Straw Diet Research Articles

PSLBI-24 Optimizing crop byproduct inclusion in beef cattle diets: Utilization of wheat straw to improve operational economics and oilseed screenings as protein supplements

Abstract Inclusion of crop residues and byproducts in beef cattle diets has become a significant practice in beef cattle production as producers are faced with conventional feed shortages, increased prices, and disrupted supply chains. Wheat straw is a widely available crop byproduct in the western Canadian prairies whose inclusion in beef cattle diets has been prevented by its low nutritional content, necessitating supplementation strategies to enhance its nutritional value. The present study explored the effect of incorporating wheat straw in backgrounding cattle diets with canola or flax screening supplementation to improve the nutritional profile of the diet and determine the sustainability of such inclusion through cattle performance measurements. The experiment was a completely randomized design. Steers [n = 300; initial body weight (BW): 297 ± 18 kg] were randomly assigned to 5 treatment diets, each diet having 4 pen replicates (15 steers/pen); control (CTL), low straw canola (LSC), low straw flax (LSF), high straw canola (HSC) and high straw flax (HSF). The CTL diet was a conventional Western Canadian backgrounding diet (60% barley silage:40% dry rolled barley grain-based concentrate). Low straw diets had a 25% wheat straw inclusion and high straw diets had 50% wheat straw inclusion on a dry matter (DM) basis. Respective screenings were included at 12.50% inclusion of diet DM. The steers were fed for a total of 84 d divided into four periods of 21 d. Statistical analyses were performed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 with diet treatment included as a fixed effect and pen within diet as a random effect. Treatment means were compared using the LSMEANS statement adjusted for the Tukey-Kramer method. Final BW, total BW gain, average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed were greater (P < 0.001) for the CTL steers (Table 1). Dry matter intake (DMI) was greatest for CTL steers and decreased with increasing straw inclusion in the diet (P < 0.001). The type of screenings (canola or flax) did not affect (P > 0.05) steers final BW, total BW gain, ADG and gain:feed. Increasing the inclusion of wheat straw in backgrounding diets decreased growth performance parameters. The high level of neutral digestible fiber in wheat straw limited DMI and reduced growth performance compared with CTL steers. The addition of screenings to the diet provided protein content to offset the low nutritional value of the wheat straw; however, the different types of screenings did not result in a cattle performance advantage over the other. Although these findings demonstrate the challenges of including low nutritional crop byproducts, further research is needed to analyze the effects different diets have on operational economics, rumen fermentation parameters and greenhouse gas emissions to further outline any advantages or disadvantages.

PSXII-23 Effect of dietary straw withdrawal in high-concentrate diets on animal behavior in dairy beef crossbred bulls housed with straw bedding

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary straw withdrawal in high-concentrate diets on animal behavior in dairy beef crossbred bulls housed with straw bedding. Bulls [n = 93; body weight (BW) = 335 ± 9.0 kg, and 218 ± 4.0 d of age) were group-housed in a partially opened barn with 6 pens straw-bedded cleaned every 2 wk. Animals were assigned to one of 3 different feed programs: 1) CTR (n = 32), concentrate (13.1% crude protein (CP), 5.9% fat content, 16.1% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 40.8% starch content) and straw ad libitum fed in two separate feeders; 2) TSW (n = 32), like CTR; however, dietary straw withdrawal took place the first 84 study days; and 3) NSS (n = 29), concentrate with a lower starch content (12.2% CP, 4.6% fat content, 22.0% NDF, 39.6% starch content) without a dietary straw for the whole study. The study lasted 155 d divided into eleven 14-d periods. General activities and postures were recorded through scan sampling every 5 min, and social behavior was recorded during 5 min of continuous sampling in two rounds of 15 min. Social behaviors were transformed to a log scale to achieve a normal distribution. Data were analyzed with a mixed-effects model. The first period was an adaptation where a dietary straw bale per pen was offered in all treatments; thereafter, only in CTR, and in TSW after period 6. Percentage of bulls eating at the concentrate feeder was greater (P = 0.05) in NSS than in CTR and TRW (5.87 vs. 4.64 and 4.82 ± 0.038 %, respectively). The percentages of bulls ruminating at the beginning of the study were greater (P < 0.01) in CTR compared with TSW and NSS, but after dietary straw was offered in TSW, the percentages of bulls ruminating increased in TSW and were greater in CTR and TSW than in NSS. At the beginning of the study, during the dietary straw withdrawal in TSW bulls, the number of oral behaviors and stereotypies were greater (P < 0.01) in TSW than in CTR, but after straw offer in TSW oral behaviors and stereotypies were only greater in NSS than in CTR and TSW. In conclusion, short- and long-term dietary straw withdrawal increased behaviors indicative of poor animal welfare regardless of the starch content in the concentrate in dairy beef crossbred bulls fed high-concentrate diet housed with straw bedding.

