Digestibility and utilization of pearl millet diets fed to finishing beef cattle.
Pearl millet grain was blended with corn in 1:1 or 2:1 ratios in beef finishing diets fed in two metabolism and two feedlot trials. In Exp. 1, diets contained 1) 79.5% corn and 4.5% soybean meal (C-SBM), 2) 28% corn, 54.5% sorghum, and 1.5% soybean meal [GSC(2:1)], and 3) 28% corn and 56% pearl millet [PMC(2:1)]. In Exp. 2, diets contained 1) 81.5% corn and 3.5% soybean meal (C-SBM) or 2) 42.5% corn and 42.5% pearl millet [PMC(1:1)]. Diets fed to steers in metabolism trials in Exp. 1 and 2 had similar (P > .10) apparent digestion coefficients for OM, crude fiber, NDF, and ADF. However, ether extract digestibility was higher (P < .05) for C-SBM than for GSC(2:1) and PMC(2:1) in Exp. 1, and it was higher (P < .10) for C-SBM than for PMC(1:1) in Exp. 2. In both experiments CP digestibility was higher (P < .10) for C-SBM diets, and N retention was similar (P > .10) for diets within each experiment. In each experiment, TDN calculated from apparent digestion coefficients was converted to NEm and NEg. The TDN, NEm, and NEg were lower (P < .10) for GSC(2:1) and PMC(2:1) than for C-SBM in Exp. 1. Experimental diets were fed to steers (n = 45; 396 +/- 19 kg initial BW; 70-d ad libitum feeding) in Exp. 1 and to heifers (n = 30; 318 +/- 15 kg initial BW; 92-d ad libitum feeding) in Exp. 2. The ADG, empty body weight gain (EBG), and predicted EBG were not different (P > .10) for diets composed of the different grain sources. Feed DMI and DM per gain were higher (P < .05) for PMC(1:1) than for C-SBM in Exp. 2. Pearl millet supplied approximately 88% as much NEm and 85% as much NEg as the corn-SBM portion of diets having similar CP concentrations.
Hill
G M
GM
Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Tifton 31793-0748, USA.
Newton
G L
GL
Streeter
M N
MN
Hanna
W W
WW
Utley
P R
PR
Mathis
M J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008897:Panicum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009584:Nitrogen