Neutral Detergent Fiber Intake Research Articles

Replacing ground Rhodes grass hay with soyhulls in the pelleted diet: effects on ingestive behavior, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, growth performance, and economic viability of intensive fattening Lohi lambs.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing soyhulls (SH) for ground Rhodes grass hay (RGH) in a pelleted diet on ingestive behavior, digestibility, blood metabolites, growth performance, and economic viability of fattening Lohi lambs. A total of thirty male lambs (age: 5months; body weight 20.4 ± 0.24kg) were allotted to one of the three diets (n = 10 lambs/diet) under a completely randomized design. The diets were with 25% RGH inclusion (control), replacing 15% RGH with 15% SH as a fiber source (SH-15), and containing only 25% SH inclusion on a dry basis (SH-25). Ingestive behavior parameters like time spent (min/day), bouts frequency (number/day), and bout length (min/bout) for feeding, drinking, rumination, chewing, standing, and lying were not influenced (P > 0.05) by replacing RGH with SH. The dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) chewing rate, rumination rate, and feeding efficiency were also not changed (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments, whereas total dry matter and NDF intakes, and their rumination efficiencies were lower (P < 0.05) for the SH-25 than for the rest of the treatments. The digestibility of NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF) was higher (P < 0.05) for the SH-25 than for the rest of the treatments. The concentrations of blood metabolites like glucose, blood nitrogen, and cholesterol were not changed (P > 0.05) among the treatment groups. Similarly, performance parameters like dry matter intake, initial and final body weight, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio were similar (P > 0.05) across the treatments. However, the incidence of loose fecal consistency was higher (P < 0.05) for SH-25 than for the control. The values of economic efficiency were better for SH-25-fed lambs than those fed the rest of the treatments. Based on the results, substituting SH for RGH in a pelleted diet improved the digestibility of fiber fractions, and economics without affecting the growth performance, and blood metabolites of fattening lambs. However, lower rumination efficiency and loos fecal consistency are evidencing less effectiveness of SH fiber.

Effects of non-protein nitrogen on buffel grass fiber and ruminal bacterial composition in sheep

This study aimed to evaluate different concentrations of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) ruminal infusion in sheep fed buffel grass hay on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal parameters, nitrogen balance, and rumen bacterial composition. Five rumen-fistulated adult wethers, weighing 58 ± 5.1 kg were distributed according to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The control treatment consisted of a 5.5% crude protein (CP) buffel grass hay basal diet only, while the other four treatments consisted of the addition, via ruminal infusion, of increasing amounts of NPN to gradually raise the level of CP in the basal diet (7.44, 9.39, 11.33 and 13.27% CP). There was a quadratic effect for the intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), CP, ether extract (EE) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Values of pH, volatile fatty acids, microbial protein, microbial efficiency and digestibility coefficients were not affected by CP levels in basal diet. On the other hand, there was a linear effect for the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NNH3) and nitrogen (N) in urine, and a quadratic effect for ingested and excreted N in feces, as well as for N balance. There was no effect of the different CP levels on the ruminal microbial composition. While the 5.5% CP basal diet provided sufficient NPN supply for the maintenance of ruminal bacterial activity, increased CP concentrations from 7.34 to 8.66% by means of ruminal infusion with NPM optimized the utilization of buffel grass nutrients by sheep.

Effect of kraft pulp inclusion in calf starter on performance, health, and plasma concentration of glucagon-like peptide 2 in calves

Kraft pulp (KP), an intermediate product obtained when wood chips are converted to paper, contains highly digestible fiber. This study evaluated the effect of KP inclusion in calf starters on growth performance, health, and plasma glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) concentration in calves. Twenty-five Holstein heifer calves were raised on a high plane of nutrition program using milk replacer containing 29% crude protein and 18% fat until 49 d after birth, and were fed calf starters containing KP at 0 (CON; n = 14) or 12% (KPS; n = 11) on a dry matter basis. All calves were fed the treatment calf starters and timothy hay ad libitum. Blood was collected at 4, 14, 21, 35, 49, 70, and 91 d after birth. Dry matter intake (DMI) of milk replacer and hay was not affected by treatment, whereas calf starter DMI was lower for KPS (0.93 kg/d) than for CON (1.03 kg/d). Higher neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content in KPS (31.7%) than in the CON starter (22.1%) resulted in higher NDF intake for KPS (0.55 kg/d) than for CON (0.47 kg/d). However, the consumption of starch was lower for KPS (0.29 kg/d) than for CON (0.33 kg/d). Despite the lower starter intake for KPS, body weight and average daily gain did not differ between treatments. No significant difference was observed in the plasma concentrations of metabolites, except for β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB); BHB concentration was lower for KPS (216 μmol/L) than for CON (257 μmol/L). The area under the curve for plasma GLP-2 concentration was higher for KPS (54.1 ng/mL × d) than for CON (36.0 ng/mL × d). Additionally, the fecal score postweaning (1.19 and 1.48 for KPS and CON, respectively) and the number of days that calves developed diarrhea throughout the experimental period (2.50 d and 8.10 d for KPS and CON, respectively) were lower for KPS than for CON. These results indicate that feeding KP reduces the severity and frequency of diarrhea without adversely affecting growth performance. This could be attributed to the increased plasma GLP-2 concentration induced by higher NDF intake.

