Meat Science Commons^™

Cattle Performance Grazing Canola And Cereal Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development conducted research to investigate and demonstrate the performance of cattle grazing canola and cereal compared to animals left on pasture and investigate the value of spelling the pasture during the time the cattle are grazing crops.

Cattle grazing cereal crops had a higher liveweight gain compared to the cattle that remained on the pasture. However to see a significant benefit from grazing dual purpose crops, the grazing period may need to be longer than 4 weeks particularly when grazing canola.

The highest growth rates for cattle grazing the cereal crops were achieved …

Live Cattle Assessment, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Cattle producers regularly make visual assessments of their cattle. Frame, structure, muscularity, fatness and condition score can all be assessed by visual appraisal. Some traits cannot be assessed visually (for example fertility or marbling). To evaluate the genetic merit of an animal, estimated breeding values (EBVs) can be used.

Alternative Energy And Protein Feed Sources For Sheep And Cattle, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

During dry times and drought there are a wide range of alternative feedstuffs producers may consider using to maintain stock. Some of these feeds can have health risks associated with them and should not be used as the sole food source as they often lack sufficient energy and protein.

Measuring The Phytochemical Richness Of Meat: Effects Of Grass/Grain Finishing Systems And Grapeseed Extract Supplementation On The Fatty Acid And Phytochemical Content Of Beef, Lucas Krusinski, Isabella C. F. Maciel, Stephan Van Vliet, Muhammad Ahsin, Guanqi Lu, Jason E. Rowntree, Jenifer I. Fenton

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Grass-finished beef (GFB) can provide beneficial bioactive compounds to healthy diets, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and secondary bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals. The objective of this study was to compare fatty acids (FAs), micronutrients, and phytochemicals of beef fed a biodiverse pasture (GRASS), a total mixed ration (GRAIN), or a total mixed ration with 5% grapeseed extract (GRAPE). This was a two-year study involving fifty-four Red Angus steers (n = 54). GFB contained higher levels of n-3 PUFAs, vitamin E, iron, zinc, stachydrine, hippuric acid, citric acid, and succinic …

Mineral Composition Of Serially Slaughtered Holstein Steers Supplemented With Zilpaterol Hydrochloride, Andrea K. Watson, Trent J. Mcevers, Lee-Anne J. Walter, Nathan D. May, Jacob A. Reed, J. C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson, N. Andy Cole, Johnjohn P. Hutcheson, Ty E. Lawrence

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Calf-fed Holstein steers (n = 115; 449 ± 20 kg) were utilized in a serial harvest experiment. A baseline group of five steers was harvested after 226 d on feed (DOF), which was designated day 0. The remaining cattle were assigned randomly to 11 harvest groups, with slaughter every 28 d. Cattle were either not (CON) or were fed zilpaterol hydrochloride for 20 d followed by a 3 d withdrawal (ZH). There were five steers per treatment in each slaughter group ranging from days 28 to 308. Whole carcasses were divided into lean, …

Impact Of Shade In Beef Feedyards On Performance, Ear Temperature, And Heat Stress Measures, Thomas M. Winders, Brett A. Melton, Boyd M. Boyd, Casey N. Macken, J. C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A 2-yr study (year 1: March to September 2017; year 2: February to August 2018) was conducted using crossbred steers (year 1: n = 1677; initial body weight [BW] = 372 kg, SD = 47; year 2: n = 1713; initial BW = 379 kg, SD = 10) in a commercial feedyard study in Eastern NE to determine the effects of shade on cattle performance, ear temperature, and cattle activity. Two treatments were evaluated using a randomized complete block design (n = 5 blocks based on arrival). Treatments were assigned randomly to pens and consisted of five pens without …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Wood-Sourced Biochar As A Feedlot Pen Surface Amendment On Manure Nutrient Capture, Jessica L. Sperber, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Feedstuffs utilized in U.S. feedlot finishing rations incorporate high concentrations of N and P, with less than 15% of fed N and P retained by the animal. The remaining N and P are excreted in the manure, where the opportunity for manure N loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization from the feedlot pen surface is a risk to the environment and lowers the value of manure as a fertilizer. Two nutrient mass balance experiments were conducted during the winter and summer seasons to evaluate the effects of spreading unprocessed Eastern red cedar biochar onto the feedlot pen surface on manure nutrient …

