particles of corn, pelleted soybean meal and a corn-soy mixture in the proportion of 70% and 30%, respectively, on the nutritional value of the feeds. The study evaluated energy consumption, the contents of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and AME corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) and the metabolizability coefficients for broiler chickens at various ages. A total of 540 Cobb 500 male broilers were housed in metabolic cages (experimental units). Trials were performed separately with each feed. A completely randomized design was used with four treatments, namely corn with 573, 636, 851, and 1012 μm GMDs; pelleted soybean meal with 538, 550, 665, and 741 μm GMDs; and the corn-soy mixture with 627, 658, 893, and 1040 μm GMDs. Birds were evaluated on days 1 - 10, 11 - 20, 21 - 30, and 31 - 40. Larger GMDs resulted in lower energy consumption. From 1 to 10 days, birds consumed less metabolizable energy than older birds. Birds fed corn from days 1 to 10 had higher metabolizable energy (P &lt;0.05) with increasing GMD up to 1042 μm. However, the results varied, depending on the feed and its combinations. The use of coarse particles could reduce the costs of grinding, and would have few effects on the metabolizable energy of broiler chickens.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

The Estimation of Metabolizable Energy Using an Analysis of Ruminal Fermented Gas Production in Protected Lemuru Fish Oil

This study has purpose to estimate the metabolic energy of protected lemuru fish oil using the rumen fermentation gas production analysis. This study applied a combination of treatments, which is differences in NaOH concentrations and drying methods on the total gas production in vitro. The gas production was determined at the incubation of 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. This study applied a Completely Randomized Design on 3x2 factorial. The parameters observed included the total gas production, the data were tested using an analysis of variance and continued with the Duncan test. The results of this study indicated that at the incubation time of 48 hours and 72 hours, there was no difference in the interaction between the NaOH concentration and the drying method on the total gas production, and there was a significant difference between the NaOH concentration and the drying method in terms of metabolizable energy (ME). The results of the highest ME value in the protected lemuru fish oil were 10% NaOH concentration and the sun drying method was 4.56 MJ/Kg BK, it can be concluded that the ME estimation is influenced by the yield of incubation gas production for 24 hours.

Effect of a high crude protein content diet during energy restriction and re-alimentation on animal performance, skeletal growth and metabolism of bone tissue in two genotypes of cattle.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of diet crude protein (CP) content and metabolisable energy (ME) intake on skeletal growth and associated parameters of growing steers prior to and during compensatory growth in weight and catch-up growth in skeletal elongation. The experiment was a factorial design with two cattle genotypes [Brahman crossbred (BX, 178 ± 6 kg) and Holstein-Friesian (HF, 230 ± 34 kg)] and three nutritional treatments; high CP content and high ME intake (HCP-HME), high CP content and low ME intake (HCP-LME) and low CP content and low ME intake (LCP-LME) with the ME intake of HCP-LME matched to that of LCP-LME. Nutritional treatments were imposed over a 103 d period (Phase 1), and after this, all steers were offered ad libitum access to the HCP-HME nutritional treatment for 100 d (Phase 2). Steers fed the high CP content treatment with a low ME intake, showed higher hip height gain (P = 0.04), larger terminal hypertrophic chondrocytes (P = 0.02) and a higher concentration of total triiodothyronine in plasma (P = 0.01) than steers with the same ME intake of the low CP content treatment. In addition, the low CP treatment resulted in significant decreases in bone volume (P = 0.03), bone surface area (P = 0.03) and the concentration of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in plasma (P < 0.001) compared to steers fed the HCP-HME treatment. A significant interaction between genotype and nutritional treatment existed for the concentration of thyroxine (T4) in plasma where HF steers fed LCP-LME had a lower T4 concentration in plasma (P = 0.05) than BX steers. All steers with a restricted ME intake during Phase 1 demonstrated compensatory growth during Phase 2. However, HF steers fed the LCP treatment during Phase 1 showed a tendency (P = 0.07) for a greater LWG during Phase 2 without any increase in dry matter intake. Results observed at the growth plate and hip height growth suggest that catch-up growth in cattle may also be explained by the growth plate senescence hypothesis. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, the results demonstrate that greater CP intake during ME restriction does not increase compensatory gain in cattle during re-alimentation.

A review of okara (soybean curd residue) utilization as animal feed: Nutritive value and animal performance aspects.

Year by year, huge quantities of by-products are generated during the manufacturing process of soybean-based products. Okara is one of the by-products, and it is an insoluble portion of the soybean. It consists of high moisture (8.4-22.9%); on dry matter basis, it contains high metabolizable energy (9.0-14.2MJ/kg) and other components that include crude protein (20.9-39.1%), crude fiber (12.2-61.3%), crude fat (4.9-21.5%), and ash (3.4-5.3%). Fermentation of okara improves its nutritional quality and reduces its anti-nutrient contents. Due to animals' palatability, okara can be used to replace the soybean meal/concentrate feed partially or completely in ruminant's diet and partially in nonruminant's diet. Okara feeding does not depress the intake, digestibility, growth, milk production, blood metabolic profiles, and meat quality of animals. However, this by-product decays quickly due to its high moisture content, and its heavy weight and sticky nature make it difficult to process and expensive to dry using conventional methods. This paper thoroughly summarizes the utilization of okara as animal feed in the cause of developing a general guideline with favorable levels of inclusion in the diets of animals for its exploitation and valorization. This review will encourage further research to develop eco-friendly and value added feed for animals.