Growth performance and economic impact of Simmental fattening bulls fed dry or corn silage-based total mixed rations.

Bull-fattening diets in Europe and most developed countries around the world have traditionally been based on corn silage, starch-rich, and high-energy/ high-protein supplemental feeds. The impact of climate change on crop yields feed availability, and price volatility, requires new and adapted feeding strategies, including for fattening bulls. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the growth performance and economic impact of a representative, conventional corn silage-based (CONVL) total mixed ration, and a dry (DRY) total mixed ration (TMR) fed to Simmental bulls. For nine months (272days), 24 bulls (215±10kg BW) were randomly assigned to one of two TMR feeding groups (n=12 per group). The DRY-TMR was primarily characterised by the nutrient fibre source, exclusively based on straw and other by-products. The diets were formulated and balanced based on the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System. After 272days of fattening, bulls were slaughtered. Feed intake, average daily gain (ADG)/DM intake (DMI) ratio, and nutrient intake were affected by treatment, time, and their interaction (P<0.05). The treatment affected neither acid detergent lignin intake nor starch intake. Compared with CONVL bulls, animals fed DRY-TMR consumed more non-fibre carbohydrates and rumen undegradable neutral detergent fibre, showing lesser dry and fresh matter intake and less metabolisable energy and physically effective neutral detergent fibre intake. Despite differences in nutrient intake (P<0.05), particle size distribution between the two diets and growth performance were not different (P=0.45). Simmental bulls in both treatment groups reached target weight in a shorter time due to high ADG of 1.87kg (DRY-TMR) and 1.84kg (CONVL). Both treatments achieved a positive profit margin (598±28 €/bull). While total income per bull and dressing percentage did not differ between treatments, the substantially higher feed costs (P<0.01) of the DRY-TMR resulted in a higher (P=0.04) income over feed cost in favour of the CONVL treatment group. Despite the higher feed cost of DRY compared with CONVL diets, the better ADG/DMI ratio (P<0.01) of DRY-TMR contributed to lower absolute feed quantity requirements during the fattening period. Due to the positive profit margin and high ADG results, DRY-TMR solutions for fattening bulls based on straw and by-products can be considered a promising alternative feeding strategy.

The effects of ration particle size and live yeast supplementation on dairy cows performance under heat stress conditions

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of ration particle size and dietary supplementation of live yeast (LY; Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on dry matter intake, milk yield and milk quality, apparent nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation parameters, and ruminal volatile fatty acids in dairy cattle under heat stress condition. Four multiparous Holstein dairy cattle in midlactation were fed 4 diets: high particle size (HPS), high particle size with 1g/d/cow LY (Levucell® Sc 10 ME Titan® CNCM I-1077 (10 × 109cfu/g) (HPS + LY), short particle size (SPS), short particle size with 1g/d/cow LY (Levucell® Sc 10 ME Titan® CNCM I-1077 (10 × 109cfu/g) (SPS + LY). Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial within a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Decreasing ration particle size increased intakes of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (P < 0.05) but decreased peNDF intake (P < 0.0001). Milk production and milk fat percentage were similar in cows. Cows fed SPS had lower milk protein percentage (P < 0.05). No treatments had any significant effect on apparent nutrient digestibility. Ruminal pH was higher in cows supplemented LY (P < 0.05). The ruminal total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration and percentage of VFAs were not significantly affected by ration particle size or dietary LY supplementing. Rectal temperature (oC) and respiratory rate (breaths/min) were similar between the groups. In conclusion, it may be concluded that decreasing ration particle size increased DM, and NDF intakes, without affecting milk yield or feed efficiency in cows exposed moderate heat stress.

