Search

Feed additives used in finishing diets improve energy efficiency in ruminal fermentation, resulting in increased animal performance. However, there is no report evaluating the effect of BEO associated with exogenous α-amylase in response to increased starch content in feedlot diets. Our objective was to evaluate increasing levels of starch in the diet associated with a blend of essential oils plus amylase or sodium Monensin on performance, carcass characteristics, and ruminal and cecal morphometry of feedlot cattle. 210 Nellore bulls were used (initial body weight of 375 ± 13.25), where they were blocked and randomly allocated in 30 pens. The experiment was designed in completely randomized blocks in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement: three starch levels (25, 35, and 45%), and two additives: a blend of essential oils plus α-amylase (BEO, 90 and 560 mg/kg of DM, respectively) or sodium Monensin (MON, 26 mg/kg DM). The animals were fed once a day at 08:00 ad libitum and underwent an adaptation period of 14 days. The diets consisted of sugarcane bagasse, ground corn, soybean hulls, cottonseed, soybean meal, mineral-vitamin core, and additives. The animals fed BEO35 had higher dry matter intake (P = 0.02) and daily weight gain (P = 0.02). The MON treatment improved feed efficiency (P = 0.02). The treatments BEO35 and BEO45 increased hot carcass weight (P < 0.01). Animals fed BEO presented greater carcass yield (P = 0.01), carcass gain (P < 0.01), rib eye area gain (P = 0.01), and final rib eye area (P = 0.02) when compared to MON. The MON25 treatment improved carcass gain efficiency (P = 0.01), final marbling (P = 0.04), and final subcutaneous fat thickness (P < 0.01). The use of MON reduced the fecal starch% (P < 0.01). Cattle-fed BEO increased rumen absorptive surface area (P = 0.05) and % ASA papilla area (P < 0.01). The MON treatment reduced the cecum lesions score (P = 0.02). Therefore, the use of BEO with 35 and 45% starch increases carcass production with similar biological efficiency as MON; and animals consuming MON25 improve feed efficiency and reduce lesions in the rumen and cecum.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different sources of non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) in the dairy cow diet supplemented with small peptides of cottonseed (Fortide C) on in vitro ruminal gas production (GP), fermentation parameters, substrate disappearance and microbial enzyme activity. Four iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diets were fed, containing 1) maize, 2) barley, 3) wheat or 4) a maize+barley mixture as the main sources of NFC. Each diet was supplemented with 7.05 g Fortide C/kg dry matter (DM) and incubated with media containing rumen liquor for 96 h in vitro. Dietary supplementation of the Fortide C in the wheat grain diet yielded greater gas production (GP) at 16 h of incubation, total GP and potential GP (b) than those containing maize (P<0.05), but similar to barley-containing diet (P>0.05). Other GP parameters including GP at 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation and constant rate of GP (c) were similar among the experimental diets. The highest and lowest DM disappearance, apparently degraded substrates, organic matter disappearance, estimated metabolizable energy, short chain fatty acids and microbial protein synthesis (MPS) were observed in the Fortide C-supplemented wheat and maize diets, respectively (P<0.05). Using wheat in the diet decreased NH3-N compared to the maize diet (P<0.05). Inclusion of wheat in the diet supplemented with Fortide C increased carboxymethyl cellulase and α-amylase activities compared to the maize diet (P<0.05), while it was similar to the barley diet (P>0.05). However, microcrystalline cellulase and filter paper-degrading activities were unchanged among the dietary treatments. Overall, using wheat as the main source of NFC in the dairy cow diet supplemented with Fortide C improved in vitro ruminal fermentation profile, substrate disappearance, MPS and microbial enzyme activity compared to the maize or maize+barley-based diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbohydrates are important in the nutrition of animals because they are the major source of energy and typically comprise 70 to 80% of the diet. Carbohydrate contents of forage can vary widely due to the interaction of plants and their environment. These variables include: species and variety of the forage, stage of growth and environmental conditions during plant growth. The aim of this study was to estimate the content of NFC-Non-Fiber Carbohydrates and NDSF – Neutral Detergent Soluble Fiber depending on the stage of growth, cuts and cultivars of alfalfa. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) – cv K28 selected at Institute for forage crops Kruševac and cv G+13R+CZ selected at UC Davis Plant Breeding Center, University of California were sampled at three stages of maturity: full bud, early bloom (10-15% of flowering) and mid bloom (50-60% of flowering) in four cuts during the year. Results of this investigation showed that alfalfa cultivars were not differ significantly in NFC and NDSF content. On the other hand, content of NFC decreased from 237.0 to 230.6 g kg-1 DM with growth and development, whereas content of NDSF increased with plant development from 131.5 to 136.8 g kg-1 DM, but the differences between treatments were not significant. The highest content of NFC and NDSF was observed in the third cut. These carbohydrates are considered to be highly digestible and rapidly fermentable. Improving the understanding of this large portion of the dairy cattle diet has the potential to improve animal performance and profitability while maintaining health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological composition of cactus pear-based diets with increasing levels of buffel grass hay, and its effect on the blood and physiological parameters and occurrence of diarrhea in feedlot sheep. Four diets containing different percentages of buffel grass hay were tested. Diets were composed of forage cactus, buffel grass hay and concentrate, and the treatments were represented by different levels of hay in the dry matter of the feed: 7.5% buffel grass hay; 15% buffel grass hay; 30% buffel grass hay; and 45% buffel grass hay on a dry matter basis. There was a significant effect (p = 0.0034) of inclusion levels of buffel grass hay on fecal score. Only at the 45% inclusion level diarrhea was not observed, showing that the level of buffel grass affected more the animals than the collection period, although the collection period has affected the microbial counts. Probably there was a physiological adaptation of animals over time. There were significant changes (p < 0.0001) in the blood parameters of sheep. The reduction of the proportion of cactus and the inclusion of greater than 15% buffel grass hay, on a dry matter basis, provides less contamination of the diet and animal feces by enterobacteria, such as E. coli.

Evolution of milk production, body reserves and blood metabolites and their relationships with dietary carbohydrates were compared in 30 Sarda dairy ewes and 26 Saanen dairy goats in mid-lactation. From 92 to 152 ± 11 days in milk (DIM), each species was allocated to two dietary treatments: high-starch (HS: 20.0% starch, on DM basis) and low-starch (LS: 7.8% starch, on DM basis) diets. In mid-lactating goats, the HS diet increased fat-corrected milk yield (FCM (3.5%); 2.65 vs. 2.53 kg/d; p = 0.019) and daily milk net energy (NEL; p = 0.025), compared to the LS diet. The body condition score (BCS) was not affected. In mid-lactating ewes, the LS diet increased FCM (6.5%) (1.47 vs. 1.36 kg/d; p = 0.008), and NEL (p = 0.008), compared to the HS diet. In addition, BCS was greater in HS than in LS ewes (3.53 vs. 3.38; p = 0.008). Goats had a higher growth hormone (GH) and lower insulin concentration than ewes (GH: 2.62 vs. 1.37 ng/mL; p = 0.04; insulin: 0.14 vs. 0.38 µg/L; p < 0.001 in goats and ewes, respectively). In conclusion, in mid-lactation, the two species responded differently to dietary carbohydrates, probably due to differences in the concentration of GH and insulin. The HS diet favored milk yield in goats and body reserve accumulation in ewes. In ewes, the partial replacement of starch with highly digestible fiber increased energy partitioning in favor of milk production.

Highlights • It values efficient cactus cladodes use, an important forage resource in drylands. • The cactus cladodes usage increases the concentrate efficiency. • It determines appropriate ratio silage and cactus cladodes in dairy cows´ diet. Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing corn silage with cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. cladodes (cactus Opuntia) (0, 18.5, 37.0, and 55.5%, on a DM basis) in the diets for lactating dairy cows. Twelve Holstein cows (20 ± 2.7 kg/day milk, 530 ± 35 kg of body weight, 84 days in milk) were distributed in three (4 × 4) Latin squares. There was an increase in the intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) and net energy for lactation (NE l) with the replacement (17.68 to 18.58; 16.38 to 16.91; 5.32 to 7.28; 25.1 to 27.01 kg/day, respectively). The intake of crude protein (CP; 2.80 kg/day) and the digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NFC and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were not changed by the replacement (623.4; 642.4; 641.6; 519.6; 763 g/kg DM, respectively). The milk yield and fat-corrected milk yield (FCMY) to 3.5% fat increased linearly with the replacement (20.8 to 22.1; 21.4 to 23.3 kg/day, respectively). The fat, protein, lactose, and total solids milk content remained unaltered (37.6; 31.6; 45.1; 124.4 g/kg, respectively). There was a linear decrease in the urea nitrogen excretion in urine (298 to 221.4 mg/kg BW) and the urea nitrogen concentration in milk (16.8–13.04 mg/dL). We recommend a diet composed of 366.0 g/kg DM of cactus Opuntia 290.0 g/kg DM of corn silage and 344.0 g/kg DM of concentrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Grasslands / Forrajes Tropicales is the property of International Centre for Tropical Agriculture - CIAT and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of corn meal in silage orange peel in natura. The experiment has adopted a completely randomized, with four treatments (corn meal levels) and four replications. There