Effects of corn processing and dietary fiber source on feedlot performance, visceral organ weight, diet digestibility, and nitrogen metabolism in lambs.
In Exp. 1, early-weaned Targhee and Polypay crossbred lambs (60 ewes and 66 rams; initial BW 24 +/- 1.0 kg) were used in a 2 x 3 factorial experiment to determine the effects of corn processing (whole shelled corn [WSC] or ground and pelleted corn [GC]) in combination with supplemental fiber (none [control]; soybean hulls, SBH [highly digestible]; or peanut hulls, PH [highly indigestible]) on DMI, ADG, feed efficiency, and visceral organ weight. For the total trial, WSC resulted in a 4% increase (P < .01) in ADG vs GC, and supplemental fiber resulted in increased (P < .01) DMI and ADG vs the control diet. Experiment 2 was conducted using 12 Targhee and Polypay crossbred wether lambs (initial BW 25 +/- 7 kg) to determine the effects of corn processing and fiber source in high-concentrate diets on diet digestibility and N retention using the same diets as in Exp. 1. Lambs fed WSC had greater (P < .001) apparent N digestion, true N digestion, and N retention (P < .01) than those fed GC. The apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, and NDF were greater (P < .001) for WSC than for GC diets. Peanut hulls resulted in decreased (P < .01) DM, OM, and NDF apparent digestibilities compared with the control and SBH diets. Starch digestion was not affected (P > .10) by diet. Whole corn resulted in improved DM, OM, NDF, and N digestibility compared with GC. Overall, both the SBH and PH diets resulted in greater DMI and ADG than the control diet, which lacked supplemental fiber.
Hejazi
S
S
Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691, USA.
Fluharty
F L
FL
Perley
J E
JE
Loerch
S C
SC
Lowe
G D
GD
D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004063:Digestion; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size; D012756:Sheep / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014781:Viscera; D003313:Zea mays
D004043:Dietary Fiber; D009584:Nitrogen