Effects of the interaction of forage and supplement type on digestibility and ruminal fermentation in beef cattle

Comparison of feeding diets including dried or ensiled peanut vines as forage sources on the growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and bacterial community in young Holstein bulls

The objectives of this study were to compare the growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and bacterial community of young bulls fed with diets including dried or ensiled peanut vines and to investigate whether the combination of dry peanut vine and corn silage could exhibit better feeding effects. Forty-five young Holstein bulls were selected and fed for 60 days. The total mixed ration (TMR) was formulated as follows: (1) a dry peanut vine-based diet (DPV), (2) a peanut vine silage-based diet (PVS), and (3) a whole-plant corn silage mixed with the DPV (WPCS-DPV). The ratio of dietary concentrate to forage was 50:50. The results showed that the dried and ensiled peanut vines used in beef diet exhibited no difference in the average daily gain of bulls (p = 0.490). The pH of rumen fluid in bulls fed with the WPCS-DPV and PVS diets was lower than that in bulls fed with the DPV diet (p < 0.001). The bulls fed with the DPV diet had increased Ace and Chao1 values of rumen bacterial community compared with bulls fed with the PVS diet (p < 0.05). This study confirmed the feasibility of ensiling as a preservation procedure for peanut vines and provides a reference for its utilization schemes.

Effect of feeding a diet comprised of various corn silages inclusion with peanut vine or wheat straw on performance, digestion, serum parameters and meat nutrients in finishing beef cattle

Objective

The objective of this study was to compare the feeding value, meat nutrients and associative effects of a diet comprised of various corn silages inclusion with peanut vine or wheat straw in finishing beef cattle.

Methods

One hundred and eighty Simmental crossbred beef steers were blocked and assigned to the follow treatments: i) whole plant corn silage-based diet (control, WPCS), ii) mixed forages-based diet (replacing a portion of corn silage with wheat straw, WPCSW), iii) corn stalklage-based diet (CS), and iv) sweet corn stalklage-based diet (SCS). Each group consisted of 5 repeated pens with 9 steers/pen. The diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic with same forage to concentrate ratio. Experimental diets were fed for 90 d.

Results

The effective ruminal degradability of dry matter and crude protein were highest for WPCS diet (p<0.05), for neutral detergent fiber was highest in SCS diet (p<0.05). The average daily gain was greater for cattle offered the WPCS diet, intermediate with WPCSW and SCS and lowest with CS (p<0.001). The concentration of non-esterified fatty acid in serum was higher for steers fed with CS and SCS diets than those offered WPCS and WPCSW steers (p<0.001). The treatments did not affect the general nutritional contents and amino acids composition of Longissimus dorsi of steers (p>0.05).

Conclusion

The corn silage-based diet exhibited the highest feeding value. The sweet corn stalklage and wheat straw as an alternative to corn silage offered to beef cattle had limited influence on feeding value and meat nutrients. However, the value of a corn stalklage-based diet was relatively poor. To sum up, when the high quality forage resources, such as corn silage, are in short supply, or the growth rate of beef cattle decreases in the later finishing period, the sweet stalklage and wheat straw could be used as a cheaper alternative in feedlot cattle diet without sharp reducing economic benefits.