were used experimental silos made of bucket of 12 L. Silos were opened at 90 days after ensiling, and evaluated the gases and effluent losses, pH, chemical composition, volatile fatty acids (acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric, isovaleric), and in vitro gas production. The dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), and organic matter showed a linear increase with the inclusion of corn meal. The contents of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and crude protein (CP) decreased with increasing proportion of corn meal. Regarding the rumen fermentation kinetics there was a quadratic effect of increasing inclusion of corn meal in the final volume of gas from the non-fiber carbohydrates (VfCNF) and quadratic effect in decreasing total gas production of the fiber (VfCF). The orange peel can be conserved as silage with the inclusion of corn meal, allowing satisfactory pH levels and minimize effluent losses, ensuring good preservation of the silage. The levels of 8 and 12% were the most efficient, ensuring higher levels of DM, lower levels of NDF and ADF, higher levels of NFC, higher production volume of gas, which can be considered a suitable source of forage for ruminants in general.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the divergence of bromatological and fermentative characteristics of silages of 25 sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) hybrids. The experimental design was completely randomized with 25 treatments and four replications. The mean values of pH differed with variation from 3.45 to 3.87 for hybrids 866005 and 870051, respectively, and the mean pH value was 3.66. The average percentage of lactic acid ranged from 2.90 to 7.43 dag/kg of dry matter (DM) in hybrids 870035 and 866005, respectively, with an average of 4.65 dag/kg DM. Through cluster analysis by the Tocher method and average Euclidean distance based on the fermentative characteristics, five groups were formed: one with 18 hybrids, another with four and three groups with one hybrid in each. In group three, there were the hybrids that showed the highest values of lactic acid. Hybrids 870025, 870035, 870081, 870095, 866034, and 870031 showed higher DM content and the hybrid BRS 610 had the lowest average compared with the others. Hybrids 1F305, BRS 610, Volumax, and XBS60329 had the lowest levels of non-fiber carbohydrates and higher neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein. Despite the fermentative and bromatological divergences between hybrids, they are not a limiting factor to silage production.

Feed additives used in finishing diets improve energy efficiency in ruminal fermentation, resulting in increased animal performance. However, there is no report evaluating the effect of BEO associated with exogenous α-amylase in response to increased starch content in feedlot diets. Our objective was to evaluate increasing levels of starch in the diet associated with a blend of essential oils plus amylase or sodium Monensin on performance, carcass characteristics, and ruminal and cecal morphometry of feedlot cattle. 210 Nellore bulls were used (initial body weight of 375 ± 13.25), where they were blocked and randomly allocated in 30 pens. The experiment was designed in completely randomized blocks in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement: three starch levels (25, 35, and 45%), and two additives: a blend of essential oils plus α-amylase (BEO, 90 and 560 mg/kg of DM, respectively) or sodium Monensin (MON, 26 mg/kg DM). The animals were fed once a day at 08:00 ad libitum and underwent an adaptation period of 14 days. The diets consisted of sugarcane bagasse, ground corn, soybean hulls, cottonseed, soybean meal, mineral-vitamin core, and additives. The animals fed BEO35 had higher dry matter intake ( P = 0.02) and daily weight gain ( P = 0.02). The MON treatment improved feed efficiency ( P = 0.02). The treatments BEO35 and BEO45 increased hot carcass weight ( P < 0.01). Animals fed BEO presented greater carcass yield ( P = 0.01), carcass gain ( P < 0.01), rib eye area gain ( P = 0.01), and final rib eye area ( P = 0.02) when compared to MON. The MON25 treatment improved carcass gain efficiency ( P = 0.01), final marbling ( P = 0.04), and final subcutaneous fat thickness ( P < 0.01). The use of MON reduced the fecal starch% ( P < 0.01). Cattle-fed BEO increased rumen absorptive surface area ( P = 0.05) and % ASA papilla area ( P < 0.01). The MON treatment reduced the cecum lesions score ( P = 0.02). Therefore, the use of BEO with 35 and 45% starch increases carcass production with similar biological efficiency as MON; and animals consuming MON25 improve feed efficiency and reduce lesions in the rumen and cecum., Competing Interests: Authors TA, VC, and AP were employed by company DSM Nutritional Products SA. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors declare that this study received funding from DSM Nutritional Products SA. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article, or the decision to submit it for publication., (Copyright © 2023 Silva, Souza, Acedo, Carvalho, Perdigão, Silva, Silvestre, Niehues, Schleifer, Casali, Martins, Arrigoni and Millen.)