Effects of substituting sericea lespedeza for lucerne on nutrient digestibility and utilization in feedlot lambs

The current study evaluated the effects of dietary increments of sericea lespedeza (SL, Lespedeza juncea var. sericea) as a substitute for lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in lamb finishing diets on nutrient intake and digestibility, rumen fermentation, microbial nitrogen (N) supply, N balance, and N utilization efficiency. Following a completely randomized design, 25 Dohne Merino intact male lambs (4–5 months old) with an average initial weight of 28.2 ± 1.74 kg were equally assigned to five dietary treatments containing 0, 62.5, 125, 187.5 and 250 g SL per kg diet as replacement for lucerne in total mixed rations. The lambs were acclimatized to the diets and environment for 21 days before data collection during a 5-day period. Daily, the feed offered, refusals and total fecal matter were weighed to determine nutrient intake and digestibility, while urine was collected for the determination of urine nitrogen and purine derivatives excretion. At the end of the data collection period, lambs were humanely slaughtered, and the rumen was opened to determine ruminal pH, and collect representative samples of rumen fluid to determine ruminal fermentation parameters. Dietary increments of SL had no influence (P > 0.05) on the lambs’ nutrient intake except for neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom) intake which increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with SL inclusion. As SL increased in the diets, the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, aNDFom, and ether extract linearly declined (P ≤ 0.05). The concentrations of butyrate, valerate, and iso-valerate were quadratically (P ≤ 0.05) influenced by dietary inclusion of SL with maximum concentrations observed at the 125 g SL/kg inclusion level. Dietary inclusion of SL had no influence (P > 0.05) on purine derivatives excretion, microbial N supply, N balance, and N utilization efficiency. Overall, replacing lucerne with SL up to 250 g/kg in lamb finishing diets had no detrimental effects on nutrient intake and utilization.

Effects of palm kernel cake on nutrient utilization and performance of grazing and confined cattle: a meta-analysis.

A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary palm kernel cake inclusion (PKCInclusion) on the nutrient intake and digestibility, as well as on the performance of cattle under grazing and confined systems. Additionally, potential maximum safe levels (MSL) for PKCInclusion were explored for cattle under those systems using a broken-line approach. Overall, 22 studies for 85 treatment means and 747 experimental units were included in the dataset used for the meta-analysis in which, quantitative responses to increasing PKCInclusion levels were fitted using a mixed model, considering the study as a random effect. Additionally, all studies tested a treatment without the inclusion of PKC (PKCInclusion = 0g/kg DM) in the concentrate and total mixed ration fed to grazing and confined animals, respectively. In grazing animals, intake, and digestibility of dry matter (DM), as well as intake of total digestible nutrient (TDN) and digestibility of crude protein (CP) decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as PKCInclusion increased. Conversely, the intake and digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased linearly (P < 0.01). Additionally, the intake of CP showed a quadratic decreasing pattern (P < 0.01) with the increase in dietary PKCInclusion. In confined animals, intake of DM, CP, NDF, and TDN revealed quadratic patterns (P < 0.01) as PKCInclusion increased. The digestibility of DM, CP, NDF, as well as TDN concentration showed a linear decreasing pattern (P < 0.05) as PKCInclusion increased. For performance, data revealed that average daily gain (ADG) decreased linearly (P < 0.01) in grazing and confined animals with the increase in PKCInclusion. Feed efficiency (FE) decreased linearly (P < 0.01) in grazing animals, whereas it showed a linear increase (P < 0.05) in confined animals. Exploration of the quadratic relationships of intake of DM, CP, NDF, and TDN with PKCInclusion in confined animals revealed MSL values for PKC ranging from 85.56 ± 14.2 to 126.4 ± 14.7g PKC/kg DM. In grazing animals, exploration of the quadratic relationship of intake of CP with PKCInclusion, revealed an MSL value of 96.23 ± 9.01g PKC/kg DM. In conclusion, data revealed that the use of PKC in both confined and grazing systems reduces the nutrient utilization and performance of cattle in a dose-dependent manner without a maximum safe level that does not reduce animal performance.

Effect of waste mango silage on the in vitro gas production, in situ digestibility, intake, apparent digestibility, and ruminal characteristics in calf diets.

Mexico is the fifth largest producer of mangoes in the world. For the conservation of agro-industrial waste and crop residues, the ensiling technique has shown good results. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of increasing the level of mango silage (86% waste mango and 14% pangola grass hay) in calf diets on in vitro gas production, in situ digestibility, intake, apparent digestibility, and ruminal characteristics. The diets contained 0 (T0), 30 (T1), 45 (T2), and 60% (T3) mango silage. The partial (24, 48, and 72 h) and cumulative (72 h) biogas, CH4 production, and degradation were determined in the in vitro evaluation. In situ digestibility and estimators of fermentation kinetics of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) were determined. Intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, and rumen parameters of calves (200 kg) were evaluated in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Response to increased mango silage was calculated by linear and quadratic orthogonal contrasts. In vitro partial and cumulative biogas production decreased linearly (p < 0.05), and the partial and cumulative CH4 production did not show linear or quadratic contrast (p > 0.05); in vitro DM degradation, in vitro neutral detergent fiber degradation, and in vitro acid detergent fiber degradation showed a linear increase (p < 0.05). In situ dry matter digestibility (DMDis), in situ organic matter digestibility (OMDis), b, a + b, c, and effective digestibility (ED) of DMDis, a, a + b, c, and ED of OMDis increased linearly (p < 0.05). Dry matter intake, OM intake, and crude protein intake showed a linear increase (p < 0.05); NDF intake and ADF intake presented a quadratic behavior (p < 0.05). Apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, and hemicellulose, pH, N-NH3, total bacterial count, acetate, propionate, butyrate, volatile fatty acids, acetate: propionate ratio, cellulolytic bacteria, and protozoa did not present a linear or quadratic orthogonal effect (p > 0.05). The in vitro, in situ, and in vivo variables demonstrated that up to 60% mango silage can be used for the intensive fattening of calves in confinement.