253 Effect of dietary straw withdrawal in high-concentrate diets on efficiency, carcass performance, rumen characteristics and seized livers in dairy beef crossbred bulls housed with straw bedding

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary straw withdrawal in high-concentrate diets on efficiency, carcass performance, rumen characteristics and seized livers in dairy beef crossbred bulls housed with straw bedding. Bulls [n = 93; 335 ± 9.0 kg body weight (BW); 218 ± 4.0 d age] were group-housed in 6 straw-bedded pens according to 3 different feeding programs (2 pens/treatment): 1) CTR (n = 32), concentrate (13.1% CP, 5.9% fat content, 16.1% NDF, 40.8% starch content) and straw ad libitum fed in two separate feeders; 2) TSW (n = 32), like CTR, however, dietary straw withdrawal took place the first 84 study days; and 3) NSS (n = 29), concentrate with a reduced starch content (12.2% CP, 4.6% fat content, 22.0% NDF, 39.6% starch content) without dietary straw for the whole study. The study lasted 155 d divided into eleven 14-d periods. Individual concentrate intake was recorded daily, and dietary straw consumption was recorded per pen biweekly, as was individual BW. Carcass performance, rumen characteristics and seized organs were recorded at the slaughterhouse. Data were analyzed with a mixed-effects model. The first period was an adaptation where a dietary straw bale per pen was offered in all treatments; thereafter, only in CTR, and in TSW, after period 6. Treatment by period interactions (P < 0.01) in efficiency parameters were observed. Specifically, BW was greater in CTR than in TSW and NSS bulls while straw withdrawal periods; however, TSW bulls increased BW compared with NSS bulls when dietary straw was reintroduced, with final BW greater in CTR and TSW than in NSS bulls (569, 557 and 536 ± 8.0 kg, respectively). Regarding feed consumption, while dietary straw withdrawal for the first 6 periods, concentrate and straw intake were less in TSW and NSS than in CTR bulls, regardless the type of concentrate; after period 7, concentrate intake did not differ among treatments, and straw intake was greater in CTR and TSW than in NSS bulls, except in period 7, just after dietary straw reintroduction, that was greater in TSW than in CTR bulls. Hot carcass weight was greater (P < 0.01) in CTR than in TSW and NSS bulls (314, 296 and 299 ± 6.0 kg, respectively); dressing percentage was greater (P < 0.01) in CTR and NSS than in TSW bulls (55.1, 55.9 and 53.2 ± 0.65%, respectively); and carcass conformation tended (P = 0.06) to have greater classification in CTR bulls, and reduced classification in TSW bulls. Number of sized livers tended (P = 0.07) to be greater in NSS than in CTR and TSW bulls (22, 3 and 9%, respectively). In conclusion, short and long-term dietary straw withdrawal decreased animal and carcass performance regardless concentrate’s starch content in dairy beef crossbred bulls fed high-concentrate diets housed with straw bedding.

