title: Effects of feeding corn modified wet distillers grain plus solubles co-ensiled with chopped whole plant corn on heifer growth performance and diet digestibility in beef cattle.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding corn modified wet distillers grain plus solubles (MWDGS; 48% DM) co-ensiled with chopped whole plant corn (WC) on growth performance, dietary intake, and nutrient digestibility of beef cattle. In Exp. 1, 96 Angus-crossed heifers (2 yr old; 522 ± 49.1 kg BW; 5.3 ± 0.1 BCS) were stratified and blocked according to BW and stratified by BCS in each block in a randomized complete block design (24 pens; 4 heifers/pen; 6 treatment replications). Groups were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments for a 62 d trial. Treatments were 1) corn silage (CS) and soybean meal (CON), 2) MWDGS co-ensiled with chopped whole plant corn (WC; CO-EN), 3) CS mixed with MWDGS at feeding (CS+WDG), and 4) CS mixed with dry distillers grain plus solubles (DDGS) at feeding (CS+DDG). In Exp. 2, 4 crossbred beef steers (initial BW = 278 ± 18 kg) fitted with permanent ruminal cannulas were used in a balanced 4 × 4 Latin square to test the effects of feeding MWDGS co-ensiled with WC on DM intake, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and total tract digestibility. There were four 14-d periods, with 10 d for diet adaptation and 4 d for samples collection. Orthogonal contrasts were used and compared CON vs. diets containing distillers grains (DGD), CO-EN vs. diets where distillers grains were mixed at feeding (MIX), and CS+WDG vs. CS+DDG. In Exp. 1, the CON fed heifers resulted in greater G:F (P = 0.04) compared with those fed DGD. However, ADG (P = 0.03), final BW (P = 0.04), and BW gain (P = 0.03) were greatest for DGD diets compared with CON and greatest (P = 0.04) for CO-EN when compared with MIX. Apart from a slightly greater acetate concentration (P = 0.05), which resulted in a greater acetate to propionate ratio (P = 0.03) for the CON diet compared with DGD, no important differences were observed on intake, diet digestibility, or fermentation characteristics when comparing the CON treatment with DGD or when comparing CS+WDG with CS+DDG. However, the CO-EN diet resulted in decreased DMI (P = 0.05) and consequently decreased OM (P = 0.05), N (P = 0.04), and NDF (P = 0.02) intakes compared with MIX. Data from these studies suggest that MWDGS co-ensiled with WC can successfully replace traditional corn-based diets supplemented with soybean meal and corn silage diets supplemented with distillers grains without compromising digestibility and growth performance in pregnant heifers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Unruh-Snyder
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Scholljegerdes
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buckmaster
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Lemenager
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lake
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation / Q000187:drug effects; D012417:Rumen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*