Substitution effects of Acacia mearnsii leaf-meal for Triticum aestivum bran on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and nitrogen retention in lambs

The study evaluated the effects of substituting increasing levels of Acacia mearnsii leaf-meal (AMLM) for Triticum aestivum bran as the main fibre source in lamb finishing diets on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and nitrogen retention. Twenty-five, three-months-old ram lambs with an average live weight of 25.2 ± 1.41 kg were allocated to one of the five dietary inclusion levels of AMLM (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg DM; n = 5) in a completely randomised design for 28 days. Intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter and crude protein, main individual and total volatile fatty acids, purine derivatives, supply of microbial nitrogen, and nitrogen intake, retention and utilisation efficiency exhibited quadratic (P ≤ 0.05) responses to AMLM reaching a maximum at 100 g/kg DM inclusion level. Ammonia-nitrogen linearly increased (P ≤ 0.05) with dietary addition of AMLM. Intake and digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) exhibited a positive linear trend (P ≤ 0.05) with graded levels of AMLM in the diet while that of ether extract showed a negative trend. In conclusion, replacement of T. aestivum bran with up to 100 g/kg DM of AMLM in lamb finisher diets can improve digestibility of nutrient, rumen fermentation and retention of nitrogen.

Olive leaves as alternative feed for finishing lambs: evaluation of feed intake, nutrients digestibility, growth performance, and carcase quality

This research aims to evaluate how incorporating sun-dried olive leaves (OL) in the diets of Awassi lambs affects production costs, intake and nutrients digestibility, growth performance, and carcase quality. Thirty-six newly weaned male lambs were randomly allocated to one of three diet groups as dry matter (DM) in diets: 1) the control diet (CON), 2) 50 OL g/kg (OL50), and 3) 100 OL g/kg (OL100). On the 50th day, four lambs were randomly selected from each treatment and transported to metabolic cages to evaluate digestibility and N balance. The DM intake was higher (p = .003) in the OL50 and OL100 diets than those on the CON diet. At the same time, the ether extract and metabolisable energy intakes were the highest (p < .0001) in OL100, followed by OL50 and the CON diet. Intake of neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre for lambs fed the OL50 diet surpassed (p < .0001) the other diets. The growth performance parameters were comparable among diets. However, the cost of gain was lower (p = .03) in diets containing OL. The OL incorporation had no treatment effect (p > .05) on the digestibility, N retention, carcase characteristics and meat quality. In conclusion, while the addition of OL at 50 g/kg and 100 g/kg did not affect the growth performance and characteristics of carcase, it did decrease the cost of production, making it a good candidate to replace part of the wheat straw in diets of growing lambs. Highlights Olive leaves percentage substitution of wheat straw improved the nutrients intake in Awassi lambs fed commercial diets. Olive leaves incorporation decreased both the cost of the diet and the cost per kg of gain in Awassi lambs. Olive leaves inclusion did not have a negative effect on digestibility and N Balance, carcase characteristics and meat quality.

Effect of canola oil supplementation level on total tract digestion, ruminal fermentation, and methane emissions of cows grazing Urochloa sp. supplemented with a fixed amount of concentrate

Four rumen-cannulated cows (Bos taurus × Bos indicus, 657 ± 92 kg body weight, BW) in a rotational grazing (Urochloa sp.) system were assigned to different canola oil (CO) inclusion levels, 0.0, 0.40, 0.80, and 1.2 g/kg according to shrunk body weight (SBW, BW adjusted for gastrointestinal filling) in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design to evaluate CO on the CH4 emissions and dietary energy intake. CH4 emissions were estimated using an infrared analyzer methodology (Sniffer method). Grass intake and fecal production were estimated using Cr2O3 as an external marker. CO supplementation increased (linear effect, P ≤ 0.05) total dry matter and gross energy intake with a linear increase (P = 0.09) in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake. While digestible energy (Mcal/kg) linearly increased with increasing CO supplementation level (linear effect, P < 0.05), total tract digestion of organic matter, NDF, and CP was comparable (P > 0.05) between levels. Maximal CO supplementation (1.2 g/kg SBW) significantly decreased total ruminal protozoa population, acetate:propionate ratio, and enteric methane production (g/kg DMI) by 9, 5.3, and 17.5%, respectively. This study showed that, for cows grazing tropical forages, CO can be supplemented up to 1.2 g/kg SBW (5.8% of the total diet) without negatively affecting intake and nutrient digestion while reducing ruminal fermentation efficiency and enteric methane emission (≤ 17.5%).

