Response of lactating dairy cows to diets containing wet corn gluten feed or a raw soybean hull-corn steep liquor pellet

Effects of inclusion of corn gluten feed in dairy rations on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk components, and ruminal fermentation parameters: a meta-analysis

Corn gluten feed (CGF) is a co-product of wet milling that can replace energy or fiber ingredients in dairy cow rations. The present meta-analysis examines how inclusion of CGF can affect dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield (MY), milk components, and ruminal fermentation parameters. A literature search was conducted to identify papers published from 1990 to 2018. Effect size for all parameters was calculated as standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity was determined using Q test and I² statistic, while meta-regression was used to examine factors influencing heterogeneity. Results indicate that feeding CGF increased the effect size for DMI and MY. No differences were observed for effect size for percentage milk fat or protein; however, increases were observed in the effect size for milk fat yield, milk protein yield, milk lactose percentage, and milk lactose yield. Ruminal fermentation parameters revealed a decrease in the effect size for pH and acetate and an increase for propionate. No differences were observed in the effect size for total VFA or butyrate. The Q test demonstrated heterogeneity (P < 0.1) for MY, MFP, and pH. The results indicate differences in forage intake between groups receiving CGF and control as an important factor contributing to heterogeneity for DMI, MFP, and pH. It can be concluded from this meta-analysis that in addition to increased DMI, inclusion of CGF in cow diets increases MY and improves milk components. Furthermore, inclusion of CGF in the diet lowers ruminal pH while decreasing acetate and increasing propionate contents.

Synchronous feeding of liquid protein source with different grains on performance, digestibility, ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites, and carcass characters in growing lambs

The effects of feeding corn steep liquor (CSL; 420 g/kg crude protein, DM basis) along with different cereal grains on performance, digestibility, blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation, and carcass characters of growing lambs were evaluated. The constant amount of CSL was included in basal diet (100 g/kg, DM basis) and grain sources as experimental treatments were as follows: (1) corn grain (CG), (2) barley grain (BG), or (3) wheat grain (WG). The eighteen individually fed Farahani lambs averaging body weight 32 kg were allocated in completely randomized design (6 lambs/each) in a 9-week trial. The results showed that the greatest intake and gain were found in lambs fed CG in contrast to others. Nitrogen intake was constant among diets; however, the greatest nitrogen efficiency was found for corn grain-fed animals. Digestibility of nutrients were reduced in WG-fed animals in comparison with other grains. Ruminal proportions of propionate and butyrate were reduce in WG-fed lambs. The CG-fed animals displayed greater blood glucose and lower BUN concentrations compared with others. The greatest aspartate aminotransferase concentration as well as the greatest liver fat deposition suggested a dysfunction in liver performance in WG-fed animals. Except than that of a tendency for increment in dressing percentage in CG-fed lambs, no carcass character was differed among treatments. In conclusion, results revealed that feeding liquid protein source (CSL) is recommendable when it has been fed along with corn grain in comparison with barley or wheat grains in growing lambs.

Milk Production of Dairy Cows Fed Wet Corn Gluten Feed During the Dry Period and Lactation

An experiment was conducted with 36 primiparous and 40 multiparous Holstein cows to examine the effects of feeding wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) on 305-d milk production, dry matter (DM) intake, body condition score (BCS), and health. The experimental treatments included: 1) control--WCGF not fed (n = 27); 2) WCGF-L-cows received diets containing WCGF (38% DM basis) during lactation (n = 23); and 3) WCGF-DL--cows received diets containing WCGF (38% DM basis) during the dry period and lactation (n = 26). During the dry period, cows consuming WCGF were observed to have a significant gain in BCS (0.07 +/- 0.06) compared with a loss in BCS in cows fed the control diet (control = -0.11 +/- 0.06 and WCGF-L = -0.04 +/- 0.06). During lactation, there were no differences by treatment on BCS. Cows consuming WCGF during lactation consumed more feed compared with the control: 25.4, 23.8, and 21.2 +/- 0.76 kg/d for WCGF-L, WCGF-DL, and the control, respectively. Milk production was higher for cows consuming WCGF: 35.0, 34.7, and 31.1 +/- 2.1 kg/d for WCGF-L, WCGF-DL, and the control, respectively. No differences were found in either DM intake or actual milk yield between the WCGF-L and WCGF-DL treatments, indicating that prepartum diets did not influence lactational performance. The WCGF diets resulted in significant reductions in the concentration of milk fat (3.94, 3.74, and 4.15 +/- 0.08% for WCGF-L, WCGF-DL, and the control, respectively), but because total milk yield was increased, there were no differences in total milk fat yield. In addition, 3.5% of fat-corrected milk tended to be affected by diet: 38.9, 36.3, and 34.7 +/- 1.93 kg/d for WCGF-L, WCGF-DL, and the control, respectively. The increasing effect of DM intake and milk yield in cows consuming WCGF resulted in a similar efficiency of 3.5% fat-corrected milk production for all treatments, averaging 1.5 +/- 0.09. Total protein yields were significantly higher for cows consuming WCGF diets during lactation: 1.15, 1.10, 1.00 +/- 0.06 kg/d for WCGF-L, WCGF-DL, and the control, respectively. These results indicate that diets may be formulated to contain as much as 37.5% WCGF (DM basis).