Progress 10/01/07 to 06/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: "1. Feed enzymes (FE) and direct-fed microbials (DFM) have been extensively used as feed additives in livestock diets to improve nutrient utilization, animal performance, and environmental performance. We developed cost-effective FE and DFM technologies to improve their efficacy in ruminant diets. In, particular, through the research support from industry (Danisco Animal Nutrition), we have not only contributed to developing a new product by Danisco Animal Nutrition, but also helped ruminant production industries to find effective use of feed additives in ruminant diets. 2. Our research group has worked on the use of brown midrib (BMR) corn silage in ruminant diets (dairy and beef cattle), as its interest and utilization have been significantly growing in the Intermountain West. We have found that feeding BMR corn silage has minimum impacts on ruminal fermentation, whereas it influences nutrient utilization for productive and environmental performance. 3. Our research on feeding strategies to improve environmental performance of ruminants has been focused on use of tannin-containing forages and their extracts. We have reported that feeding birdsfoot trefoil hay reduces methane production and ammonia nitrogen. Condensed tannin extracts such as quebracho extract and chestnut extract reduce ammonia nitrogen concentration and milk and/or plasma urea nitrogen concentration. Therefore, they can be good candidates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve animal performance. Through the project, I have obtained a total of $880,982 of which $632,455, $145,910, and $102,617 are from grants through Sponsored Programs Office, research gifts, and international scholarship grant, respectively. In terms of publications, I have published 18 peer-reviewed journal papers (15 papers as a corresponding author), 1 book chapter, 6 proceeding papers (peer-reviewed), and 28 abstracts. Major findings have been presented at various conferences and meetings. In addition, 1 PhD and 3 MS students completed their graduate programs. Overall findings have been extensively used in scientific communities and industries to develop better strategies for improved sustainable ruminant production." PARTICIPANTS: "Dale ZoBell: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT Randy Wiedmeier: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT Allen Young: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT Blair Waldron: USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT Karen Beauchemin: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada Vivek Fellner: Animal Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY Danisco, Palo Alto, CA" TARGET AUDIENCES: Producer, industry personnel, extension staff, and research scientists PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
"Our multiple-year feed additive research project has indicated many possibilities to make cost-effective feed additives to enhance nutrient digestion and utilization by ruminants. All the information created by this project will be beneficial to feed additive manufacturing industries. In addition, as we tested different types of forages and pastures, producers can choose their main forage crops to feed their animals, depending upon their goals: animal performance, environmental performance, or their combination. Most important finding throughout this project is that forages containing tannins or tannin extract can improve nutrient utilization and lactational or growth performance, but decrease N and methane production. With increasing pressure on producers due to sustainable ruminant production, producers can utilize our findings on their feeding and management systems having forages containing tannins or tannin extracts on their rations to livestock. Throughout BMR project, we have identified two most important facts: 1) Feeding BMR silage in high forage diet with a high concentration of good quality alfalfa hay maintained higher body weight after parturition even though feed intake was similar through peak lactation. Controlling mobilization of body fat stores during transition and maximizing peak milk production are critical to improve animal health and farm profitability. Therefore, feeding BMR silage in high forage diets can have beneficial effects to lessen body fat mobilization in fresh cows without limiting feed intake around peak lactation, resulting in longer peak milk production and improved overall lactational performance. Cows fed the BMR silage produced 1.7 kg/d more milk compared to those fed conventional corn silage, and therefore throughout total experimental period for 180 days, BMR silage fed dairy cows produced 306 kg more milk. 2) Decreased urinary N:fecal N due to feeding BMR silage and/or quality of alfalfa hay highlights a great opportunity to improve efficiency of N utilization for dairy production by selecting forage crops that use N more efficiently. Feeding forages higher in ruminal degradability such as BMR had better N utilization as evidenced by decreased concentrations of BUN, MUN, and urinary urea N, which can represent an environmental advantage over traditional sources of forages in lactation dairy diets. The above two major findings will be huge benefits to dairy producers by feeding BMR silage to lactating dairy cows to improve productivity and profitability, whereas it will contribute to sustainable dairy production by improving environmental performance. Anecdotal reports by dairy producers and observations by dairy nutritionists indicate that over the past few years, dairy producers have increased their use of BMR silage in the Intermountain West as a main forage source in dairy rations. Thus, our scientific findings will further enhance effective use of BMR corn silage on their dairy operations. To the scientific community, our studies highlight importance of sound use of forages for ruminant production to improve animal health and achieve potential productivity of dairy cows."
