Nutrition Commons^™

Predicting Body Weight Of Cattle And Nutrient Digestion Of Individual Sweet Bran Components To Improve Beef Cattle Production Efficiency, Dalton J. Anderson

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

Efficiency is of high importance to beef cattle producers to ensure that beef cattle are being raised without unnecessary resource use. Two separate experiments were conducted to evaluate potential strategies to improve efficiency in beef cattle production. A metabolism study was conducted to evaluate digestion parameters of individual Sweet Bran components. The objective was to determine the effects of diet components on nutrient digestion and rumen fermentation parameters. The individual components of Sweet Bran (Corn bran, solvent-extracted germ meal, and corn steep liquor) were included at 40% diet dry matter (DM) in a steam-flaked corn (SFC) based diet. A SFC-based …

Feed Value And Utilization Of Corn Residue: Implications For Cow Performance And Grazing Strategies, Kaylee E. Wheeler

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

Two experiments were conducted to determine the correlation of corn residue feed value and utilization on cow performance and potential grazing strategies. A qualitative observation of corn residue grazing by 13 cattle herds across Nebraska was conducted over two years. Based on producer reported grain yields and stocking rates, it was found that these producers were generally not as aggressive as the recommended 1.2 animal unit months (AUM) for each 6,280 kg/ha (100 U.S. bushels/acre) of harvested grain. They stocked 17 to 101% of the recommendation and on average used 63% of the carrying capacity. Across herds, average body condition …

The Evaluation Of Feed Additives On Reducing Enteric Methane Production From Cattle, Reba L. Colin

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

Environmental sustainability can be positively impacted by the inclusion of feed additives to reduce enteric methane production from cattle. Methane production can be affected by feed additives that either alter the rumen environment or act as methanogenesis inhibitors. A reduction in methane from cattle can contribute to meeting carbon neutrality.

A metabolism study was conducted to evaluate Alga 1.0, a product containing bromoform, fed to cattle to evaluate the effects on gas emissions. Treatments were (0, 69, or 103 g/d Alga 1.0) fed in a corn-based diet. Headbox-style indirect calorimeters were used to measure gas emissions. Feeding Alga 1.0 linearly …

The Impact Of Silage Inclusion In Diets With Different Corn Processing And The Effect Of Natural And Conventional Feeding Programs On Finishing Cattle Performance, Jessica L. Miller

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

A finishing experiment was conducted to determine the effects of natural and conventional feeding programs on finishing performance of steers and heifers. Factors were conventional and natural feeding programs in steers and heifers. Cattle assigned to the conventional program were fed diets that contained Rumensin (Elanco Animal Health), Tylan (Elanco Animal Health), MGA (Zoetis), and received growth promoting implants whereas cattle in the natural program received neither. Compared to natural fed cattle, G:F was improved by 15.5% when heifers were fed in a conventional program (P < 0.01) and 23.8% when steers were fed in a conventional program (P < 0.01). The incorporation of implants and feed additives within the finishing period increased …

Factors Affecting Forage Quality And The Subsequent Response In Production And Energy Metabolism In Lactating Jersey Cows, Kassidy Kate Buse

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

Forage quality is the potential of a forage to produce a production response in animals. Because of how essential they are in dairy cattle rations, forages can have major influence on the behavior and production of dairy cattle. In experiment 1, the effect of forage fragility on the rumen environment and digestibility was evaluated. Increasing the inclusion of a less fragile forage led to greater rumen retention time, which resulted in lower rumen pH and greater NDF digestibility. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of diets high in either corn silage or alfalfa haylage supplemented with either corn- or soybased protein …

Early-Life Supplementation Of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improved Growth And Skeletal Muscle Glucose Metabolism In The Heat Stress-Induced Iugr Neonatal Lamb, Melanie Ryann White

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

Our 1^st study determined whether metabolic deficits of IUGR-born neonatal lambs can be improved by ameliorating elevated inflammatory tone. Supplementation with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) improved hindlimb insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation rates and basal lactate secretion. Ex vivo skeletal muscle-specific glucose oxidation rates were improved when heightened inflammatory tone was moderated. Pancreatic β cell function in response to hyperglycemia was improved by ω-3 PUFA supplementation. Tempered inflammatory tone also partially recovered skeletal muscle glycogen stores. Thus, we found that targeting heightened inflammatory tone inherent in IUGR-born neonatal lambs moderately improved glucose metabolism and pancreatic β cell …

Energy And Amino Acid Metabolism In Lactating Jersey Cows Consuming Feed Byproducts, Kyle Mclain

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

Animal protein byproducts are high bypass proteins commonly used in the dairy industry. These bypass proteins can escape the rumen to supply additional amino acids needed to support milk and protein yield. Two of the more popular animal protein byproducts used in the dairy industry are blood meal and hydrolyzed feather meal. In the first experiment, two flow meters were compared using headbox-style calorimeters. The objectives of the first study were to test mass flow meter (MFM) and volumetric flow meter (VFM) by measuring O2 consumption and CO2 production and to illustrate the effects of incomplete gas recovery on estimated …

