Dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) contain fat and rumen undegradable intake protein, both of which have been shown to increase reproductive performance in heifers. The mechanisms leading to enhanced reproduction have not been fully defined. The objectives of this research were to evaluate effects of DDGS in late gestation heifer diets on animal and reproductive performance and on blood plasma concentrations of GH, IGF-I, and NEFA. Over 2 yr, 201 heifers were randomly allotted to 1 of 2 diets, which were similar in energy and adequate in rumen degradable intake protein and were fed from d 190 of gestation through calving. Diets were grass hay with DDGS or soybean hulls (SBH) and a supplement. Cow BW and BCS were measured from the beginning of treatment through weaning. Blood samples were collected prepartum on d 71 and 69 of the feeding period and weekly after calving for 4 and 6 wk (d 84 to 105 and d 76 to 111 relative to the feeding period) during yr 1 and 2, respectively. No treatment x year interactions were detected for any of the performance, hormonal, or reproductive dependent variables. Both treatments caused positive BW changes over the feeding period, but DDGS heifers had a greater (P < 0.01) positive BW change compared with SBH heifers. Initial and final BCS and BCS change were similar (P >/= 0.26) between DDGS and SBH treatments. Treatment did not influence (P >/= 0.12) BW or BCS change during the postpartum period. Calving ease, calf vigor, and calf birth weight, weaning weight, and ADG (birth to weaning) were similar (P >/= 0.41) between treatments. The proportion of cows that had initiated estrous cycles (P = 0.46) and the pregnancy distribution (P >/= 0.21) were similar between treatments. However, a greater (P = 0.058) percentage of DDGS cows became pregnant compared with SBH cows (94 and 84%). In both years, there were no effects of treatment (P >/= 0.17) or treatment x time (P >/= 0.52), but time influenced (P 0.10) for the duration of the sampling period. Concentrations of NEFA increased from calving through d 8 and gradually declined through d 20. Prepartum diets containing DDGS, a source of fat and UIP, benefited pregnancy rates in well-maintained, primiparous beef heifers.

Ingestion by hens and broilers of specific chloroanisols present in some wood shavings used in poultry cages can result in a musty taste in poultry products.

Eighty-one steers [428 ± 3.5 kg of body weight (BW)] were used to determine the effect of grain type (corn vs. barley) and oil concentration of dried corn distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS; moderate = 7.9% vs. low = 4.5% ether extract) on growth performance, feeding behavior, and carcass characteristics. Intake and feeding behavior traits were calculated from data generated via the Insentec feeding system. Steers were slaughtered with an average BW of 668 ± 4.4 kg. Final BW and average daily gain (ADG) were not affected by grain type or DDGS oil concentration. Dry matter intake (DMI) decreased (P = 0.002) and gain:feed ratio (G:F) increased (P = 0.01) in steers fed diets containing barley. Daily visits to the feeder decreased (P = 0.05), but time eating per visit increased (P = 0.03) in steers fed diets containing barley than corn. Plasma urea-N concentration was greater (P ≤ 0.05) in steers fed diets containing barley than corn and in steers fed diets containing low-oil DDGS than moderate-oil DDGS diets. There was no effect of treatment on carcass characteristics. These data indicate that steers fed diets containing barley had improved G:F and that including low-oil vs. moderate-oil DDGS in a finishing diet does not influence growth performance, feeding behavior, or carcass measurements.

BackgroundDietary manipulation is a common practice to mitigate gaseous emission from livestock production facilities, and the variation of fat level in the diet has shown great influence on ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA) and enteric methane generation. The changes in dietary fat levels influence rumen chemistry that could modify manure nutrient composition along with odor and gaseous emissions from manure management facilities.MethodsA field experiment was carried out on beef cattle feedlots to investigate the effect of four levels of dietary fat concentrations (3 to 5.5 %) on the manure composition and gaseous emissions (methane-CH4, nitrous oxide-N2O, carbon dioxide-CO2 and hydrogen sulfide-H2S) from the feedlot pen surface. The experiment was carried out over a 5-month period from June to October during North Dakota’s summer-fall climatic condition. Air and manure sampling was conducted five times at a 20–30 day intervals.ResultsOverall, this research indicated that fat levels in diet have no or little effect on the nutrient composition of manure and gaseous emission from the pens with cattle fed with different diet. Though significant variation of gaseous emission and manure composition were observed between different sampling periods, no effect of high fat diet was observed on manure composition and gaseous emission.ConclusionsIt can be concluded that addition of fat to animal diet may not have any impact on gaseous emission and manure compositions.

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