Growth rate of male Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) fed leucaena and rice straw diets with increasing levels of cassava

Growth rate of male Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) fed leucaena and rice straw diets with increasing levels of cassava

Typologie des systemes de productions du bovin de race djelli (Bos taurus indicus) dans les communes de Gotheye, Sinder et Say au Niger

The development of Djelli cattle breeding in Niger remains a challenge due to prejudices about its productivity. The particularities of its production systems have not been sufficiently developed. The aim of this study is to develop a typology of local Djelli cattle production systems in six localities in the communes of Gothèye, Sinder and Say in Niger. A survey was carried out among 150 breeders. Discriminant factor analysis (DFA) and hierarchical ascending classification (HAC) were used to identify three types of production system: The first type is made up of transhumant herders whose main activity is livestock rearing and who belong to the Peulh ethnic group. This type is characterized by large herds (27 head). They have 3 breeding cows and 4 suckling cows for 16 breeding females. The second type is made up of sedentary breeders. Their main activities are fishing and trading, and they belong to the Sonrai socio-cultural ethnic group. Their herds are modest (17 head), comprising 2 breeding and 5 suckling cows for 11 breeding females. The third type is made up of semi-transhumant herders. Their main activity is farming, and they belong to the Sonrai socio-cultural ethnic group, with an equally modest herd size (18 head). The number of breeding cows is similar to that of the sedentary herders (2 head). However, the number of sucklers is reduced to 3 head for 10 breeding females. The daily intake of bran concentrate per suckling female is the highest (5 kg of bran concentrate per day). The ratio of lactating females to females of breeding age was r =0.45 in the sedentary group, compared with r =0.30 in the semi-transhumant group and r = 0.25 in the transhumant group. The results also showed that the rearing environment is dominated by a diet of rice straw (39%) and rice bran (49%). The most frequently vaccinated disease on the farms was pasteurellosis (87.3%), and the highest deworming rate was 40%. The environment also revealed a variation in lactating females for the riparian localities of Say and Yelwani (5.4±2.6b and 6.0±2.8b respectively), which are very significantly different (P<0.001) from the non-riparian localities of Koulbaga and Tassikoirey (2.9±1.2a and 2.8±1.20a respectively). In conclusion, sedentary farmers are the most productive in a food environment dominated by rice crop residues and diseases such as pasteurellosis and endoparasites. Key words : Production systems, herd size, sedentary breeders, lactating female

Feed intake and growth performance of crossbred dairy calves fed on a basal diet of wheat straw treated with urea-molasses, urea-lime, and effective microorganisms

ABSTRACT The effects of various treatment options on the nutritional value of wheat straw as well as the growth performance of crossbred calves fed the treated wheat straw were evaluated. Twenty-four female calves (75% Friesian-Borana), weighing 99.3 ± 19.7 kg (aged 6–9 months), were divided into four groups of six animals using a randomized complete block design. The feeding trial lasted approximately 104 days. The dietary treatments were: untreated wheat straw (control T1), wheat straw treated with urea-molasses (T2), urea-lime (T3), and effective microorganisms (T4). Results showed that the treatment options affected the physical silage quality and chemical composition of wheat straw. Calves in the T3 and T4 groups had a higher daily DM intake (3.7 and 3.5 kg/head, respectively) than those in T2 (3.1 kg/head) and T1 (3.02 kg/head) groups. Calves in the T3 (422.7 g/d) and T4 (391 g/d) groups gained greater weight than those in the T2 (281.7 g/d) and T1 (204.4 g/d) groups (P < 0.001). Thus, improving the feed value of wheat straw with urea-lime or effective microorganisms treatment options suggested in this trial could result in cost-effective and significant growth performances when crossbred calves were supplemented with concentrate at a rate of 1.2% of their live weights.

Effect of Excessive Environmental Heat Load on Digestibility, Energy Balance, and Urea Recycling in the Mediterranean (Member) Goat

This study investigates the energy and nitrogen economy of the Mediterranean goat across diverse environmental conditions, emphasizing the influence of heat stress and shelter on animal productivity. Environmental factors such as water availability, food quality, and heat stress affect the animal's capacity to convert indigestible plant components into digestible food and sustain energy balance. In particular, heat stress causes a significant decrease in the goat's food by 27.49% and by 34.85% in alfalfa hay and wheat straw respectively, leading to a loss of body mass, even when offered high-quality food such as alfalfa hay. However, when sheltered from direct sunlight, the goat can maintain an energy balance on any diet, a significant decrease in body mass was recorded, with a reduction of 10.59% for alfalfa hay and 17.79 ± 3.0% for wheat straw. Heat stress also impairs the goat's ability to maintain a balanced nitrogen economy, reducing nitrogen loss through excretion during heat load conditions and high-protein food digestion. The study found that the average urea recycling rate in goats kept in a shelter was 36%, which was significantly higher than the rate observed in goats exposed to heat stress, which was only 19.6%. Moreover, the amount of recycled urea was also higher in the shelter at 91% compared to 69.9% in the reflected heat stress recorded when the goats were maintained on a diet of wheat straw. As the goat cannot reduce its metabolic rate, a negative energy balance occurs, resulting in body mass loss. The quality of food and heat stress are critical determinants of the goat's food consumption, with high heat load reducing appetite. This study concludes that sheltered conditions, providing protection from direct sunlight, are necessary to sustain productivity and maintain a stable body mass on any diet. Furthermore, maintaining a balanced nitrogen balance can be challenging for animals consuming low-protein food, particularly under suboptimal feeding conditions. The study's findings have implications for the broader issue of global warming, as rising temperatures could increase heat stress and reduce food consumption and productivity in animals, with potentially negative consequences for agriculture and food security. Therefore, protecting animals from heat stress through adequate shelter and management practices is essential to mitigate the negative impacts of global warming on animal productivity, Animal husbandry, and human livelihoods.

Metagenomics-Based Analysis of the Effect of Rice Straw Substitution for a Proportion of Whole-Plant Corn Silage on the Rumen Flora Structure and Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of replacing a portion of whole-plant corn silage with straw on the rumen microbial community structure and carbohydrate-active enzyme activity. The experiment employed a single-factor randomized trial design, with eight late-lactation Chinese Holstein dairy cows being randomly divided into two groups of four replicates each. The control group (CS group) was fed a diet consisting of alfalfa silage and a mixture of alfalfa and whole-plant corn silage, while the experimental group (RS group) received a diet in which one-third of the corn silage was replaced with straw while keeping the other components unchanged. The experiment lasted for a total of 21 days, with a pre-feeding period of 14 days and a formal period of 7 days. The rumen fluid collected on day 21 was used for the rumen fermentation parameters and metagenomic analysis. The concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) in the rumen of RS group cows were significantly lower than those in the CS group (p &lt; 0.01). The ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid was significantly higher in the RS group compared to the CS group (p &lt; 0.01). Metagenomic sequencing revealed that at the genus level, compared to the CS group, the abundance of unclassified bacteria, Bacteroides, Alistipes, Butyrivibrio, Chlamydia, Fibrobacter, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, and unclassified Bacteroidetes in the rumen of RS group cows increased, while the abundance of Eubacterium decreased ([LDA &gt; 3.6], p &lt; 0.05). Compared to the CS group, the enzymatic activities of α-L-arabinofuranosidase (EC3.2.1.55), β-xylosidase (EC3.2.1.37), β-glucosidase (EC3.2.1.21), β-glucosylceramidase (EC3.2.1.45), xylanase (EC3.2.1.8), and arabinanase (EC3.2.1.99) in the rumen of RS group cows increased (p &lt; 0.05). According to the correlation analysis, Alistipes, Bacteroides, and Butyrivibrio showed a significant negative correlation with propionic acid (p &lt; 0.05) and a significant positive correlation with the acetic acid-to-propionic acid ratio (p &lt; 0.05). They also showed a significant positive correlation with GH2, GH3, GH20, GH29, GH43, GH78, GH92, CE1, GT4, β-glucosidase (EC3.2.1.21), α-L-arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55), β-xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37), β-glucosylceramidase (EC 3.2.1.45), xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8), and arabinanase (EC 3.2.1.99) (p &lt; 0.05). In summary, straw can not only alter the composition and structure of the rumen microbiota in cows but also affect the relative abundance of CAZymes at different levels within the rumen. Cows may, thus, potentially improve the degradation efficiency of straw diets by increasing the abundance of certain rumen microbiota and enzymes.

Assessing the methane mitigation potential of Canadian red seaweeds using in vitro batch culture

Seven red Canadian seaweeds ( Callophyllis flabellulata, Graciliariopsis verrucosa, Mastocarpus papillatus, Mazzaella splendens, Mazzaella japonica, Palmaria mollis, and Prionitis lanceolata) and a positive control ( Asparagopsis taxiformis) were selected to evaluate their chemical and elemental composition and their effects on in vitro fermentation and methane (CH4) production in an alfalfa hay or barley straw diet. The in vitro batch culture was conducted as a completely randomised design with a control (alfalfa hay or barley straw) and seven increasing concentrations of seaweed. Chemical and elemental composition varied greatly across seaweed genera. Increasing supplementation of A. taxiformis linearly decreased ( P &lt; 0.001) dry matter disappearance (DMD) and gas production (GP; mL, mL/g DMD) with CH4 production eliminated ( P &lt; 0.001) at 1.0% inclusion of A. taxiformis in both diets. Inclusion of Mastocarpus papillatus, Mazzaella japonica, Mazzaella splendens, Palmaria mollis, and Prionitis lanceolata increased ( P ≤ 0.05) GP (mL/g DMD) at 0.5% and 1.0% in alfalfa diets. Graciliariopsis verrucosa linearly decreased ( P = 0.01) CH4 production (mL/g DMD) in the straw diet, but no doses were different compared to the control. In conclusion, the Canadian red seaweeds examined in this study did not exhibit anti-methanogenic potential when incubated with alfalfa hay or barley straw.

Effects of fodder tree leave supplementation for basal rice straw diet on rumen ammonia, pH, and degradation characteristics in sheep

Fodder tree leaves (FTLs) contain high levels of protein, vitamins, and minerals that play a major role in enhancing roughage intake by ruminants, thus improving low-quality roughage utilization. The study sought to measure the rumen degradation characteristics, pH, and ammonia N concentration of sheep fed rice straw (RS) and supplemented with FTLs. Four forest-type rumen-fistulated rams of an average weight of 19.0±1.2 kg were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design. Treatment diets consisted of urea-ammoniated straw (UAS; control), RS+100% Leucaena leucocephala (L), RS+100% Samanea saman (S), and RS+50% L+50% S (LS). Data obtained were subjected to the Glimmix procedure of SAS (2016) and significant means were separated using Tukey’s test at (P&lt;0.05). Treatments differed significantly (P&lt;0.001) in the quantity of readily soluble materials (a), rate of degradation (c), and a potentially degradable fraction (P) with LS recording the highest a, c, and P among the treatments. Ruminal pH and ammonia concentrations differed significantly (P&lt;0.0001) among the treatments. Overall mean rumen pH values obtained ranged from 6.44 in UAS to 6.72 in the S-supplemented diet whereas mean rumen ammonia values ranged from 4.59 mg/100 ml in sheep fed UAS diet to 9.15 mg/L in sheep fed L diet. The pH values obtained imply that the experimental diets could improve rumen fermentation and, hence, serve as good sources of feed for ruminants. The rumen DM degradation values indicated that sufficient amounts of DM would be degraded over a period of time, thus releasing substantial quantities into the small intestines for digestion to provide essential nutrients needed for better animal performance. The rumen ammonia values obtained were higher than the minimum values recommended for optimal microbial activity for animals fed lignocellulosic materials. This indicated that such FTLs could be utilized for moderate animal performance, especially during the dry seasons when natural pastures are qualitatively and quantitatively poor.

Gut microbiome of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor Larvae) show similar responses to polystyrene and corn straw diets

BackgroundSome insects can degrade both natural and synthetic plastic polymers, their host and gut microbes play crucial roles in this process. However, there is still a scientific gap in understanding how the insect adapted to the polystyrene (PS) diet from natural feed. In this study, we analyzed diet consumption, gut microbiota responses, and metabolic pathways of Tenebrio molitor larvae exposed to PS and corn straw (CS).ResultsT. molitor larvae were incubated under controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 75 ± 5% humidity) for 30 days by using PS foam with weight-, number-, and size-average molecular weight (Mw, Mn, and Mz) of 120.0, 73.2, and 150.7 kDa as a diet, respectively. The larvae exhibited lower PS consumption (32.5%) than CS (52.0%), and these diets had no adverse effects on their survival. The gut microbiota structures, metabolic pathways, and enzymatic profiles of PS- and CS-fed larvae showed similar responses. The gut microbiota of larvae analysis indicated Serratia sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Rhodococcus sp. were associated with both PS and CS diets. Metatranscriptomic analysis revealed that xenobiotics, aromatic compounds, and fatty acid degradation pathways were enriched in PS- and CS-fed groups; laccase-like multicopper oxidases, cytochrome P450, monooxygenase, superoxidase, and dehydrogenase were involved in lignin and PS degradation. Furthermore, the upregulated gene lac640 in both PS- and CS-fed groups was overexpressed in E. coli and exhibited PS and lignin degradation ability.ConclusionsThe high similarity of gut microbiomes adapted to biodegradation of PS and CS indicated the plastics-degrading ability of the T. molitor larvae originated through an ancient mechanism that degrades the natural lignocellulose.C96ehShQjSBPouDCMhmhGsVideo Graphical

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.

Dry Matter Intake and Digestibility of Napier and Treated Rice Straw Diet in Goats

Plant by-products such as rice straw can be utilized to optimize ruminant feed resources and productivity. This study aimed to determine the intake and digestibility of the basal diet (Napier grass) and treated rice straw diet in goats. A total of 16 heads of male and female Philippine native goats were used in the study. Experimental animals were arranged in randomized complete block design with four treatments and four blocks – weight and sex were used as bases for blocking. The treatments were the following: Treatment 1 (T1): 60% Napier grass + 40% untreated rice straw (control); T2: 60% Napier grass + 40% urea-treated rice straw; T3: 60% Napier grass + 40% fish amino acid (FAA)-treated rice straw; and T4: 60% Napier grass + 40% fermented plant juice (FPJ)-treated rice straw. The gathered data were dry matter intake (DMI), DMI as percent body weight (% BW), total and percent dry matter digestibility (% DMD), rumen pH and weight gain. All data were analyzed using the analysis of variance for RCBD. Comparisons of treatment means were determined using the least significance difference test. The results showed that DMI and DMI as % BW were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) affected by the treatments. Furthermore, total DMD and % DMD were significant (p &lt; 0.05). FPJ treatment gave the highest DMI for rice straw. Moreover, goats fed with rice straw treated with urea, FPJ and FAA efficiently digested the diet compared with the control treatment.

Isolation and characterization of sulphate reducing bacteria from goat rumen and its inclusion to improve in vitro feed fermentation

In the present study sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were isolated from the rumen of goats fed a diet of wheat straw and concentrate in 50:50 ratio using specific medium followed by phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization. Based on the biochemical characteristics, four best SRB isolates were evaluated for their efficacy to reduce in vitro CH4 production and stimulate fibre digestion. It was found that true dry matter digestibility (IVTD) and production of metabolites were higher but methane emission was low by inclusion of live culture of SRB4 isolate as compared to control. Sequencing of 16S rDNA revealed 99% homology of SRB4 with Streptococcus caviae strain NR156902. The isolate also exhibited expression of dissimilatory sulphite reductase gene (dsR) gene substantiating sulphate reducing ability of the isolate. The results indicate the ability of SRB4 to reduce in vitro CH4 emissions and improve fibre digestibility, hence can be explored as an effective candidate for microbial feed additive to modify rumen fermentation, so that enteric methane production can be controlled.

Effect of diet energy level and genomic residual feed intake on bred Holstein dairy heifer growth and feed efficiency