Publications
- Dolecheck, K. A., Vera, J. M., Young, A., Smith, A. H., Fellner, V., & Eun, J.-S., (2012) Effects of supplementing propionibacteria in lactation dairy diets on ruminal fermentation in continuous cultures.. J. Dairy Sci., USA (P215). (Published).
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Tannin extracts decrease in vitro growth of ruminal acidosis-causing bacteria in pure culture. Antimicrobial activity of tannins has been well documented. However, there is lack of detailed knowledge to explore potential effects of tannin extracts (TE) on the growth of ruminal acidosis-causing bacteria (RACB) in beef steers. Two strains of RACB were used in a 2 (strain of RACB) x 4 (source of TE) factorial designed experiment (n = 3) to determine the effects of sources of TE on growth of RACB. Effects of supplementing an exogenous proteolytic enzyme in beef finishing diets on ruminal fermentation in continuous cultures. We investigated whether supplementing an exogenous proteolytic enzyme (EPE) would be beneficial on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics when supplemented in beef finishing diets without or with dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). A dual-flow continuous culture system consisting of 4 fermentors was used in a 4 s 4 Latin square designed study with dietary treatment arranged as a 2 s 2 factorial. The 4 treatments were: 1) barley grain TMR (BT) without EPE; 2) BT with EPE; 3) DDGS TMR (DT) without EPE; and 4) DT with EPE. Feeding BT decreased culture pH compared with DT (6.01 vs. 5.82; P < 0.01), but supplementing EPE had no effect on culture pH regardless of TMR. Total VFA concentration increased by feeding DT (P = 0.03), but EPE supplementation had no effect on the total VFA concentration. While feeding DT increased (P = 0.03) or tended to increase (P = 0.07) acetate or propionate concentration, respectively, EPE supplementation tended to increase (P = 0.11) propionate concentration regardless of TMR. Methane production tended to increase (P = 0.10) by feeding DT compared with BT, whereas EPE supplementation increased methane production in BT, but not in DT, resulting in a TMR x EPE interaction (P = 0.04). A meta-analysis on the effects of supplementing exogenous fibrolytic enzyme products in dairy diets on productive performance in early lactation. There have been a number of studies to examine the effects of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) products on milk production of dairy cows. When viewed across all studies the variability in response is high, as a range of different enzyme products and experimental conditions were used. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to assess production responses when EFE were supplemented in early lactation dairy diets. Supplementing EFE is likely to be more beneficial to early lactating cows than mid- to late lactating cows. Therefore, a database was developed from 10 studies recently published in the J. Dairy Sci. using early lactating dairy cows. In addition, the best responding treatment was chosen if an individual study tested various enzyme treatments, because efficacy of EFE depends on rate of dose, method of providing enzymes, and diet composition. A mixed model regression analysis with random study effect was used to evaluate relationships between supplementation of EFE and lactational performance parameters. PARTICIPANTS: Dale ZoBell, Allen Young, Byeung Ryel Min TARGET AUDIENCES: Producer, industry personnel, extension staff, and research scientists PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Among TE tested, the chestnut tannins (CNT) decreased growth of Streptococcus bovis (SB) at 73% at 24 h. Results of this study indicate that supplementing TE in a beef steer finishing diet decreased in vitro growth of Selenomonas ruminantium and SB, and the CNT was the most effective in inhibiting the growth of RACB. Condensed tannin extract would be a good candidate to be added as a feed additive to mitigate potential risk of ruminal acidosis. We recently finished in vivo trial to assess effects of supplementing chestnut tannin extract on ruminal fermentation and animal growth performance. Preliminary data obtained in in vivo trial will be compared with the ones observed in the in vitro experiment. A MS student, James Sieg, will include economic advantage on his thesis if supplementing tannin extract would have any beneficial effects in vivo. The increased propionate concentration due to EPE supplementation in beef finishing diets may affect growth performance of finishing steers, as propionate is the major source of glucose synthesis (gluconeogenesis) in the liver, providing increased energy availability for animal growth. However, as the EPE is a developmental enzyme, it is not clear that how much beef producer can make profit by supplementing the EPE with its dose rate tested in this study. Yet, enzyme manufacturing industry needs to consider development of EPE products to be supplemented in ruminant diets, particularly rapid growing animals and high producing dairy cows. Supplementing EPE in beef finishing diet would enhance digestibility and improve animal performance. Based meta-analysis results, supplementing EFE increased DMI (P = 0.05), milk yield (P < 0.01), and ECM yield (P = 0.04) by 0.5 (2.2% increase), 2.3 (6.6% increase), and 1.7 kg (4.7% increase) units, respectively, but did not affect milk fat (P = 0.27) and protein (P = 0.82) concentrations. While milk fat yield was not affected by EFE supplementation, milk protein yield increased by 0.06 kg unit (5.5% increase; P = 0.02). Milk production efficiency (milk yield/DMI) was improved by 0.07 units (4.6% increase; P = 0.01). Although the meta-analysis dataset only included 10 studies, it is evident from the positive animal responses that EFE additives can be an effective means to improve productive performance of early lactating dairy cows. A better understanding of the factors affecting animal response to EFE supplementation will help ensure cost-effective use of these additives on-farm. This research results can be used in feed enzyme manufacturing industries to design a better feed enzyme products for dairy cows. Because cost of enzymes tested was not included in any of 10 studies, it was impossible to assess economic benefits by supplementing EFE in dairy rations. In addition, the 10 studies were conducted at different universities having all different rations. Therefore, further investigation is needed to test if all the positive responses found in this meta-analysis study may have economic benefits on dairy operation by use of various EFE products.