Simple Summary: Small ruminants fed on cactus pear exclusively in the diet may present nutritional disorders, especially diarrhea. This is due to the high moisture requirements present in this food, related to microbiological factors inherent to poor hygienic quality, such as handling and prolonged exposure of crushed palm to the air, which can cause greater ingestion by animals of certain bacterial groups with pathogenic potential. The aim of this research was to investigate the levels of cactus associated with buffel grass hay on the microbiological quality of diets and the influence on physiological parameters in sheep. Thus, this research revealed that the participation of buffel grass hay was able to reduce the contamination of bacteria that cause diarrhea and depress animal performance. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological composition of cactus pear-based diets with increasing levels of buffel grass hay, and its effect on the blood and physiological parameters and occurrence of diarrhea in feedlot sheep. Four diets containing different percentages of buffel grass hay were tested. Diets were composed of forage cactus, buffel grass hay and concentrate, and the treatments were represented by different levels of hay in the dry matter of the feed: 7.5% buffel grass hay; 15% buffel grass hay; 30% buffel grass hay; and 45% buffel grass hay on a dry matter basis. There was a significant effect (p = 0.0034) of inclusion levels of buffel grass hay on fecal score. Only at the 45% inclusion level diarrhea was not observed, showing that the level of buffel grass affected more the animals than the collection period, although the collection period has affected the microbial counts. Probably there was a physiological adaptation of animals over time. There were significant changes (p < 0.0001) in the blood parameters of sheep. The reduction of the proportion of cactus and the inclusion of greater than 15% buffel grass hay, on a dry matter basis, provides less contamination of the diet and animal feces by enterobacteria, such as E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of the level of dietary non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) on intake, in vivo digestibility, milk production and endocrine-metabolic status was studied in 20 Sarda ewes (mean±SE, BW 42.5±3.9kg) at mid-lactation stage (89±1 DIM). Ewes were divided into 2 groups and fed chopped alfalfa hay at 400g/d and pelleted concentrates ad libitum in metabolic cages during 3 weeks. The concentrates differed in NFC concentration (NFC=36% of DM: group NFC36; NFC=23% of DM: group NFC23), due to the substitution of cereal grains with soybean hulls in the low NFC diet. Dry matter intake was higher for NFC23 than for NFC36 (2900g/d vs. 2555g/d; P <0.01). Dry matter digestibility was higher in NFC36 than in NFC23 (68.4% vs. 62.9%, P <0.001), while the contrary occurred for NDF digestibility (52.9% vs. 56.1%, P <0.015). Energy intake did not differ between groups (P >0.2). Dietary NFC concentration negatively affected milk yield (1813ml/d vs. 2110ml/d, for NFC36 and NFC23 groups, respectively, P <0.001) and positively affected milk protein concentration (4.68% vs. 4.51%, P <0.05, respectively), whereas milk fat concentration was similar between groups (5.06% vs. 5.19%, P >0.2). Body fat increased (P <0.05) without treatment-associated differences. Higher glucose (P <0.05) and lower urea concentrations (P <0.001) were found in blood plasma of NFC36 ewes compared to NFC23 ewes. Insulin concentration in blood plasma was higher in NFC23 than in NFC36 (P <0.01), whereas GH levels were similar between groups. In conclusion, the low dietary NFC concentrate based on soybean hulls exerted positive effects on intake and milk yield in mid-lactating ewes, probably due to a higher proportion of the ingested energy being devoted to milk secretion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Grazing studies were carried out over a 5-year period using pregnant cows, yearling calves and 2-year-old heifers to investigate the influence of diet on intake, methane (CH4) emissions and retention of nitrogen (N). Monoculture legume (birdsfoot trefoil, BFT and cicer milkvetch, CMV) or grass (meadow bromegrass, MBG) pastures were rotationally stocked, and during year 4 and year 5, treatments were contrasted with total mixed rations (TMR) fed in confinement. The sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) method was used to continuously measure enteric CH4 emissions. Intake was greater on legume pastures and on TMR than on grass pastures, and enteric CH4 emissions per unit of intake were lower on legumes compared with grass pastures. Legume pastures had elevated non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) concentrations (400 g kg−1 dry matter; DM) typical of perennial legumes cultivated in the Mountain West. A N balance calculated in 2017–2018 demonstrated that N retention was greater for TMR and legume than grass