73 Within and between animal variation in supplement intake with the use of a novel precision feeding system for beef cattle. (5th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hanson, Brandon; Morrison, Jason; McGeough, Emma; Wittenberg, Karin; Ominski, Kim
• Is Part Of: Journal of animal science. Volume 97(2019)Supplement 3
• Page Start: 72
• Page End: 72
• Publication Date: 2019-12-05
• Subjects: supplementation -- beef cattle -- precision feeder; Livestock -- Periodicals; Livestock; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz258.149
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8812

Abstract

Abstract: Survey data suggests that in Western Canada, approximately 62% of forage samples may not meet energy requirements for gestating beef cows in 2 nd trimester of pregnancy. Individual supplementation via a precision feeder would improve animal productivity and welfare. A CV of 30% was selected as a threshold for acceptable variation based on previous studies, which reported a CV of 41% for supplements hand-fed to grazing animals. Over three, 14-d experimental periods, precision feeders were used to deliver and monitor consumption of the following supplements to 24 steers (375 kg; n = 8 per pen): 1) supplementation of low protein forage (5.5% CP) with commercial pellets (1 kg hd -1 d -1 with and without flavoring); 2) supplementation of low protein forage (5.5% CP) with processed pea screening powder (PPSP), sunflower screenings, and flax screenings provided at 0.57, 1.04, and 1.34 kg hd -1 d -1, respectively; and 3) supplementation of low energy forage (41.4% TDN) with wheat screenings, wheat bran, and quinoa dockage all provided at 2.61 kg hd -1 d -1 . Feeding commercial pellets without flavoring resulted in within animal CVs (15.12% and 13.15%) and between animal CVs (14.78% and 12.68%) similar to pellets with flavoring (13.98% within and 12.85% between animal CV). Steers offered PPSP had significantly higher within and between animal CV (31.05% and 31.41%, respectively) than was observed for animals offered sunflower screenings (14.98% within and 18.30% between animal) and flax screenings (11.19% within and 16.03% between animal). Within and between animal CV was 6.99% and 7.14% for wheat screenings, 10.47% and 11.77% for wheat bran, and 10.07% and 10.42% for quinoa dockage. Intake CV for all supplements was below 30% except for PPSP which may have resulted from the powdery texture or low amount offered relative to other feedstuffs, indicating that the precision feeders are an effective system to deliver supplements on an individual animal basis.