The objective of this study was to determine growth, feed intake, and feed efficiency of postbred dairy heifers with different genomic residual feed intake (RFI) predicted as a lactating cow when offered diets differing in energy density. Postbred Holstein heifers (n = 128, ages 14-20 mo) were blocked by initial weight (high, medium-high, medium-low, and low) with 32 heifers per block. Each weight block was sorted by RFI (high or low) to obtain 2 pens of heifers with high and low genomically predicted RFI within each block (8 heifers per pen). Low RFI heifers were expected to have greater feed efficiency than high RFI heifers. Dietary treatments consisted of a higher energy control diet based on corn silage and alfalfa haylage [HE; 62.7% total digestible nutrients, 11.8% crude protein, and 45.6% neutral detergent fiber; dry matter (DM) basis], and a lower energy diet diluted with straw (LE; 57.0% total digestible nutrients, 11.7% crude protein, and 50.1% neutral detergent fiber; DM basis). Each pen within a block was randomly allocated a diet treatment to obtain a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (2 RFI levels and 2 dietary energy levels). Diets were offered in a 120-d trial. Dry matter intake by heifers was affected by diet (11.0 vs. 10.0 kg/d for HE and LE, respectively) but not by RFI or the interaction of RFI and diet. Daily gain was affected by the interaction of RFI and diet, with low RFI heifers gaining more than high RFI heifers when fed LE (0.94 vs. 0.85 kg/d for low and high RFI, respectively), but no difference for RFI groups when fed HE (1.16 vs. 1.19 kg/d for low and high RFI, respectively). Respective feed efficiencies were improved for low RFI compared with high RFI heifers when fed LE (10.6 vs. 11.8 kg of feed DM/kg of gain), but no effect of RFI was found when fed HE (9.4 vs. 9.5 kg of DM/kg of gain for high and low RFI, respectively). No effect of RFI or diet on first-lactation performance through 150 DIM was observed. Based on these results, the feed efficiency of heifers having different genomic RFI may be dependent on diet energy level, whereby low RFI heifers utilized the LE diet more efficiently. The higher fiber straw (LE) diet controlled intake and maintained more desirable heifer weight gains. This suggests that selection for improved RFI in lactating cows may improve feed efficiency in growing heifers when fed to meet growth goals of 0.9 to 1.0 kg of gain/d.

Effects of physical form and wheat straw level in the diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen papillae morphometry, and carcass characteristics in Lohi lambs

Context To achieve maximum growth and decrease fattening periods farmers tend to use a high concentrate diet in the total mixed ration (TMR). A larger particle size of straw may increase the concentrate level in the TMR and improve the performance without affecting the rumen health of lambs. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the effects of physical form (PF) and wheat straw levels (SL) in the diet on growth performance, rumen health, and carcass characteristics of lambs. Methods Thirty-two male Lohi lambs (31.5 ± 2.5 kg, age 6–7 months) were randomly assigned to four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two physical forms [pelleted, conventional mashed] and two levels of straw (15% and 25%). The experiment lasted for 16 weeks including 2 weeks for dietary adaptation, 13 weeks for growth data collection, and 1 week for digestibility. Key results Lambs fed pelleted and 15% straw diets had greater dry matter intake than those offered mashed and 25% straw diets. Lambs fed 15% pelleted straw TMR displayed a greater final bodyweight, average daily gain, and feed efficiency than the other treatments. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility were higher in lambs fed on the pelleted and 15% straw diets compared to those fed on the mashed and the 25% straw diets. However, neutral detergent fibre digestibility was higher in the lambs fed 15% straw than those fed 25% straw diets. Lambs fed pelleted and 15% straw diets had longer papillae (P &lt; 0.05), covering greater surface area than those fed on the mashed and 25% straw diets. Lambs fed on the pelleted and 15% straw diets had greater (P &lt; 0.05) marbling score, rib eye area, empty live weight, hot carcass weight, and fat content than the lambs fed mashed and 25% straw diets. Conclusion Greater digestibility and feed intake of lambs fed a 15% pelleted straw TMR led to better growth performance, and improved carcass quality. Implications Feeding wheat straw-based pelleted TMR with 15% straw ground at 8 mm shows great potential to enhance the sustainable lamb production system in Pakistan.

Fennel and Ginger Improved Nutrient Digestibility and Milk Yield and Quality in Early Lactating Egyptian Buffaloes

Abstract The supplementation with herbal and medicinal plants to animals showed positive effects on feed digestion, performance and animal’s health. Fifteen multiparous Egyptian buffaloes (537 ± 18.1 kg body weight), 7 days after parturition, were randomly assigned to 3 treatments in a quintupled 3 × 3 Latin square design in a 63-day experiment. Each experimental period lasted 21 days (15 days of adaptation + 7 days for measurements and samples collection). Buffaloes were assigned according to their previous milk production, weight and parity to study the effect of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) or ginger (Zingiber officinale) supplementation on feed utilization and lactational performance. Buffaloes were fed a basal diet of concentrates, berseem clover and rice straw in a ratio of 60:30:10 dry matter (DM) basis. The first group was fed the basal diet with no additive as the control treatment, while other buffaloes were fed on the basal diet supplemented with 75 g fennel or ginger/buffalo daily. Additives supplementation did not affect feed intake; however, fennel followed by ginger improved (P&lt;0.05) dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber digestibilities compared to the control. Without affecting blood chemistry, fennel and ginger supplementation improved (P&lt;0.05) production of milk and energy corrected milk, fat concentration and milk energy content and output. Fennel followed by ginger decreased the somatic cell count (P=0.035) compared with the control. Fennel and ginger improved feed efficiency (P&lt;0.05) compared with the control. Fennel increased the proportion of milk trans-10, cis-12 C18:2 (P=0.028), total conjugated linoleic acid without affecting other fatty acids. It is concluded that fennel or ginger at 75 g/buffalo/d improved nutrient digestibility and milk production of lactating buffaloes. Fennel improved milk nutritive value more than ginger.

