Wet corn gluten feed and alfalfa hay combinations in steam-flaked corn finishing cattle diets.
One finishing trial and one digestibility trial were used to evaluate wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) and alfalfa hay (AH) combinations in steam-flaked corn (SFC) finishing diets. In Exp. 1, 631 crossbred heifers (initial BW = 284 +/- 7.9 kg) were fed SFC-based diets containing combinations of WCGF (25, 35, or 45% of diet DM) and AH (2 or 6% of dietary DM) in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. No interactions existed between WCGF and AH for heifer performance. Increasing dietary WCGF linearly decreased gain efficiency (P < 0.01), dietary NEg concentration (P < 0.05), and 12th-rib fat thickness (P = 0.10). Cattle fed 35% WCGF had the lowest occurrence of abscessed livers, resulting in a quadratic response (P < 0.05) as dietary WCGF increased. In Exp. 2, 12 ruminally cannulated Jersey steers (585 kg) were fed SFC-based diets containing combinations of WCGF (25 or 45% of diet DM) and AH (0, 2, or 6% of diet DM) in an incomplete Latin square design with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Starch intake was lower (P < 0.05), but NDF intake was greater (P < 0.05) as AH and WCGF increased in the diet. Ruminal pH was increased by AH (linear, P < 0.05) and tended (P < 0.07) to increase with WCGF. Feeding 2% AH led to the greatest ruminal NH3 but the lowest total VFA and propionate (quadratic, P < 0.05). Addition of AH to diets containing 25% WCGF increased acetate to a greater extent than addition to diets containing 45% WCGF (AH x WCGF interaction, P < 0.05). Feeding 45% WCGF tended to increase passage rate (P = 0.17) and decrease (P < 0.05) total tract OM digestibility but increase (P < 0.05) in situ degradation of DM from AH and WCGF. Interactions between AH and WCGF existed (P < 0.05) for ruminal fluid volume (quadratic effect of AH x WCGF level), in situ SFC degradation (linear effect of AH x WCGF level), and in situ rate of WCGF DM disappearance (quadratic effect of AH x WCGF level). We conclude that AH levels may be decreased when WCGF is added to SFC diets as 25% or more of the dietary DM.
Sindt
J J
JJ
Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-1600, USA.
Drouillard
J S
JS
Titgemeyer
E C
EC
Montgomery
S P
SP
Coetzer
C M
CM
Farran
T B
TB
Pike
J N
JN
Higgins
J J
JJ
Ethington
R T
RT
D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005983:Glutens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D000455:Medicago sativa; D011897:Random Allocation; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism*; D015430:Weight Gain; D003313:Zea mays
D005983:Glutens