Evaluation of liquid and powdered forms of polyclonal antibody preparation against Streptococcus bovis and Fusobacterium necrophorum in cattle adapted or not adapted to highly fermentable carbohydrate diets.

Objective: Feed additives that modify rumen fermentation can be used to prevent metabolic disturbances such as acidosis and optimize beef cattle production. The study evaluated the effects of liquid and powdered forms of polyclonal antibody preparation (PAP) against Streptococcus bovis and Fusobacterium necrophorum on rumen fermentation parameters in ruminally cannulated non-lactating dairy cows that were adapted or unadapted to a high concentrate diet.

Methods: A double 3×3 Latin square design was used with three PAP treatments (control, powdered, and liquid PAP) and two adaptation protocols (adapted, unadapted; applied to the square).

Roughage levels impact on performance and carcass traits of finishing Nellore cattle fed whole corn grain diets.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of chopped hay levels in high-concentrate diets with whole corn grain (WCG) on performance and carcass traits of finishing Nellore cattle. One hundred and eight 24-month-old Nellore intact males (453 ± 75 kg) were fed one of three WCG-based diets that differed in roughage level: without roughage (WCG), with 5% chopped hay included (WCG5), or with 12% chopped hay included (WCG12) in a block design (based on initial body weight) for 86 days. Animals fed WCG5 or WCG12 had significantly improved on final body weight, dry matter intake, average daily gain, feed efficiency, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage when compared to those fed WCG.