Bovine Respiratory Microbiota Of Feedlot Cattle And Its Association With Disease, Jianmin Chai, Sarah F. Capik, Beth Kegley, John T. Richeson, Jeremy G. Powell, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), as one of the most common and costly diseases in the beef cattle industry, has significant adverse impacts on global food security and the economic stability of the industry. The bovine respiratory microbiome is strongly associated with health and disease and may provide insights for alternative therapy when treating BRD. The niche-specific microbiome communities that colonize the inter-surface of the upper and the lower respiratory tract consist of a dynamic and complex ecological system. The correlation between the disequilibrium in the respiratory ecosystem and BRD has become a hot research topic. Hence, we summarize the pathogenesis …

Predicting Carcass Cut Yields In Cattle From Digital Images Using Artificial Intelligence, Darragh Matthews, Thierry Pabiou, Ross D. Evans, Christian Beder, Aengus Daly

Department of Mathematics Publications

Deep Learning (DL) has proven to be a successful tool for many image classification problems but has yet to be applied to carcass images. The aim of this study was to train DL models to predict carcass cut yields and compare predictions to more standard machine learning (ML) methods. Three approaches were undertaken to predict the grouped carcass cut yields of Grilling cuts and Roasting cuts from a large dataset of 54,598 and 69,246 animals respectively. The approaches taken were (1) animal phenotypic data used as features for a range of ML algorithms, (2) carcass images used to train Convolutional …

Cytokine And Haptoglobin Profiles From Shipping Through Sickness And Recovery In Metaphylaxis- Or Un-Treated Cattle, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown, Gary L. Bennett, Larry A. Kuehn, Keith D. Dedonder, Michael D. Apley, Gregory P. Harhay, Michael L. Clawson, Aspen M. Workman, Bradley J. White, Robert L. Larson, Sarah F. Capik, Brian V. Lubbers

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Fifty-six head of cattle, 28 animals with bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), and 28 healthy animals that were matched by treatment, sale barn of origin, day, and interactions among these variables, were identified from a population of 180 animals (60 each purchased at three sale barns located in Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky) enrolled in a study comparing animals receiving metaphylaxis to saline-treated controls. Cattle were transported to a feedlot in KS and assigned to treatment group. Blood samples were collected at Day 0 (at sale barn), Day 1, Day 9, and Day 28 (at KS feedlot), and transported to the …

2021 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow-Calf Nutrition and Management: Metabolic Profile Associated with Pre-Breeding Puberty Status in Range Beef Heifers 5 • Milk Production Impacts on Cow Reproductive and Calf Growth Performance 8 • Genetic Selection Tools: Using Pooling to Capture Commercial Data for Inclusion in Genetic Evaluations 11 • Categorization of Birth Weight Phenotypes for Inclusion in Genetic Evaluations Using a Deep Neural Network 14 • Genetic Parameter Estimates for Age at Slaughter and Days to Finish in a Multibreed Population 16

Growing Calf and Yearling Management: Effects of Monensin and Protein Type on Performance of Yearling Steers Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pastures 18 • …

Brangus Cows Have Ovarian Reserve Parameters More Like Brahman Than Angus Cows, Robert A. Cushman, Émerson M. Soares, Hannah K. Yake, Allyson L. Patterson, Shelby L. Rosasco, Joslyn K. Beard, Emmalee J. Northrop, Jerica J.J. Rich, Jeremy R. Miles, Chadwick C. Chase Jr., Michael G. Gonda, George A. Perry, Anthony K. Mcneel, Adam F. Summers

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Bos indicus females have more surface antral follicles than Bos taurus females; however, histological studies demonstrated no difference in total number of primordial follicles between these two biological types of cattle. Primordial follicle density in the ovary was less in Nelore ovaries compared to Angus ovaries, but no studies have examined the primordial follicle density in Bos indicus cross-bred females. It, therefore, was hypothesized that primordial follicle density in the ovary would decrease as percentage Bos indicus increased. Ovaries were collected from cross-bred Angus (n=32, no Bos indicus influence), Brangus (n=15), or Brahman (n=9) …

Technologies To Increase Animal Performance In Beef Production Systems, Caleb P. Weiss

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three monensin levels during a stocker phase (0, 800, 1600 g/ton in a free choice mineral) and two levels during finishing (0 [U] or 37.5 mg/kg diet DM [M]) were used to determine the effects of monensin supplementation during a stocker and subsequent finishing phase on beef calves. Steers (n = 605, BW = 278 ± 27 kg) were fed pearl millet hay with soybean hull and corn gluten feed supplement (0.5% BW daily [AF basis] Block 1) or grazed fall wheat (Block 2), spring wheat (Block 3), bermudagrass (Blocks 4 & 5) or wheat with mixed-grass baleage (Block 6). …