Publications
- UTAO+453 King, C. C., Dschaak, C. M., Eun, J.-S., Fellner, V., & Young, A., (2011). Quantitative analyses of microbial fermentation under normal or high ruminal temperature in continuous cultures: Professional Animal Scientist, 27: 319-327. (Published).
- UTAO+453 Dschaak, C. M., Williams, C. M., Holt, M. S., Eun, J.-S., Young, A., & Min, B.-R., (2011). Effects of supplementing condensed tannin extract on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and milk production of lactating dairy cows: Journal of Dairy Science, 84: 2508-2519. (Published).
- UTAO+453 Williams, C. M., Eun, J.-S., MacAdam, J. W., Young, A., Fellner, V., & Min, B.-R., (2011). Effects of forage legumes containing condensed tannins on methane and ammonia production in continuous cultures of mixed ruminal microorganisms: Animal Feed Science Technology, 166-167: 364-372. (Published).
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1. Effects of supplementing condensed tannins on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and milk production of lactating dairy cows. A lactating dairy cow experiment was conducted to determine the influence of quebracho condensed tannins (CT) extract on intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and lactational performance of dairy cows. The cows were fed high forage (HF) or low forage (LF) diet with forage-to-concentrate ratio of 59:41 or 41:59 on dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. Eight multiparous lactating Holstein cows (days-in-milk = 62 +/- 8.8) were used, and 4 cows were surgically fitted with ruminal cannulas. The design of the experiment was a double 4 x 4 Latin square with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, and each period lasted 21 d (14 d of treatment adaptation and 7 d of data collection and sampling). Four dietary treatments were tested: HF without CT, HF with CT (HF+CT), LF without CT, and LF with CT (LF+CT). Commercial quebracho CT was added to the HF+CT and the LF+CT at a rate of 3% of dietary DM. 2. Tannin-free and tanniniferous legumes in lactating dairy diets affect in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and methane production by mixed ruminal microbiota in continuous cultures. Dual-flow continuous culture fermentors (working volume of 700 mL) were used to determine the effects of feeding tannin-free (alfalfa and cicer milkvetch) and tanniniferous (birdsfoot trefoils and sainfoin) legumes in lactating dairy diets on in vitro CH4 production and ruminal fermentation characteristics by mixed ruminal microbiota. We hypothesized that CH4 and ammonia-nitrogen production would be reduced when alfalfa hay was replaced by cicer milkvetch and tanniniferous legumes as main forages in lactating dairy total mixed ration (TMR) diets. Fermentors were inoculated with filtered ruminal contents and allowed to adapt to experimental diets for 6 d, followed by 3 d of sampling and data collection. All dietary treatments were formulated for lactating dairy cows in early lactation. Five TMR diets were evaluated, each containing a different forage source as hay: 1) alfalfa (AHT) as a control, 2) cicer milkvetch (CMVHT), 3) Norcen birdsfoot trefoil (NBFTHT), 4) Oberhaunstadter birdsfoot trefoil (OBFTHT) and 5) sainfoin (SFHT). The experiment was conducted as a 5 x 5 Latin square design. PARTICIPANTS: Dale ZoBell: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT; Randy Wiedmeier: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT; Allen Young: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT; Blair Waldron: USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT; Karen Beauchemin: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada; Vivek Fellner: Animal Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC; Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY; Danisco, Palo Alto, CA TARGET AUDIENCES: Overall results from this series of projects will benefit dairy and beef producers to increase their profits. Biotechnology companies and feed additive manufacturing companies will have better information to design their products having more effectiveness and efficacy. Extension specialists will better understand to educate producers and industrial personnel. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
