Predicting Microbial Protein Synthesis in Cattle: Evaluation of Extant Equations and Steps Needed to Improve Accuracy and Precision of Future Equations.

Predictions of microbial crude protein (MCP) synthesis for beef cattle generally rely on empirical regression equations, with intakes of energy and protein as key variables. Using a database from published literature, we developed new equations based on the intake of organic matter (OM) and intakes or concentrations of crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). We compared these new equations to several extant equations based on intakes of total digestible nutrients (TDN) and CP.

Development of an experimental model for liver abscess induction in Holstein steers using an acidotic diet challenge and bacterial inoculation.

Holstein steers (n = 40; initial BW = 84.9 ± 7.1 kg) were used to study the genesis of liver abscesses (LA) using an acidotic diet challenge with or without intraruminal bacterial inoculation.

Evaluating differences between formulated dietary net energy values and net energy values determined from growth performance in finishing beef steers.

Based on principles of the California Net Energy System, the dry matter intake (DMI) by feedlot cattle can be subdivided into DMI required for maintenance and DMI required for gain. Thus, if DMI along with body weight at a compositional endpoint and shrunk weight gain are known, dietary concentrations of net energy for maintenance and gain (NEm and NEg, respectively) can be calculated from growth performance data. Close agreement between growth performance-predicted and tabular NEm and NEg values implies the system can be used to accurately predict growth performance and be used to evaluate marketing and management decisions.

Lysolecithin-derived feed additive improves feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and muscle fatty acid profile of -influenced cattle fed in a tropical environment.

Lysolecithin might increase ruminal and intestinal emulsification, leading to increased digestibility, but there is minimum information about which is the most appropriate phase to start supplementation and its impacts on feedlot performance and muscle fatty acid profile. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of phase-feeding of Lysoforte™ eXtend (LYSO). In the first experiment, 1,760 predominantly bullocks (initial body weight of 400 ± 0.

Feeding Management Strategies to Mitigate Methane and Improve Production Efficiency in Feedlot Cattle.

Mitigation of greenhouse gases and decreasing nutrient excretion have become increasingly important goals for the beef cattle industry. Because feed intake is a major driver of enteric CH production and nutrient excretion, feeding management systems could be important mitigation tools. Programmed feeding uses net energy equations to determine the feed required to yield a specific rate of gain, whereas restricted feeding typically involves decreasing intake relative to the expected or observed ad libitum intake.

Non-Antimicrobial Methods to Control Liver Abscesses.

Beef feedlots have few non-microbial approaches available to decrease the incidence of liver abscesses. Decreasing the degree of grain processing might be useful, but methods that decrease dietary starch (eg, feeding digestible fiber sources such as distillers grains) have limited effects. Managing feed intake to decrease daily variation has little effect on abscesses, as do feed additives such as essential oils and tannins.

Prediction of methane per unit of dry matter intake in growing and finishing cattle from the ratio of dietary concentrations of starch to neutral detergent fiber alone or in combination with dietary concentration of ether extract.

Previous research demonstrated that a fixed value of 0.2433 (SE = 0.0134) Mcal of CH4/kg of dry matter intake (DMI) could be used to predict CH4 production with accuracy and precision on par with similar equations in the literature.

Effects of altering prepartum and postpartum dietary cation-anion difference on calcium concentrations and blood metabolites of Holstein dairy cows.

We determined effects of pre- and postpartum dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) on urine pH, serum calcium and hormone concentrations, and milk production with 48 multiparous Holstein cows (average body weight = 706 ± 7.3 kg). Treatments were 3 prepartum DCAD concentrations (0, -100, or -180 mEq/kg dry matter [DM]) and 2 postpartum DCAD concentrations (+250 or +350 mEq/kg DM) starting 29 days before parturition through 90 days in milk.

Galyean Appreciation Club Review: revisiting nutrition and health of newly received cattle-what have we learned in the last 15 years?

Our objective was to review the literature related to the health and management of newly received cattle published since a previous review by Duff and Galyean (2007). Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be a major challenge for the beef industry. Depending on disease severity, animals treated for BRD have decreased performance and lowered carcass value.

Predicting metabolizable energy from digestible energy for growing and finishing beef cattle and relationships to the prediction of methane.

Reliable predictions of metabolizable energy (ME) from digestible energy (DE) are necessary to prescribe nutrient requirements of beef cattle accurately. A previously developed database that included 87 treatment means from 23 respiration calorimetry studies has been updated to evaluate the efficiency of converting DE to ME by adding 47 treatment means from 11 additional studies. Diets were fed to growing-finishing cattle under individual feeding conditions.

Understanding intake on pastures: how, why, and a way forward.

An assessment of dietary intake is a critical component of animal nutrition. Consumption of feed resources is the basis upon which feeding strategies and grazing management are based. Yet, as far back as 1948, researchers have lauded the trials and tribulations of estimation of the phenomenon, especially when focused on grazing animals and pasture resources.

What I have heard: conference summary and thoughts for the future.

Twenty-nine presentations by 28 speakers at the California Net Energy System (CNES) 50th Anniversary Symposium provided an informative overview of the past, present, and future of the CNES. The Symposium was divided into eight sessions, with each one or two sessions followed by a lively discussion period. This article provides a summary of key points made by the speakers in each session as provided at the conclusion of the Symposium.

Effect of Supplementing Diets of Anglo-Nubian Goats with Soybean and Flaxseed Oils on Lactational Performance.

We studied the effect of soybean or flaxseed oil feeding in the diets of lactating Anglo-Nubian goats. A total of 20 goats (33.6 ± 0.

Fiber digestibility in royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus).

Royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus) are among the smallest ungulate species and are browsing ruminants. To date, their capacities for fiber fermentation and nutrient digestion have not been quantified. This study compared apparent digestibilities of a typical high-fiber herbivore pellet (ADF 25) and a low-starch, high-fiber diet (WHP) in royal antelope in a crossover design (seven subjects in the first period and four in the second).

Determination of total cholesterol in meat and poultry by gas chromatography: single-laboratory validation.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the intralaboratory performance of a cholesterol determination method that combines direct saponification of a 1 g meat or poultry sample and GC quantification of liberated cholesterol without derivatization. Cholesterol was detected at 11.96 min using a GC-flame ionization detector (FID) system.

Influence of wet distillers grains diets on beef cattle fecal bacterial community structure.

Background: The high demand for ethanol in the U.S. has generated large stocks of wet distillers grains (DG), a byproduct from the manufacture of ethanol from corn and sorghum grains.

Profile of the bovine acute-phase response following an intravenous bolus-dose lipopolysaccharide challenge.

Our objective was to characterize further the acute-phase response following endotoxin (i.e. lipopolysaccharide; LPS) exposure in the bovine.

Reduction of Escherichia coli O157 in finishing beef cattle by various doses of Lactobacillus acidophilus in direct-fed microbials.

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of three doses of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain NP51 and a combination treatment of strains NP51 and NP45 on prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 in cattle. Three hundred steers were assigned randomly to 60 pens (five steers per pen) and received one of five treatments: (i) control, no added direct-fed microbial; (ii) HNP51, high dose of NP51 at 10(9) CFU per steer daily; (iii) MNP51, NP51 at 10(8) CFU per steer daily; (iv) LNP51, low dose of NP51 at 10(7) CFU per steer daily; and (v) NP51+45, NP51 at 10(9) CFU per steer daily and NP45 at 106 CFU per steer daily. All direct-fed microbial treatments included Propionibacterium freudenreichii at 10(9) CFU per steer.