Serum Blood Metabolite Response And Evaluation Of Select Organ Weight, Histology, And Cardiac Morphology Of Beef Heifers Exposed To A Dual Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone And Vasopressin Challenge Following Supplementation Of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride1,2, J. O. Buntyn, David J. Steffen, N. C. Burdick Sanchez, S. E. Sieren, S. J. Jones, Galen E. Erickson, J. A. Carroll, Ty B. Schmidt

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were 1) to determine if supplementation of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) altered select organ weights, histology, and cardiac anatomical features at harvest and 2) to determine if administration of a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin (VP) challenge following 20 d of ZH supplementation altered the blood chemistry profile in cattle. Crossbred heifers (n = 20; 556 ± 7 kg BW) were randomized into 2 treatment groups: 1) control (CON), without ZH, and 2) zilpaterol (ZIL; ZH at 8.33 mg/kg [DM basis] for 20 d). On d 20 of supplementation, heifers were fitted with indwelling jugular …

Expression Of Cytokine Genes And Receptors In White Blood Cells Associated With Divergent Body Weight Gain In Beef Steers, Amanda K. Lindholm-Perry, Virginia M. Cederberg, Jeremy R. Miles, Andrew P. Foote

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Previous work examining the transcriptome of steer tissue samples from animals with divergent gain have shown a relationship with the expression of genes with functions in immune and inflammatory pathways. The process of mounting an immune or inflammatory response is energetically expensive and variation in cytokine responses may affect cattle production traits. In addition, a previous study has identified variation in the transcript abundance of numerous genes, including the cytokine gene IL6ST, in the circulating white blood cells of pigs associated with high and low residual feed intake (RFI) lines. The aim of this study was to determine whether …

Genetic Polymorphisms Of The Glucocorticoid Receptor And Interleulin-8 Receptor Genes And Their Relationship To Production Traits And Hair Coat Scores In Crossbred Cattle, Avery B. Deaton, Laura Meyer, Jeremy Powell, Charles F. Rosenkrans Jr.

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Little is understood about how the diversity of genes, specifically the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and interleukin-8 receptor (CXCR2), are related to reproductive health and how this affects physical traits in cattle. Glucocorticoid receptors have been positively associated with higher milk yields, lactose content, feed intake, and feed conversion rates. Interleukin-8 genes are part of the innate immune response and help with many aspects of female reproductive health, such as protecting the embryo from the maternal immune system during pregnancy. The objective of this research was to identify polymorphisms in the GR and CXCR2 genes and to associate genotypes between the …

Growing Yeast For Livestock, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Over 500,000 tons of organic materials such as food scraps are disposed of each year in Wisconsin. A large percentage of this material could be composted or turned into useful products. The purpose of this article is to educate farmers and organizations on how to turn food waste into a high value food source for livestock. Yeast can be grown at any time of the year without the large inputs of agricultural chemicals and machinery that is common with other feed production methods. A yeast growing facility can be scalable to any size the producer wants such as a small …

Evaluation Of Hematological And Serum Biochemical Profiles Associated With The Supplementation Of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride To Feedlot Heifers, Sara Elizabeth Sieren

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Supplementation of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; Zilmax^®) to cattle has been suggested to have a negative impact on well-being of cattle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hematological and serum biochemical profiles in feedlot heifers supplemented with ZH in a minimal stress environment. Heifers were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: Control (CON no ZH), or ZH (supplemented with ZH at 8.33mg/kg of feed on a DM basis). The study was conducted over a period of 25 d (-2 to 23), with three serum collection periods [-2 to 4 d (ZH supplementation began on …

Evaluation Of The Metabolic Response, Blood Chemistry Profile, And Cardiac Morphology Of Beef Heifers Supplemented With Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Followed By An Endocrine Induced Stress Challenge, Joe O. Buntyn

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this study was to determine the metabolic, stress, hematology, organ weights, histology and cardiac anatomical features of beef heifers supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) when exposed to a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (VP) challenge. Crossbred heifers (n = 20; 556 ± 7 kg BW) were randomized into two treatment groups: 1) Control (CON): no ZH, and 2) Zilpaterol (ZIL): supplemented with ZH at 8.33 mg / kg (DM basis). The ZIL group was supplemented ZH for 20 d, with a 3-d withdrawal period. On d 24, heifers received an intravenous bolus of CRH (0.3 µg …