1. Effects of supplementing condensed tannins: Supplementing CT decreased intakes of DM and nutrients regardless of forage level, whereas digestibilities of DM and nutrients were not affected by CT supplementation. Yields of milk and milk component were not influenced by CT supplementation. Concentrations of milk fat and true protein were not affected by CT supplementation. While concentration of milk urea-N (MUN) decreased by supplementing CT in the diets, efficiency of N use for milk N was not affected by CT supplementation. Supplementation CT in the diets did not influence ruminal pH. Supplementation of CT decreased total volatile fatty acid concentration regardless of level of forage. Molar proportions of acetate, propionate, and butyrate increased in the HF diet, but not in the LF diet due to CT supplementation, resulting in interactions between forage level and CT supplementation. Concentration of ammonia-N tended to decrease (P = 0.09) by supplementation of CT. The most remarkable findings in this study were that cows fed CT-supplemented diets decreased ammonia-N and MUN concentrations, indicating that less ruminal N was lost as ammonia due to decreased N fermentation by rumen microorganisms in response to CT supplementation. Therefore, supplementation of CT in lactation dairy diets may contribute to improving environmental sustainability of conventional dairy operations through reduced N excretion. 2. Tannin-free and tanniniferous legumes in lactating dairy diets. A beneficial effect associated with tanniniferous legumes is the reduction in ruminal methane (CH4) emission due possibly to a deleterious effect of condensed tannins on methanogenic bacteria. Culture pH was not influenced with the CMVHT, the NBFTHT and the OBFTHT when compared with the AHT, but increased when feeding the SFHT. Total volatile fatty acid production and acetate molar proportion were not influenced by treatments. However, when compared to the AHT, molar proportion of propionate increased by feeding the CMVHT, but decreased by the SFHT. Feeding the CMVHT decreased molar proportion of butyrate. Acetate to propionate ratio decreased with the CMVHT and the OBFTHT, but increased with the SFHT when compared to the AHT. Digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were not influenced by dietary treatments. When compared to the AHT, CH4 production decreased with the other treatments. Ammonia-nitrogen concentration was reduced when feeding the CMVHT and the SFHT, but was not affected (P > 0.10) when feeding the NBFTHT and the OBFTHT. The decrease of in vitro CH4 production when feeding cicer milkvetch and birdsfoot trefoil may make these forages suitable for mitigating enteric CH4 emissions by lactating dairy cows.
Publications
- Williams, C. M., Eun, J.-S., MacAdam, J. W., Young, A., Fellner, V., & Min, B. R. 2010. Tannin-free and tanniniferous legumes in lactating dairy diets affect in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and methane production by mixed ruminal microbiota in continuous cultures. pp. 159 Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture Banff, Canada, October 3-8 2010. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Canada.
- Williams, C. M., Dschaak, C. M., Eun, J.-S., MacAdam, J. W., & Young, A. 2010. Assessment of tannin-free and tanniniferous legumes in lactating dairy diets using continuous culture.. J. Dairy Sci., USA (P79).
- Williams, C. M., Eun, J.-S., Dschaak, C. M., MacAdam, J. W., Min, B. R., & Young, A. 2010. CASE STUDY: In vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) hay in continuous cultures: Professional Animal Scientist, 26: 570-576.