Prediction models of intake and productive performance of non-castrated Nellore cattle finished in the feedlot system under tropical conditions.

The objective of this study was to understand and predict the intake and performance of Nellore cattle finished in the feedlot. Individual data from 144 non-castrated male Nellore steers finished in the feedlot between the years 2016 and 2020 were used. Descriptive statistical analyses and Pearson's correlation were performed. The outliers were tested by evaluating the studentized residuals in relation to the values predicted by the equations. Residues that were outside the range of - 2.5 to 2.5 were removed. The goodness of fit of the developed equations was evaluated by the coefficients of determination (r2) and root mean square error (RMSE). The mean dry matter intake (DMI) was 10.2kg/day, neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI) was 3.4kg/day, corresponding to 33.3% of DMI, crude protein intake (CPI) was 1.6kg/day, and total digestible nutrient intake (TDNI) was 7.1kg/day. The CPI to ADG ratio was 1.3kg CPI/kg ADG and the TDNI to CPI ratio was 4.5kg TDNI/kg CPI. The averages of productive performance were 1.3kg/day for average daily gain (ADG), 152.6kg for total weight gain (TWG), and 497.8kg for final body weight (FBW) in average days in the confinement of 115.7days. The intake measures correlated significantly with the performance measures, except for carcass yield and days in the feedlot. TWG had a high positive correlation with ADG (r = 0.84), while FBW had a positive correlation (r = 0.86) with hot carcass weight (HCW). Measures of intake, performance, and days in the feedlot can be used as predictors of DMI, FBW, HCW, TWG, and ADG. The prediction equations had satisfactory precision and accuracy for non-castrated Nellore cattle finished in feedlot systems under tropical conditions.

Effects of low-fat dried distillers grains on nutrient intake and digestibility in high-concentrate diets

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of including levels of low-fat dried distillers grains without soluble (DDG) in high-concentrate diets on intake and digestibility. Four rumen-cannulated Nellore cattle received four dietary treatments in a 4×4 Latin square experimental design. Treatments included diets without DDG (D0) and varying inclusion levels of DDG at 150 g/kg (D150), 300 g/kg (D300), and 450 g/kg (D450). Four periods of total feces and urine collection were performed to estimate nutrient intake and digestibility and estimate nitrogen balance. Collections of omasum digesta were used to estimate ruminal degradability. The ruminal emptying technique was performed to estimate the ruminal rates of ingestion, passage, and digestion (kd). The inclusion of DDG reduced the intake of total digestible nutrients (TDN) (P < 0.01), dry matter (DM) (P = 0.02), organic matter (OM) (P = 0.02), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) (P < 0.01) and ether extract (EE) (P = 0.06). The intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased linearly (P < 0.01), whereas CP had a quadratic pattern (P = 0.02). The total digestibility in kg/d of DM (P < 0.01), OM (P < 0.01), NFC (P < 0.01) and EE (P = 0.02) decreased linearly. The total digestibility in kg/d of the NDF increased linearly (P < 0.01) and the CP had a quadratic pattern (P = 0.01). The kd of DM (P = 0.01), OM (P < 0.01) decreased linearly and NDF increased linearly (P < 0.01). The amount of N retained did not change (P = 0.72), but the intake of metabolizable protein increased (P = 0.03). Therefore, the inclusion of low-fat DDG in finishing diets reduces TDN intake and reduces the digestibility of almost all nutrients.

Intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and performance in lamb fed spineless cactus silage associated with forages adapted to the semiarid environment Spineless cactus silages in diets for lambs

