Effects of corn processing and dietary wet corn gluten feed inclusion on performance and digestion of newly received growing cattle. Issue 4 (1st April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Siverson, A. V.; Titgemeyer, E. C.; Montgomery, S. P.; Oleen, B. E.; Preedy, G. W.; Blasi, D. A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of animal science. Volume 92:Issue 4(2014)
• Page Start: 1604
• Page End: 1612
• Publication Date: 2014-04-01
• Subjects: receiving cattle -- wet corn gluten feed -- whole corn; Livestock -- Periodicals; Livestock; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2013-6839
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8812

Abstract

Abstract: Effects of corn processing and of dietary inclusion of wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) on growth performance and digestibility were analyzed in 2 experiments. Dietary treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial. Diets contained corn as either whole-shelled corn (WSC) or as dry-rolled corn (DRC), and they contained either 47% corn with no WCGF or 29% corn with 30% WCGF. In Exp. 1, 279 crossbred calves (230 kg) were allocated to treatments in a complete block design and were used to measure performance and digestion during a 60-d receiving period. Corn processing did not affect ( P ≥ 0.31) growth performance. Inclusion of WCGF in the diet increased final BW and ADG ( P = 0.03) but did not affect gain efficiency ( P = 0.45). Digestibility of DM was increased ( P < 0.01) by dietary inclusion of WCGF, and this response was greater in diets containing DRC than in those containing WSC (interaction P = 0.02). For Exp. 2, a digestibility trial used 5 ruminally cannulated Holstein heifers (248 ± 13 kg BW) in a 4 × 4 Latin square with the additional animal administered the same treatment sequence as another heifer. A tendency ( P = 0.09) was observed for heifers fed DRC to have greater DMI than those fed WSC. Dietary WCGF inclusion increased ( P ≤ 0.01) DMI. Similar to observations in Exp. 1, DM digestibility was improved by addition of 30% WCGF to diets containing DRC but not diets containing WSC (interaction P = 0.02). Ruminal pH was not affected by corn processing ( P = 0.90), but it tended ( P = 0.09) to be increased by dietary WCGF additions. Ruminal VFA concentrations were not different between WSC and DRC, but dietary inclusion of 30% WCGF decreased ( P < 0.01) acetate concentrations and increased ( P = 0.05) butyrate concentrations. Liquid passage rate from the rumen and ruminal liquid volume were not affected by corn processing or dietary WCGF inclusion ( P ≥ 0.66). In summary, processing corn had no effect on steer performance, but including WCGF in the diet at 30% of DM increased gains of steers over the 60-d receiving period. Diet digestibility did not follow the same pattern observed for gains and efficiencies.