Comparison Of Wet And Dry Distillers Grains Plus Solubles To Corn As An Energy Source In Forage-Based Diets, Nerissa Ann Ahern, Brandon L. Wingeyer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Four experiments compared wet or dry distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS or DDGS) to corn as energy sources in forage-based diets. In Exp. 1, 66 individually fed steers (268 kg of initial BW) were fed a 60:40 blend of sorghum silage and alfalfa hay and supplemented at 0, 0.33, 0.67, or 1.0% of BW with either WDGS or DDGS. In Exp. 2, 160 steers (286 kg of initial BW) were fed 25% WDGS or 33.6% dry rolled corn (DRC) in 35% sorghum silage and grass hay diets (DM basis). In Exp. 3, 60 individually fed steers (231 kg of initial …

Dietary Strategies For Mitigation Of Methane Production By Growing And Finishing Cattle, Anna C. Pesta

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Interest in reducing methane (CH₄) emissions by cattle has increased recently. Loss of feed energy as CH₄ represents both an environmental concern and an energetic loss to the animal. Manipulation of dietary composition has proven to be an effective mitigation strategy. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of several dietary characteristics on CH₄ production in growing and finishing cattle, and to develop a novel, non-invasive method for quantifying emissions from animals in a production setting. Short-term gaseous emissions of CH₄ and carbon dioxide (CO₂) were measured and the CH₄:CO_{2 …}

The Influence Of The Bovine Fecal Microbiota On The Shedding Of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli (Stec) By Beef Cattle, Nirosh D. Aluthge

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During the past three decades, Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) have emerged as an important food safety concern. Although initially E. coli O157 was the main focus, recent outbreaks and resulting investigations have shown that certain non-O157 STEC are as much a threat to food safety as their O157 counterparts. To the beef industry, STEC have been of particular concern due to the frequent association of beef and beef products as vehicles of STEC infection. As a result, along with E. coli O157, six non-O157 STEC serogroups (known as the ‘big six’) are now regulated as adulterants in certain raw beef …

Estimation Of Breed-Specific Heterosis Effects For Birth, Weaning, And Yearling Weight In Cattle, Lauren N. Schiermiester, R. M. Thallman, Larry Kuehn, Stephen D. Kachman, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Heterosis, assumed proportional to expected breed heterozygosity, was calculated for 6834 individuals with birth, weaning and yearling weight records from Cycle VII and advanced generations of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) project. Breeds represented in these data included: Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Simmental, Limousin and Composite MARC III. Heterosis was further estimated by proportions of British × British (B × B), British × Continental (B × C) and Continental × Continental (C × C) crosses and by breed-specific combinations. Model 1 fitted fixed covariates for heterosis within biological types while Model 2 fitted …

Case Study: Producer Concerns And Perceptions Regarding The Effect Of Methane On Cattle Production And The Environment: A Survey Of Nebraska Producers, B. M. Boyd, A. Jones, Lisa Franzen-Castle, K. Jenkins, Richard J. Rasby, Matt K. Luebbe, Richard R. Stowell, Samodha C. Fernando, Galen E. Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Enteric methane production from cattle and its effect on climate change has been a topic of debate. Multiple studies have explored methods to reduce cattle enteric methane production while simultaneously improving performance. However, most strategies developed have not been widely implemented by cattle producers. Knowledge of producer concerns and perceptions on methane production from cattle and its effect on the environment may be limited. Therefore, the objectives of this survey were to determine what Nebraska producers know about methane production by cattle and how it affects performance and to determine whether different age groups, regions of Nebraska, and production size …

Exogenous Administration Of Lipids To Steers Alters Aspects Of The Innate Immune Response To Endotoxin Challenge, Nicole C. Burdick Sanchez, Jeffery A. Carroll, Janet R. Donaldson, Joe O. Buntyn, Ty B. Schmidt

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

This study examined the effects of increasing energy availability from both dextrose and lipid treatments on the proinflammatory response to LPS in Holstein steers. Steers were randomly assigned to one of three groups: saline at 0.5 ml/ kg body weight (Control) or 50% dextrose [0.5 ml/kg body weight (Dextrose) to mimic calm cattle’s response to LPS] administered immediately prior to LPS (0.5 mg/kg body weight at 0 h) or continuous lipid emulsion infusion from –1 to 6 h [Intralipid 20% (Baxter, Deerfield, IL USA); 0.5 ml/kg/hr (Lipid) to mimic temperamental cattle]. Concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were greater in …

Cattle With Increased Severity Of Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex Exhibit Decreased Capacity To Protect Against Histone Cytotoxicity, J. A. Matera, B. K. Krehbiel, J. A. Hernandez Gifford, D. L. Step, C. R. Krehbiel, C. A. Gifford