The study aimed to evaluate the intake, apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance and productive performance in lamb fed spineless cactus silage associated with forages adapted to the semiarid environment. Forty intact crossbred lambs, with an average body weight of 22.65 ± 1.01 kg, were distributed in a completely randomised design with five treatments (diets based on: spineless cactus silage (SCS), spineless cactus + buffelgrass silage (SCBS), spineless cactus + gliricidia silage (SCGS), spineless cactus + pornunça silage (SCPS) and corn silage (CS; witness) and eight animals per treatment. Intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and performance of animals were evaluated. The SCGS diet showed higher intake of dry matter and organic matter (P<0.05). The SCGS and SCPS diets showed the highest crude protein intake (P = 0.005). Lower intake of ether extract was found in animals receiving diets containing SCS and SCBS (P = 0.001). SCBS and SCGS provided a higher intake of neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.015). SCS and SCGS diets displayed a higher intake of non-fiber carbohydrates (P = 0.003). SCGS diets displayed the highest total digestible nutrients intake (P = 0.001). SCPS diet showed lower digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein (P<0.05). SCGS diet showed a lower digestibility coefficient for ether extract (P = 0.009). SCPS diet showed lower digestibility coefficients for neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.022). SCS and SCPS diets showed lower digestibility coefficients for non-fiber carbohydrates (P = 0.011). The CS promoted lower results for intake (P = 0.003), absorbed (P = 0.003) and balance (P = 0.012) for nitrogen. SCPS diet promoted higher excretion of nitrogen via faeces (P = 0.001) and less excretion of nitrogen via urine (P = 0.033). SCGS diet provided a higher final weight (P = 0.006). SCS and SCGS diets provided more significant body weight gain (P = 0.001). Combining spineless cactus with a roughage base allowed weight gains over 200 g/day, proving to be efficient in diets for feedlot lamb and gains similar or superior to corn-based diets.

Effect of straw particle size in high grain complete pelleted diet on growth performance, rumen pH, feeding behavior, nutrient digestibility, blood and carcass indices of fattening male goats

The study aimed to elucidate the effects of straw particle size of complete pelleted diet (CPD) on feed intake, growth performance, rumen pH, feeding behavior, selected blood metabolites, nutrient digestibility, and carcass attributes of fattening male goats. Sixteen male Beetal goats, averaging 27.0 ± 2.84 kg body weight (BW) were randomly assigned to one of the following dietary treatments (n = 8 male goats /treatment); 1) S4 (CPD having oat straw ground at 4 mm); 2) S8 (CPD having oat straw ground at 8 mm). The diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric with forage to concentrate ratio of 15:85, and were designed to achieve low NDF contents of 20% by adding 63% corn grains. The experiment lasted for 16 weeks; 2 weeks of receiving and diet adaptability period, 13 weeks of data collection, and last one week for nutrient digestibility. Animals were housed individually and fed the corresponding diet and water ad libitum. Feeding behavior was recorded on day 30, 60, and 90 of the study. Blood samples were collected weekly, whereas, rumen samples were collected on a bi-weekly basis. Total tract nutrient digestibility was performed at the end of the experiment. All goats were slaughtered to determine changes in the carcass attributes. Results revealed that DMI and ADG were higher (P < 0.0001) in the S8 group compared with the S4 group. The feed-to-gain ratio (F: G), however, was lower (P = 0.047) in the S8 group compared with that of the S4 group. Ruminal pH was higher (P < 0.0001) in S8 than S4 only at the beginning of the trial, with no later differences (P > 0.05). There was a significant treatment × week interaction (P < 0.05) for rumen pH during weeks 2 and 4 which remained below 6.0 in the S4 compared with the S8. The odds for diarrhea were 5 times lower in the S8 compared to the S4 male goats. Animals fed on CPD with the straw ground at 8 mm had higher (P ≤ 0.05) rumination time, DMI intake, NDF intake, and drinking time than those fed on CPD with the straw ground at 4 mm. Furthermore, the dressing percentage and marbling score was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in the S8 compared with the S4. The findings of this study suggested that the use of oat straw ground at 8 mm in a complete pelleted diet improved growth performance and carcass yield by improving the feeding behavior and stabilizing the rumen environment.

Effects of Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic on animal performance, nutrients digestibility, and feeding behavior of backgrounding beef heifers fed with either a sorghum silage- or a byproducts-based diet.