Evaluation of different combinations of palm kernel cake - and cotton seed cake - based diets on the performance of West African Dwarf goats

An experiment was carried out using 15 West African Dwarf goats (8 - 10kg body weight) to investigate the comparative performance of the animals when different combinations of palm kernel cake and cotton seed cake were contained in their diets. Results indicated that 40% palm kernel cake (zero cotton seed cake) in the diets significantly induced better feed utilization for gain (100g/d) and feed conversion ratio (3.70), least total dry matter intake (4.8% body weight) and leasi water consumption (40ml/ ww. kg; P&gt;0.05) than other combinations. The least crude protein (15.5%) and the highest metabolizable energy (8.37 MJ/kg) diet (40% PKC) provoked the fastest growth rate (100g/d) in the animals. Concentrate intake was higher in all the treatments than grass intake. The blood glucose, total blood protein, blood urea nitrogen and cost per kg body weight (18.3, 13.3, 31.Omg/dl and N33.8 (0.4 US dollar), respectively) were significantly lower in goats fed sole palm kernel cake based diets than those fed combinations of palm kernel cake and cottonseed cake. It is concluded that palm kernel cake alone (without any combination with cottonseed cake) is adequate as protein source in compounding protein supplements for West African Dwarf goats for profitable performance.

Sour sop (Annona muricata L) leaf meal enhanced growth ofWest African Dwarf goats

Apart from the use of sour sop (Annonamuricata) as food crop, the leaves, seeds andmany of the plant parts are used in traditional medicine for treatment of kidney problems, fever with antispasmodic, antidysenteric, and parasiticidal activity. Thus, a 63 day study was conducted to evaluate the feed potentials and effect of sour sop (Annona muricata) leafmeal (AMLM) on growth performance ofWest African dwarf (WAD) weaned goats. Nine (9)WAD goats were grouped into three and assigned diets containing 0%, 10%, and 20%Annona leaf meal.Formulated feedswere offered at3%of bodyweight in themorning andgmelina leaves later in the day. Feed intake was recorded daily while weight gain was taken weekly and feed conversion ratio was calculated to determine growth performance. Proximate composition of the leaf meal was determined according AOAC, (2000). The result showed high metabolisable energy, dry matter, ash, and crude fiber of 2563.5Kcal/Kg, 93.91%, 10.62% and 16.20% respectively,moderate level of nitrogen free extract (42.39%) and crude protein (20.41%) which is an indication thatAnnonamuricata leafmeal could be a suitable feedstuff for ruminant animals. The performance results showed that feed intake was significantly higher in group 1(0%AMLM) and lower in group 3(20%AMLM). However, no significant (P&gt;0.05) differences were observed among the groups on weight gain and feed conversion ratio proving that the diet treatment had no significant effect on the goats. Therefore,Annona muricata leafmeal could be an alternative to high-cost goat nutritionwithout compromising growth performance.

PSVI-4 Digestible and metabolizable energy content, and standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in novel corn co-products for swine

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine and compare the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) content, and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids in novel corn co-products and dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) for swine. Seven corn co-products were evaluated including 2 conventional DDGS (DDGS-A and DDGS-B), 1 corn fiber and solubles (CFS), 2 high protein distillers’ grains (HPDG-A and HPDG-B), and 2 high yeast and protein co-products (HYP-A and HYP-B). In Exp.1, 32 barrows (BW = 24.2 ± 3.4 kg) were housed individually in metabolism crates and randomly allotted to a corn-soybean meal basal diet or 1 of 7 diets containing 30% of a co-product in a randomized two-period crossover design. Feces and urine were collected in 2 periods (7-d adaptation and 4-d collection). In Exp.2, 16 ileal-cannulated barrows (BW = 37.0 ± 3.8 kg) were assigned to 1 of 8 diets in a repeated 8 × 4 Youden square design. An N-free diet, and 7 test diets containing 1 of 7 corn co-products as the sole protein source were used. Diets were fed to pigs for four 7-d periods (5-d adaptation and 2-d ileal digesta collection). The HYP-A and HYP-B had the greatest (P &amp;lt; 0.05) DE (4,309 and 4,183 kcal/kg DM, respectively) and ME (4,118 and 3,972 kcal/kg DM, respectively), and HPDG-B had the lowest (P &amp;lt; 0.05) DE and ME (2,266 and 2,168 kcal/kg DM, respectively) among all corn co-products. The SID of Arg, His, Ile, Lys, Met, Thr, and Val were similar among DGS-B, HPDG-A, HYP-A, and HYP-B, while HPDG-B had the lowest (P &amp;lt; 0.05) SID coefficients for all AA and CP. The high ME and SID Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp content of HYP-A and HYP-B indicate greater feeding value for swine compared to other co-products evaluated.