Selective Harvest Methods And Chemical Treatment Of Baled Corn Residue For Utilization In Growing Calf And Dry Cow Diets, Ashley C. Conway

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

Three studies were conducted to evaluate baled corn residue using selective harvest method and anhydrous ammonia treatments to assess utility in growing calf and dry cow diets. Baled corn residue was harvested using conventional rake-and-bale (CONV) method, or harvested using the New Holland Cornrower in which either eight rows (8ROW), or two rows (2ROW) of corn stalks were chopped into the windrow with tailings. Bales were either not treated or ammoniated at 5.5% DM. When fed to wether lambs in a mixed ration (65% residue, 30% wet corn gluten feed) to determine digestibility, the 2ROW residue had greater apparent DM, …

Feeding Condensed Distillers Solubles To Feedlot Finishing Steers And The Effects Of Feed Additives In Adaptation Diets, Marie E. Harris

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

By-products from the dry-milling ethanol process can be used in cattle diets to replace corn. There is a significant interaction between corn processing methods as CCDS concentration increases in the diet. Improvements are observed for SFC in final BW, ADG, and G:F over DRC. An experiment was conducted to determine if greater concentrations of CCDS could be fed in SFC based diets and maintain or improve performance. Performance and carcass characteristics were evaluated with increasing concentrations of CCDS at 0, 9, 18, 27, or 36% in place of SFC in feedlot finishing diets. As CCDS concentration increased, DMI decreased quadratically. …

Feeding Alkaline Treated And Processed Crop Residue To Feedlot Cattle, Sarah J. Peterson

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

Chemical treatment and decreased particle size are methods used to improve digestibility and utilization of the available nutrients in low quality forages. Previous research has indicated that chemically treated corn residue can take the place of corn when included in finishing rations containing distillers grains. Also, decreasing particle size utilizing methods such as pelleting has been shown to improve DMI and ADG. However, limited research has been completed on use of chemical treatment and pelleting in growing and receiving rations. Also, an ideal distillers inclusion has not yet been identified when including alkaline treated stalks in finishing rations. Therefore, a …

Effect Of Brown Midrib Corn Silage And Dried Distillers Grains Plus Solubles On Lactational Performance And Nitrogen Utilization By Dairy Cows, Hugo A. Ramirez

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

Thirty six Holstein cows, four ruminally cannulated, (mean ± SD, 111 ± 35 DIM; 664 ± 76.5 kg BW) were used in replicated 4×4 Latin squares to investigate the effects of brown midrib (bm3) and conventional (DP) corn silages, and the inclusion of dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) on milk production and N utilization. In each 28 d period cows were assigned to one of four treatments: DP plus 0% DDGS (CON); bm3 plus 0% DDGS (BMR); DP corn silage plus 30% DDGS (DP+DG); and bm3 plus 30% DDGS (BMR+DG). Dry matter intake was greater (P < 0.01) for cows consuming bm3 (25.8 VS 24.4 ± 0.47 kg), likewise for DDGS (24.3 and 25.9 ± 0.47 kg/d for 0 and 30%). Compared to DP hybrid, NDFD was higher (P < 0.01) for bm3 (32.5 VS 38.1 ± 1.79%). There was a hybrid × DDGS interaction (P < 0.01) for total concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and rumen pH as the highly digestible treatment BMR+DG resulted in the highest VFA and the lowest pH. Milk yield was not affected by treatment and averaged 30.6 ± 1.09 kg/d. Milk protein yield (MPY) was greater (P < 0.01) for bm3 and DDGS treatments. There was a hybrid by DDGS interaction (P = 0.02) for milk fat yield (MFY) resulting in 1.03, 1.08, 0.84 and 0.78 ± 0.045 kg/d for DP, BMR, DP+DG and BMR+DG. Fat corrected milk (FCM) was affected by DDGS (P < 0.01) and averaged 30.0 and 26.4 ± 1.0kg/d (0% and 30% inclusions). Urinary N excretion was similar among treatments; however fecal N was lower (P = 0.03) for diets containing bm3 corn silage which caused lower (P = 0.02) manure N. These results indicate that bm3 corn silage and DDGS increase DMI, NDFD and MPY; however high inclusion of corn silage with 30% DDGS reduces FCM. Nitrogen excretion was reduced when cows consumed bm3.

Interaction Between Roughages And Corn Milling Byproducts In Finishing Cattle Diets, Joshua R. Benton

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

During ethanol production, starch is the primary nutrient fermented and the remaining byproducts are excellent sources of fiber and protein. In addition, inclusion of byproducts in finishing diets may reduce the incidence of acidosis. As a result, roughage level and quality could potentially be reduced in finishing diets containing byproducts. Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of roughage and wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) in finishing cattle diets containing corn distillers grains plus solubles. Cattle fed finishing diets containing wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) with no roughage had decreased DMI and ADG compared to cattle fed roughage. …