- Dschaak, C. M., Eun, J.-S., Young, A., Stott, R. D., & Peterson, S. 2010. Effects of supplementation of natural zeolite on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and lactational performance of dairy cows.: Professional Animal Scientist, 26: 647-654.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1. Effects of replacing alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay with birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) hay on ruminal fermentation and nitrogen metabolism in continuous culture. Our objective was to determine the effects of feeding birdsfoot trefoil hay, a condensed tannin-containing forage, on ruminal fermentation, digestibility, and N metabolism by mixed microbial continuous cultures. The results from this study showed no effects on methane and VFA production, but did show a decrease in ammonia-N concentration and flow for the birdsfoot trefoil hay treatment, indicating a potential improvement in N utilization by ruminants fed birdsfoot trefoil hay. 2. Improvement of in vitro ruminal fermentation of ensiled peppermint (Mentha piperitae) byproduct when combined with alfalfa hay or corn silage. Our objective was to determine the effects of the peppermint by-product silage (PMBS) on in vitro fermentation by mixed cultures of ruminal microbes compared to alfalfa hay (AH) and corn silage (CS). We were particularly interested if combining PMBS with AH or CS would improve fibre degradability of PMBS. Degradabilities of DM and NDF increased with AHPMBS compared with PMBS, whereas DM degradability, but not NDF degradability, increased with CSPMBS compared with PMBS. Increased NH3N concentration when PMBS was combined with AH, but not with CS, supported the improved CP degradation, resulting in increased fibre degradation. 3. Effects of yeast culture supplementation on growth performance in growing and finishing beef steers. Sixty Angus crossbred growing beef steers were used to assess the growth performance when fed a diet with yeast culture compared to a control diet. Three was no effects of yeast culture on beef growth performance. 4. Evaluation of Duckweed as a Forage Source for Ruminants. we performed a batch culture experiment using duckweed, alfalfa hay, and corn silage as a single forage substrate to compare their fermentation characteristics. Fiber degradability (NDF and ADF) of duckweed increased compared to alfalfa hay and corn silage at 6 and 12 h, whereas fiber degradability of duckweed was lower than that of alfalfa hay and corn silage at the end of fermentation. Incubating duckweed decreased total volatile fatty acid production compared to alfalfa hay and corn silage at 24 h. While molar proportion of acetate was similar among treatments, propionate proportion decreased to duckweed compared to the other substrates, resulting in increased acetate to propionate ratio at 24 h of incubation. Concentration of ammonia-nitrogen increased when duckweed was cultured compared to alfalfa hay and corn silage at 12 h. PARTICIPANTS: Dale ZoBell: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT. Randy Wiedmeier: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT. Allen Young: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT. Blair Waldron: USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT. Karen Beauchemin: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada. Vivek Fellner: Animal Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY Danisco, Palo Alto, CA. TARGET AUDIENCES: Overall results from this series of projects will benefit dairy and beef producers to increase their profits. Biotechnology companies and feed additive manufacturing companies will have better information to design their products having more effectiveness and efficacy. Extension specialists will better understand to educate producers and industrial personnel. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
1. Birdsfoot trefoil has the potentialalready been shown to not only improve both the economic and environmental sustainability of milk production of grazing-based dairy operations. Our data suggest BFT may also significantly improve the economic and environmental sustainability of conventional dairy operations through the incorporation of tannin-containing forage hay into TMR diets. 2. Increased NDF degradability and NH3N concentration when PMBS was combined with AH imply that low degradability of PMBS because of its high acid detergent insoluble protein content can be improved by incorporating the soluble fraction of N from AH. In order for PMBS to be fed to ruminants, an appropriate source of N must be provided. 3. Yeast culture did not affect growth performance of beef steers druing growing and finishing periods when they were fed TMR containing 20% of dried distillers grains with solubles. 4. The batch culture study indicated that duckweed had faster degradation of fiber at early phage of fermentation and maintained similar fermentation characteristics compared to alfalfa hay and corn silage. Thus, duckweed can be a good source of forage to ruminants.
Publications
- Williams, C. M., C. M. Dschaaka, J.-S. Eun*, A. J. Young, and J. W. MacAdam. 2009. Ruminal metabolism during continuous culture fermentation when replacing alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay with birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) hay. Proceedings, Western Section, American Society of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, pp. 148-151.
- Eun, J.-S.*, D. R. ZoBell, C. M. Dschaak, D. E. Diaz, and J. M. Tricarico. 2009. CASE STUDY: Effects of Supplementing a Fibrolytic Feed Enzyme on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Beef Steers. Prof. Anim. Sci. 25:382-387.
