Evaluation of pineapple stem starch as a substitute for corn grain or ground cassava in a cattle feedlot for 206 or 344 days: feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and economic evaluation.

The pineapple stem starch substituted for ground cassava or corn as a carbohydrate source in the concentrate diet. The experiment used 36 Holstein crossbred steers (aged 22 months) with an average initial body weight of 453.0 ± 35.

Selection of plant oil as a supplemental energy source by monitoring rumen profiles and its dietary application in Thai crossbred beef cattle.

Objective: The present study was conducted to select a plant oil without inhibitory effects on rumen fermentation and microbes, and to determine the optimal supplementation level of the selected oil in a series of in vitro studies for dietary application. Then, the selected oil was evaluated in a feeding study using Thai crossbred beef cattle by monitoring growth, carcass, blood and rumen characteristics.

Methods: Rumen fluid was incubated with substrates containing one of three different types of plant oil (coconut oil, palm oil and soybean oil) widely available in Thailand.