Eighty-four Angus crossbred heifers (13 ± 1 mo of age, 329.5 ± 61.92 kg of body weight [BW]) were used in a generalized randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors evaluated were: 1) diet type (whole plant sorghum silage [SS] vs. byproducts-based [BP]), and 2) feed additive: Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic (AOP; 2 g/d) vs. Negative control (CTL; 0 g/d), resulting in four treatments: sorghum silage-control (SC), sorghum silage-AOP (SA), byproducts-control (BC), and byproducts-AOP (BA). Heifers were stratified by body weight (BW), randomly assigned to treatments (21 heifers per treatment) and housed in 12 pens equipped with two GrowSafe feed bunks each to measure individual dry matter intake (DMI). After a 14-d adaptation, BW was measured every 14 d for 56 d. Chewing activity was monitored through collar-mounted HR-Tags (heat-related tags). Following the performance period, apparent total tract digestibility was measured in 40 heifers, using indigestible neutral detergent fiber as a marker. Heifers fed with the BP diets had greater DMI (2.92% vs. 2.59% of BW, P < 0.01) and average daily gain (ADG; 1.16 vs. 0.68 kg, P ≤ 0.01) than heifers fed with SS diets. Compared with BP-fed animals, heifers consuming the SS diets had 23 more visits/d to the feed bunks (P ≤ 0.01), consumed 53% less dry matter on each visit (P ≤ 0.01), and spent 39% more min chewing/d and 63% more min chewing/kg of DMI (P ≤ 0.01). However, chewing measured in min/kg of neutral detergent fiber intake was not affected by treatment (average 111.3 min/kg of NDF intake). Feeding AOP improved gain:feed (GF) by 15% in BP-fed heifers (0.120 vs. 0.104 kg/kg; P < 0.05). Inclusion of AOP increased organic matter digestibility (OMD) in SS diets (55.88% vs. 49.83%; P < 0.01), whereas it decreased OMD in BP diets (61.67% vs. 65.77%; P < 0.05). In conclusion, ADG and GF of BP-fed heifers was greater than SS-fed heifers, and GF was greater with AOP supplementation in BP-fed heifers. Improvement in GF in BP-fed heifers was likely not related to differences in nutrient digestibility as AOP inclusion did not enhance digestibility in the BP diet. Additionally, the effects of the AOP inclusion appear to be diet-dependent, where the 15% improvement in GF by AOP occurred in heifers fed with the more fermentable diet. Therefore, further research should explore the mechanisms responsible for the observed improvements in growth performance when feeding AOP to BP-fed heifers.

Effects of physical forms of a high grain-based diet on fattening performance, ruminal health, feeding behaviour, nutrient digestibility and carcass traits of finishing Lohi lambs

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different physical forms of complete diets on performance, feeding behaviour, digestibility, ruminal health, blood and carcass indices in fattening lambs. A randomised complete block design was used to assign thirty male Lohi lambs (300 ± 15 d old) with an initial body weight of 33 ± 1.4 kg in ten replications to one of three physical forms of the diet. For different treatments, the dietary ingredients were ground and mixed as (I) ground conventional mash (CM), (II) whole corn grains were mixed with the remaining pelleted ingredients as a texturised diet (TX), and (III) whole corn grains and the remaining ingredients were mixed as an unprocessed diet (UP). During the 60-d growth trial and 7-d digestibility experiment, individually housed lambs were fed ad libitum. Feeding diet UP improved (p < 0.05) dry matter intake, average daily gain and feed-to-gain ratio of fattening lambs. The ruminal pH tended to be lower in group TX compared with the other groups. The incidence of loose faeces consistency was 3.5 times higher (p < 0.05) in group TX compared to group UP. The daily intakes of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF), the rumination time and chewing activities were highest (p < 0.05) for lambs fed on the UP diet. The digestibility of DM, NDF and ether extract were greater (p < 0.05) for diet UP as compared to diet TX. The chilled and hot carcass weights were highest (p < 0.05) for group UP. The papillae density tended to be greater for group UP. However, blood metabolites, intestinal morphology, carcass marbling, tenderness, meat pH, cooking loss, and meat composition were similar across the treatments. It can be concluded that the unprocessed diet based on whole corn grain and soybean hulls improved growth performance, feeding behaviour and carcass yield through better nutrient utilisation and a stable ruminal environment.

Dietary replacement of soybean meal with heat-treated soybean meal or high-protein corn distillers grains on nutrient digestibility and milk composition in mid-lactation cows.