- Eun, J.-S.*, D. R. ZoBell, and R. D. Wiedmeier 2009. Influence of replacing barley grain with corn-based dried distillers grains with solubles on production, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and carcass characteristics of growing and finishing beef steers. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 152:72-80.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A beef cattle study was undertaken to determine growth performance of growing and finishing beef steers when fed with a fibrolytic feed enzyme (FFE) in a completely randomized design. This experiment was conducted during growing and finishing periods using 60 group-penned Angus crossbred steers randomly assigned to treatments: control (C; no enzyme), low enzyme (LE), and high enzyme (HE). For the enzyme treatments, the FFE was added to the C diet at dose of 1 or 2 g of the enzyme/kg DM TMR to the LE or HE treatment, respectively. Supplementing the FFE to the growing diet did not affect DMI regardless of dose rate. Body weight gain was not affected by the FFE supplementation. The FFE supplementation did not affect ADG and G:F. The overall growth performance during finishing period was not influenced by the FFE as was seen in the growing period. However, the FFE supplementation reduced 12th-rib fat thickness and tended to decrease marbling score (P = 0.14) across both enzyme doses. Supplementing the FFE in the beef growing and finishing diets at 1 and 2 g/kg DM TMR did not affect growth performance and had minor effects on carcass characteristics of beef steers. A series of in vivo experiments was conducted for the effects of supplementing corn-based dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) to a barley ration for growing and finishing beef steers on growth performance, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and carcass characteristics. Supplementing DDGS in a barley ration to growing and finishing steers resulted in no adverse effects on performance, digestion, ruminal fermentation and carcass characteristics, although DM intake was reduced at relatively lower inclusion rates of DDGS compared with those typically used in other studies. The high DDGS diet (175 g DDGS/kg diet DM) maximized ADG and G:F of growing steers, whereas the low DDGS diet (114 g DDGS/kg diet DM) resulted in the highest ADG and G:F of finishing beef steers. These positive responses are likely due to increases in ruminal pH and aNDF digestion. With increasing availability and economic feasibility, DDGS can be effectively supplemented to barley-based beef diets up to 183 g/kg diet DM. PARTICIPANTS: Dale ZoBell: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT; Randy Wiedmeier: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT; Allen Young: ADVS Department, USU, Logan, UT; Blair Waldron: USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT; Karen Beauchemin: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada; Vivek Fellner: Animal Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC; Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY Danisco, Palo Alto, CA TARGET AUDIENCES: Overall results from this series of projects will benefit dairy and beef producers to increase their profits. Biotechnology companies and feed additive manufacturing companies will have better information to design their products having more effectiveness and efficacy. Extension specialists will better understand to educate producers and industrial personnel. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The lack of effect of supplementing fibrolytic feed enzyme (FFE) on growing and finishing beef steers was consistent throughout the experiments. Further research is needed for the FFE used in this study if the product influences ruminal fermentation characteristics. Designing feed enzyme additives that deliver the key enzymatic activities is challenging in order for feed enzymes to have consistently positive effects on feed digestion and animal performance by ruminants, and it may be better to provide all the key enzyme activities in feed enzyme products rather than providing a single, key enzyme activity. Supplementing DDGS in a barley ration to growing and finishing steers resulted in no adverse effects on performance, digestion, ruminal fermentation and carcass characteristics, although DMI was reduced at relatively lower inclusion rates of DDGS compared with those typically used in other studies. The HD diet (175 g DDGS/kg diet DM) maximized ADG and G:F of growing steers, whereas the LD diet (114 g DDGS/kg diet DM) resulted in the highest ADG and G:F of finishing beef steers. These positive responses are likely due to increases in ruminal pH and fiber digestion. At the inclusion rates, the feeding value of DDGS relative to barley grain was remarkably improved, but the feeding value was dependent upon level of inclusion, and growing diet had greater feeding value than the finishing diet. Increased growth performance of finishing cattle was reflected in increased marbling score. Supplementation of DDGS to a barley-based finishing ration did not have a negative impact on the carcass characteristics when fed up to 183 g/kg diet DM. With increasing availability and potential economic feasibility of DDGS, this excellent feed ingredient can be effectively supplemented to barley-based beef diets up to 183 g/kg diet DM.
Publications
- Karen A. Beauchemin, Jong-Su Eun, and Lucia Holtshausen 2008. Enzymes as additives to improve feed usage by cattle. Recent Research Developments in Food Biotechnology. Enzymes as Additives or Processing Aids, 261-280.
- Eun, J.-S., and K. A. Beauchemin 2008. Assessment of the potential of feed enzyme additives to enhance utilization of corn silage fibre by ruminants. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 88:97-106.
- Eun, J.-S., K. A. Beauchemin, and H. Schulze 2007. Use of an in vitro fermentation bioassay to evaluate improvements in degradation of alfalfa hay due to exogenous feed enzymes. Animal Feed Science and Technology 135:315-328.
- Eun, J.-S., K. A. Beauchemin, and H. Schulze. 2007. Use of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes to enhance in vitro fermentation of alfalfa hay and corn silage.. Journal of Dairy Science 90:1440-1451.
- Eun, J.-S., and K. A. Beauchemin 2007. Assessment of the efficacy of varying experimental exogenous fibrolytic enzymes using in vitro fermentation characteristics. Animal Feed Science and Technology 132:298-315.
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