Meta-analysis of the effects of monensin on performance of beef replacement heifers and beef cows.

Although performance benefits of monensin have been extensively studied in finishing cattle, growing cattle, and dairy cows, considerably less published work is available evaluating response to monensin supplementation in cow-calf production systems. This meta-analysis investigated the impacts of monensin on performance of beef cows and developing replacement heifers. The replacement heifer analysis was conducted using data from 18 different peer-reviewed publications and experiment station reports.

Meta-analysis of the effects of monensin on growth and bloat of cattle on pasture.

Monensin has been part of the beef production landscape for over 45 years. Although first approved for use in finishing cattle, it has since been approved for cattle in extensive production systems and has been an economical way to increase performance of forage-fed animals. This meta-analysis investigated the impacts of monensin on performance of stocker cattle on high-forage diets.

Effects of bale feeder design on hay waste, intake, and apparent diet digestibility in gestating beef cows.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of feeder design on hay intake, apparent diet digestibility, and hay waste in gestating beef cows. Native tallgrass prairie hay and a protein supplement was fed throughout both experiments. In Exp.

Effects of narasin or virginiamycin on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing and finishing pigs.

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of narasin (NAR; Skycis®; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) or virginiamycin (VIR; Stafac®; Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Teaneck, NJ) on finishing pig growth performance and carcass characteristics. Two separate experiments were conducted at the same site in 2013 and 2014. A total of 576 pigs (initial BW = 23.

In vivo ruminal degradation characteristics and apparent digestibility of low-quality prairie hay for steers consuming monensin and Optimase.

Seven ruminally cannulated crossbred steers (BW = 720 ± 62 kg) were used in a randomized crossover design (4 periods, each 18 d) to evaluate in vivo rumen characteristics and apparent digestibility of steers consuming low-quality prairie hay and 1 of 4 isonitrogenous protein supplements. Treatments included 1) 40% CP (DM basis) cottonseed meal and wheat middlings-based supplement (Control), 2) a cottonseed meal and wheat middlings-based supplement with slow-release urea and a fibrolytic feed enzyme (Optimase; Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville, KY) designed to replace 30% of plant-based CP provided in the Control (OPT), 3) the Control plus 0.