pastures. Enteric CH4 emissions of grazing cow herds account for the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from beef production and can be significantly reduced by using highly digestible forage legumes. The N retention of legumes can potentially enhance the efficiency of N use, thereby increasing the sustainability of grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In order to favor milk production, this research suggests that the concentration of starch in the diet of dairy ewes in mid-lactation should be reduced, compared to early lactation, by introducing sources of highly digestible fiber. On the other hand, this type of diet is not adequate for dairy goats, which should maintain the use diets rich in starch, even in mid-lactation, to support milk yield, as well. Evolution of milk production, body reserves and blood metabolites and their relationships with dietary carbohydrates were compared in 30 Sarda dairy ewes and 26 Saanen dairy goats in mid-lactation. From 92 to 152 ± 11 days in milk (DIM), each species was allocated to two dietary treatments: high-starch (HS: 20.0% starch, on DM basis) and low-starch (LS: 7.8% starch, on DM basis) diets. In mid-lactating goats, the HS diet increased fat-corrected milk yield (FCM (3.5%); 2.65 vs. 2.53 kg/d; p = 0.019) and daily milk net energy (NEL; p = 0.025), compared to the LS diet. The body condition score (BCS) was not affected. In mid-lactating ewes, the LS diet increased FCM (6.5%) (1.47 vs. 1.36 kg/d; p = 0.008), and NEL (p = 0.008), compared to the HS diet. In addition, BCS was greater in HS than in LS ewes (3.53 vs. 3.38; p = 0.008). Goats had a higher growth hormone (GH) and lower insulin concentration than ewes (GH: 2.62 vs. 1.37 ng/mL; p = 0.04; insulin: 0.14 vs. 0.38 µg/L; p < 0.001 in goats and ewes, respectively). In conclusion, in mid-lactation, the two species responded differently to dietary carbohydrates, probably due to differences in the concentration of GH and insulin. The HS diet favored milk yield in goats and body reserve accumulation in ewes. In ewes, the partial replacement of starch with highly digestible fiber increased energy partitioning in favor of milk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Milk fatty acids reflect metabolic status of early lactation cows fed high-quality hay. • The de novo fatty acids (the sum of 4:0 – 14:0) to oleic acid ratios < 0.4 indicate increased body fat mobilization. • The high-quality hay promoted the content of CLA and linolenic acid in milk. We hypothesized that alterations in metabolic status systematically affect the milk fatty acid (FA) composition and thus milk FA can reveal the metabolic status of dairy cows. We, therefore, investigated changes in the milk FA profile of 24 Simmental cows fed high-quality ryegrass hay (HQ hay) rich in water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in the diet, which was shown to affect energy partitioning towards either milk production or body reserve retention, and consequently the metabolic status depending on the dietary proportion of concentrates supplied. The test diets (per kg dry matter (DM)) were CON (600 g fiber-rich hay + 400 g concentrate), 60HQ (600 g HQ hay + 400 g concentrate), 75HQ (750 g HQ hay + 250 g concentrate), and 100HQ (100 g HQ hay). As opposed to the fiber-rich hay, the HQ hay was richer in crude protein (CP; 223 vs. 65 g/kg CP in DM), WSC (198 vs. 110 g/kg WSC in DM) and 18:3 n-3 (560 vs. 316 g/kg FA). The feeding trial was performed from 10 d before calving until 28 d thereafter and milk samples were collected on 7, 14, 21 and 28 d after calving for the FA analysis. Linear and non-linear regression analyses of milk FA and serum metabolites (NEFA and BHB) concentrations were performed. Energy secreted with the milk relative to the intake was highest in cows fed CON and 100HQ and lowest in the 75HQ cows. Both energy-deficient groups (CON and 100HQ) showed elevated levels of milk 18:1 n-9 at the expense of some mammary de novo FA compared to the other two groups (P < 0.05). Cows fed 60HQ secreted greater amounts (g/d) of the de novo FA compared to 75HQ and CON (P < 0.05). The HQ hay promoted the level of conjugated linoleic acids in milk regardless of the inclusion level, and, when used at 75 % or more in the diet, also promoted the level of 18:3 n-3 (P < 0.001) due to increased 18:3 n-3 intake with the hay. The modeled data using the ratios of 15:0 to 18:1 n-9, 14:0 to 18:1 n-9 and the sum of de novo FA to 18:1 n-9 were consistently associated with serum concentrations of NEFA and BHB with a ratio below 0.02, 0.2 and 0.4 indicating excessive mobilization and greater risk of metabolic disturbances. The relationships between the FA ratios and BHB were confirmed with a meta-analysis using means of published studies. In summary, milk FA reflect the metabolic status of early lactation dairy cows. Feeding HQ hay generally promotes health beneficial C18 FA in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]