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle. Significant inflammation and lesions are often observed in lungs of infected cattle. During acute inflammatory responses, histones contribute to mortality in rodents and humans and serum proteins can protect against histone-induced cytotoxicity. We hypothesized that cattle experiencing chronic or fatal cases of BRDC have reduced ability to protect against cytotoxic effects of histones. Serum samples were collected from 66 bull calves at the time of normal feedlot processing procedures. Animals were retrospectively assigned to groups consisting of calves never treated for BRDC (control [CONT]; …

Changes In Corn Residue Quality Throughout The Grazing Period And Effect Of Supplementation Of Calves Grazing Corn Residue, Amanda J. Burken

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Corn residue is an abundant feed source in Nebraska that can be utilized as an alternative winter feed. Calves were backgrounded on corn residue in order to determine gain and estimate forage intake when supplemented with distillers grains (DGS). Calves grazing the non-irrigated field gained more (1.03 kg/calf daily) when compared to those grazing the irrigated field (0.90 kg/calf daily; P < 0.01). In year 1, a quadratic effect for intake of DGS was present (P < 0.01) while year 2 observed a linear effect for increasing level of DGS (P < 0.01). The nutritional quality of corn residue was evaluated over time in order to determine changes in blade/sheath, cob, husk/shank and stem. Minimal changes in DM of the forage components occurred was grain reached 15.5% moisture. Digestibility of the blade/sheath declined linearly over time (P < 0.01) while the husk remained constant (P = 0.40). Cob digestibility decreased quadratically (P < 0.01) throughout the sampling period with few changes once grain reached 15.5% moisture. Differences observed in the digestibility of the blade/sheath were attributed to the effects of weathering. A third set of trials was conducted to evaluate the effects of by-product supplementation of calves grazing irrigated corn residue and supplemented with DGS or continuous access to lick tubs. The DGS treatment gained more (0.62 kg/calf daily) than the lick tub treatment (0.38 kg/calf daily; P < 0.01). Calves offered DGS consumed more supplement as a percentage of BW (0.52%) when compared with calves offered lick tubs (0.36%; P < 0.01) on a DM basis. Calves supplemented with DGS had a higher supplement efficiency (46.3% to 42.9%, DM basis) although no differences were present between treatments (P = 0.49). When analyzed on an OM basis, however, calves offered lick tubs had a numerically higher supplement efficiency (50.4%) in comparison to calves …

Volatile Organic Compound Flux From Manure Of Cattle Fed Diets Differing In Grain Processing Method And Co-Product Inclusion, Kristin Hales, David B. Parker, N. Andy Cole

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Odor emissions from livestock production have become increasingly important in the past decade. Odors derived from animal feeding operations are caused by odorous VOC emitted from the mixture of feces and urine, as well as feed and silage which may be experiencing microbial fermentation. Distillers grains are a by-product of corn grain fermentation used to produce fuel ethanol, and this industry has grown rapidly throughout the U.S. in past years. Therefore, the use of wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) in feedlot cattle diets has also increased. The objective of this research was to determine specific VOC emissions from feces …

Increasing Dietary Neutral Detergent Fiber Concentration Decreases Ruminal Hydrogen Sulfide Concentrations In Steers Fed High-Sulfur Diets Based On Ethanol Coproducts, S. J. Morine, M. E. Drewnoski, S. L. Hansen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Cattle feedlot diets commonly contain ethanol coproducts that are high in S. This dietary S is reduced in the rumen by sulfate reducing bacteria, resulting in an accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), increasing the risk for S toxicity. A negative correlation between H₂S and ruminal pH has been observed previously. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying dietary NDF from chopped bromegrass hay (66% NDF) on performance, ruminal pH, and ruminal H2S gas concentration of steers fed a high-S finishing diet. One hundred fifty crossbred steers (359 ± 51 kg BW) were blocked …

High-Sulfur In Beef Cattle Diets: A Review, M. E. Drewnoski, D. J. Pogge, S. L. Hansen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

While many cattle feeding areas in the United States have long dealt with high sulfate water, increased feeding of ethanol co-products such as distillers grains with solubles to beef cattle has led to a corresponding increase in dietary sulfur. As a result, sulfur metabolism in the ruminant has been the focus of many research studies over the past ten years, and advances in our knowledge have been made. Excessive sulfur in cattle diets may have implications on trace mineral absorption, dry matter intake, and overall cattle growth. This review will focus on what we have learned about the metabolism of …