Lactation diets dependent on rumen undegradable protein (RUP) sources derived from soybean meal (SBM) products are generally high in Lys and poor in Met. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary RUP and altering digestible AA supply by inclusion of heat-treated soybean meal (HTSBM) or high-protein corn dried distillers grains with soluble (DDGS) on performance in mid-lactation dairy cows. Twenty-four Holstein cows (200 ± 40 d in milk and 30.0 ± 3.92 kg/d of milk yield) blocked according to parity, milk yield, and days in milk were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design experiment with 21-d periods. Treatments were (1) control (CON), a diet with 6.0% RUP containing 15.9% SBM as the main protein source; (2) HTSBM, a diet with 6.7% RUP containing 4.4% HTSBM partially replacing SBM; and (3) high-protein DDGS (FP; FlexyPro, SJC Bioenergia), a diet with 6.9% RUP containing 5.34% FP partially replacing SBM and ground corn. Diets had similar crude protein (16.9%) and net energy of lactation. Data were submitted to ANOVA using the mixed procedure of SAS software (SAS Institute Inc.). Treatment differences were evaluated using orthogonal contrasts: (1) increasing RUP (SBM vs. HTSBM + FP) and (2) altering digestible AA supply (HTSBM vs. FP). Cows fed HTSBM and FP had greater intake (values in parentheses represent treatment means of CON, HTSBM, and FP, respectively) of neutral detergent fiber (7.14, 7.35, and 7.69 kg/d), crude protein (4.27, 4.37, and 4.51 kg/d), and ether extract (0.942, 0.968, and 1.04 kg/d) compared with cows fed CON. Feeding FP resulted in greater intake of neutral detergent fiber and ether extract compared with HTSBM. Cows fed HTSBM and FP had lower sorting index for feed particles <4 mm than cows fed CON (1.029, 1.008, and 1.022). Feeding FP resulted in greater intake of feed particles <4 mm compared with HTSBM. Treatments containing HTSBM or FP tended to decrease organic matter digestibility (72.4, 71.2, and 71.1%), but no other effects were detected in digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, crude protein, or ether extract. No evidence for differences among treatments was detected in excretion of purine derivatives in milk and urine. Milk yield was greater in cows fed HTSBM or FP than in cows fed CON (28.0, 28.9, and 28.8 kg/d, respectively). Cows fed HTSBM or FP tended to have greater energy-corrected milk and protein yield compared with those fed CON. Milk protein concentration was greater in DDGS cows than those in the HTSBM group (3.45 and 3.40%, respectively). No differences were detected in milk fat yield and concentration, milk urea nitrogen, feed efficiency, or serum concentrations of urea and glucose. Overall, increasing dietary RUP by feeding HTSBM or FP improved intake of nutrients and milk yield without affecting feed efficiency. Altering digestible AA supply while maintaining similar dietary RUP had negligible effects on performance of cows.

Effect of spineless cactus [Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm Dyck] on nutrient intake, ingestive behaviour, and performance of lambs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of spineless cactus (SC) [Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm Dyck] on nutrient intake, ingestive behaviour, and performance of lambs in a feedlot. Thirty-two male (non-castrated) Santa Inês lambs with a mean initial body weight (BW) of 20.4 ± 2.60 kg were distributed across four levels of spineless cactus: zero, 24, 52, and 75% of total diet dry matter (DM). Over 56 days, the animals had their intake and performance monitored. The inclusion of SC influenced (p<0.05) in a quadratic way the dry matter intake and total digestible nutrients, but linearly decreased (p<0.05) the neutral detergent fiber intake. Drinking water intake decreased linearly (p<0.05) with the inclusion of SC in the diet. The inclusion of SC influenced (p<0.05) in a quadratic way the digestibility of organic matter in the diet. The increase in the level of SC in the diet increased linearly (p<0.05) the feeding and rumination efficiencies of the lambs. The maximum daily gain of 0.237 kg/day was achieved with 44% SC in the diet. It is recommended to include up to 40% of spineless cactus in the diet of lambs.

Effects of feeding maize hydroponic fodder on growth performance, nitrogen balance, nutrient digestibility, hematology, and blood metabolites of water buffalo calves.

A hydroponic feeding system enables more effective utilization of the entire plant than typical grazing, which only consumes the plant's shoot. This study evaluated the effects of feeding maize hydroponic fodder on growth performance, nitrogen balance, nutrient digestibility, hematology, and blood metabolites of buffalo calves. Twelve water buffalo calves, weighing an average of 112 ± 1.18 kg and between 8 and 10 months old, were divided into three treatments, each with four calves. Each group received one of the treatment diets: T1: the basal diet (BD) at 100%; T2: the BD plus hydroponic feed meal (HFM) at 80%: 20%; and T3: the BD plus HFM at 60%: 40%. For 100 days, each animal was fed ad libitum; the first ten days were used for nutritional adaptation, and the final ten days were used for collection. In addition to their BD, each animal received 200 g/day of a normal concentrate mixture to meet their maintenance needs. The BD included Green Hay (Lucerne) 80% and Wheat straw 20%. Each animal's daily feed consumption was noted. Calves were weighed biweekly to track growth. Upon completion of the experiment, blood samples were obtained. The amount of dry matter (DM) consumed by ruminants fed diets, including hydroponic fodder, was considerably higher (p < 0.05). Similar trends were seen in crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber intake. Ingesting of CP was highest in animals fed T3. Animals fed diets comprising BD 60% + HFM 40% had the highest levels of DM and CP digestibility. Animals fed the T3 diet (BD 60% + HFM 40%) showed the best feed conversion values (p ˂ 0.05). Blood metabolites like blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and glucose showed non-significant variations in all experimental animals. In hematology, a similar trend was seen. Therefore, it can be said that supplementing the diet with more HFM helped growing buffalo calves gain weight, have a lower feed consumption ratio, and digest their food more efficiently.