PSIX-11 In vitro fermentation parameters of defatted hemp samples at different levels of irrigation

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the influence of defatted hemp under three irrigation regimes (0, 100, and 200 mm: DF0, DF1, and DF2 respectively) on in vitro fermentation parameters relative to alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Fermentation kinetics was accessed through in vitro gas production technique. Two ruminally cannulated Angus steers were used as inoculum donors in four incubation runs. For each incubation, four 160-mL serum bottles containing 200 mg of air-dried samples were incubated in 14 mL of buffering media and 4 mL of rumen inoculum. Each incubation spanned 48h with gas production measured at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48-h post-incubation. In vitro true digestibility of dry matter (IVTDMD) and organic matter (IVTOMD), total gas production (TGP), metabolizable energy (ME) and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) were determined. Hemp and alfalfa were compared via orthogonal contrast using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (version 9.4) with treatment as fixed effect and run as a random. Relative to alfalfa (Alf) hemp displayed increased TGP (P &amp;lt; 0.01; 31.1 vs. 27.47 mL) that remained following correction for DM and OM (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, IVTDMD and IVTOMD were higher for hemp (P &amp;lt; 0.01; 77.7 vs. 70.2% and 81.7 vs. 73.9%). Hemp yielded slightly higher ME (P = 0.03) but equivalent total VFA production when compared to Alf (P = 0.62), even when corrected for DM and OM. Irrigation at 200 mm decreased TGP and fermentability of fat-extracted hemp (p-value). Results also indicate that irrigation at its highest level is detrimental to the availability of ME for rumen microbes, but not with the expense of the in vitro digestibility (IVTDMD and IVTOMD) nor in total VFA produced. In conclusion, defatted hemp samples appear to have greater digestibility and ME with equivalent VFA production relative to alfalfa.

Impact of winter fodder beet or kale allocation on body condition score gain and early lactation performance of dairy cows

Forage crops such as fodder beet (FB) and kale are an important feature of dairy farming in Southland and Otago where winter pasture growth is negligible. However, farmers are concerned about poor performance of cows following winter FB feeding. In winter 2017, cows were offered FB or kale both with pasture baleage at two allocation rates: target (crop allocated to achieve a winter body condition score (BCS) gain of 0.7) or high (ad libitum crop). Diets with FB were lower in fibre, phosphorus, sulphur and calcium, but had a higher metabolizable energy, compared with kale diets. Body condition change and early lactation performance were monitored to compare effects of winter FB and kale diets. Average daily BCS gain before calving was similar for FB and kale cows. Crop type had a greater impact on cow performance than allocation rate. Cows wintered on FB had better reproductive performance (3-week pregnancy rate), and greater average milk solids, fat and protein yield (kg/d) than cows wintered on kale. Therefore, winter FB did not reduce cow performance compared with kale. However, the cumulative effects of a FB diet long term are yet to be determined and future research should monitor the impact on animal health.

Intake, gain and carcass traits of Hereford and Charolais bulls offered diets based on triticale, barley and grass silages

Total mixed rations (TMR) based on grass silage (GS), triticale silage (TS), mixture of GS and TS, barley silage (BS) and mixture of GS and BS were fed to fifty Hereford (HF) and fifty Charolais (CH) bulls. The proportion (g kg-1 dry matter [DM]) of the silages in the TMRs were as follows: (1) GS (600); (2) TS (600); (3) GS (300) and TS (300); (4) BS (600); (5) GS (300) and BS (300). Concentrate proportion was 400 g kg-1 DM. According to feed analyses, the GS had 15 and 8% higher metabolizable energy (ME) concentration as well as 51 and 49% higher crude protein (CP) concentration compared to TS and BS, respectively. Average DM intake (DMI) on TS and BS containing diets was higher compared to GS as a sole forage (p=0.001). Compared to the TS based rations the use of BS rations increased daily DMI by 5% (p&lt;0.05). In CH bulls, DMI decreased 0.8 kg d-1when GS partially replaced TS or BS while in HF bulls the use of silage mixtures slightly increased DMI (0.23 kg d-1). The live weight gain (LWG) and carcass gain of the CH bulls were 5 and 26% higher, respectively, compared to the HF bulls. Inclusion of GS in the diet increased LWG and carcass gain with TS but decreased them with BS (interaction p&lt;0.01). The experiment demonstrated lower feeding value of TS compared to BS in the diet of the bulls. Whole crop silage based rations increased DMI compared to GS as a sole forage in the TMR. When GS partially replaced TS or BS, interactions in LWG and carcass gain results demonstrated higher feeding value for BS and lower for TS compared to GS. Feeding treatments had only minor effects on carcass traits of the bulls.