Effect of barley straw and Egyptian clover hay on the rumen fermentation and structure and fibrolytic activities of rumen bacteria in dromedary camel.

Background and Aim:Understanding the regulations of rumen microbiota and their fibrolytic capabilities under different forages are essential to improve rumen fermentation and animal feed efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the rumen fermentation and the structure and fibrolytic activities of rumen bacteria in camels fed barley straw and Egyptian clover hay.Materials and Methods:Three fistulated camels were fed a diet containing barley straw for 30 days; then transitioned to a diet containing Egyptian clover hay for 30 days. In addition, bacterial media enriched with xylan and different cellulose sources, namely, filter paper, wheat straw, and alfalfa hay, were used to evaluate the ability of camel rumen bacteria to produce xylanase and cellulase enzymes.Results:The camel group fed Egyptian clover hay showed higher crude protein intake, rumen ammonia, total volatile fatty acids, and acetic acid. Moreover, the camel group fed barley straw showed higher neutral detergent fiber intake, rumen pH, and propionic and butyric acids. Principal component analysis showed that bacterial communities were separated based on the forage type. Forage type affected the composition of rumen bacteria and most of the bacterial community was assigned to phylum Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Egyptian clover hay diet increased the proportions of genus Prevotella and Ruminococcus; while fed barley straw diet increased the Butyrivibrio, RC9_gut_group, and Fibrobacteres. The bacterial culture of the Egyptian clover hay fed group produced the greatest xylanase and the bacterial culture of the barley straw fed group produced the maximum cellulase.Conclusion:Egyptian clover hay is recommended to feed camels in intensive production. Moreover, the bacterial community in the camel rumen is a promising source of lignocellulolytic enzymes.

Mechanistic insights into the digestion of complex dietary fibre by the rumen microbiota using combinatorial high-resolution glycomics and transcriptomic analyses

There is a knowledge gap regarding the factors that impede the ruminal digestion of plant cell walls or if rumen microbiota possess the functional activities to overcome these constraints. Innovative experimental methods were adopted to provide a high-resolution understanding of plant cell wall chemistries, identify higher-order structures that resist microbial digestion, and determine how they interact with the functional activities of the rumen microbiota. We characterized the total tract indigestible residue (TTIR) from cattle fed a low-quality straw diet using two comparative glycomic approaches: ELISA-based glycome profiling and total cell wall glycosidic linkage analysis. We successfully detected numerous and diverse cell wall glycan epitopes in barley straw (BS) and TTIR and determined their relative abundance pre- and post-total tract digestion. Of these, xyloglucans and heteroxylans were of higher abundance in TTIR. To determine if the rumen microbiota can further saccharify the residual plant polysaccharides within TTIR, rumen microbiota from cattle fed a diet containing BS were incubated with BS and TTIR ex vivo in batch cultures. Transcripts coding for carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were identified and characterized for their contribution to cell wall digestion based on glycomic analyses, comparative gene expression profiles, and associated CAZyme families. High-resolution phylogenetic fingerprinting of these sequences encoded CAZymes with activities predicted to cleave the primary linkages within heteroxylan and arabinan.This experimental platform provides unprecedented precision in the understanding of forage structure and digestibility, which can be extended to other feed-host systems and inform next-generation solutions to improve the performance of ruminants fed low-quality forages.

Cerebrocortical necrosis causes multiple deaths in Scottish ewes and lambs.

Cerebrocortical necrosis causes multiple deaths in Scottish ewes and lambs.