Elevated concentrations of crude glycerin in diets for beef cattle: feedlot performance, carcass traits, and ruminal metabolism

Van Cleef E.H.C.B.; Uwituze, S.; Alvarado-Gilis, C. A.; Miller, K. A.; Van Bibber-Krueger, C. L.; Aperce, C. C.; Drouillard, J. S.

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the inclusion of crude glycerin (CG) in diets for beef cattle. In Exp. 1, 4 ruminally cannulated steers were fed diets with 0 or 15% CG (DM basis), to evaluate DM disappearance, VFA profiles, and gas production. There was a tendency for an interaction (P = 0.06) between diet fed to donor animals and substrate fed to in vitro system, and digestion was increased when CG was added to cultures with ruminal fluid from CG-fed animals. Total VFA were unaffected by diets or by substrate incubated. The CG increased production of propionate, butyrate, and valerate (P < 0.01) while the gas production was unaffected (P = 0.16). In Exp. 2, 24 crossbred heifers (334.4 +/- 0.9 kg BW) were fed the same diets as Exp. 1, for 35 d. Fecal grab samples were collected 3 times daily on day 7, 21, and 35, to evaluate total tract digestibilities of DM, OM, and NDF. The CG improved digestibility of diet OM (P = 0.04), and DM followed a similar trend (P = 0.06), while the NDF digestibility was unaffected (P = 0.29). In Exp. 3, crossbred heifers (n = 374; 375.8 +/- 36.1 kg BW) were used to evaluate feedlot performance and carcass traits when fed diets with 0, 7.5, or 15% CG, with or without added 0.3% salt. Heifers were assigned to 25 pens and were harvested on day 125. Removing salt from CG-based diets did not impact performance (P = 0.50). The CG did not influence average daily gain (P = 0.27), but decreased DM intake (P = 0.003), USDA Yield Grade (P = 0.01), and improved feed efficiency (P = 0.03), while tended to decrease USDA prime carcasses (P = 0.10). Carcass weight (P = 0.24), Longissimus muscle area (P = 0.63), and kidney, pelvic, heart fat (P = 0.59) were unaffected by CG. Twelfth-rib fat was less for heifers fed 15% CG without salt compared with the other treatments (P = 0.005), while marbling was less for heifers fed CG diets compared with the control-fed animals (linear, P = 0.004; quadratic, P = 0.02). In conclusion, GC can replace dry-rolled corn in diets for beef heifers when fed at 15% of diet DM, improving OM digestion, increasing ruminal propionate and butyrate without affecting greenhouse gas emissions. Feeding up to 15% CG improves feed efficiency but depresses marbling and tends to decrease Quality Grade. Removing supplemental salt from CG-diets has no impact on performance or carcass traits.

Más información

Título según WOS: Elevated concentrations of crude glycerin in diets for beef cattle: feedlot performance, carcass traits, and ruminal metabolism
Título según SCOPUS: Elevated concentrations of crude glycerin in diets for beef cattle: Feedlot performance, carcass traits, and ruminal metabolism
Título de la Revista: JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
Volumen: 97
Número: 10
Editorial: AMER SOC ANIMAL SCIENCE
Fecha de publicación: 2019
Página de inicio: 4341
Página final: 4348
Idioma: English
DOI:

10.1093/jas/skz281

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS