Authors : E. G. Alvarez , J. F. Calder?n , M. F. MontaZo , R. A. Ware and R. A. Zinn
Abstract: Four Holstein steers (189 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment to evaluate the influence of forage level (5, 10, 15 and 20% sudangrass hay, DM basis) on characteristics of digestion of a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet. Increasing forage level decreased ruminal digestion of OM (linear effect; P < 0.05), and increased ruminal digestion of ADF (linear effect, P < 0.05), ruminal microbial efficiency (grams MN/ kg OM fermented, linear effect, P < 0.01), and ruminal N efficiency (non-ammonia N entering the small intestine/ N intake; quadratic effect, P < 0.10). Forage level did not affect (P > 0.10) ruminal starch digestion. Increasing forage level decreased postruminal digestion of OM (linear effect, P < 0.01), ADF (linear effect, P < 0.01), N (linear effect, P < 0.10), and starch (linear effect, P < 0.01). Increasing forage level decreased total tract digestion of OM (linear effect, P < 0.05), starch (linear effect, P < 0.05), N (linear effect, P < 0.05), DE (linear effect, P < 0.01), and ME (linear effect, P < 0.01). Forage level did not affect (P > 0.10) total tract ADF digestion. Increasing forage level increased (linear effect, P < 0.01) ruminal pH, but did not affect (P > 0.10) ruminal VFA molar proportions and estimated methane production. Ninety six medium-framed yearling crossbred steers were used to evaluate treatment effects on growth-performance. Increasing forage level increased ADG and DMI, being maximal (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) at the 15% forage level. Dietary NE decreased (linear effect, P < 0.05) with increasing forage level, although the ratio of observed versus expected dietary NE was not affected (P > 0.10). There were no treatment effects (P > 0.10) on dressing percentage and carcass characteristics.
E. G. Alvarez , J. F. Calder?n , M. F. MontaZo , R. A. Ware and R. A. Zinn , 2004. Influence of Dietary Forage Level on Digestive Function and Growth Performance in Cattle Fed Steam-flaked Corn-based Growing-finishing Diets . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 3: 506-512.