Activated carbon supplementation of dairy cow diets: Effects on apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility and taste preference

Abstract

The objectives of these studies were to determine whether the adverse effects of feeding poor-quality forages could be alleviated by adding activated carbon as a feed additive through observing the effect of activated carbon on apparent nutrient digestibility and taste preferences. In Exp. 1, 6 multiparous, late-lactation Holstein cows were assigned to a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square. All cows were fed a basal diet containing approximately 60% poor-quality corn silage containing the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol. The 3 treatments were 0, 20, or 40 g of activated carbon top-dressed once daily at the p.m. feeding. Cows fed activated carbon had increased DMI and apparent total-tract nutrient digestibilities of NDF, hemicellulose, and CP. Cows fed activated carbon also had increased milk fat content and showed increased BCS. In Exp. 2, 3 cannulated, primiparous, early-lactation Holstein cows were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design. The cows were fed 0, 20, or 40 g of activated carbon per day using good-quality forage, which resulted in no differences in apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility or milk composition and yield. In Exp. 3, 6 early-lactation, primiparous Holstein cows were assigned to a sequential elimination trial with access to 0, 10, 20, 40, or 80 g/d of activated carbon in a cafeteria-style feeder to determine taste preference. Cows were fed a diet similar to that in Exp. 2. As activated carbon increased, preference for that particular feed decreased. Results indicated that activated carbon improves apparent total-tract nutrient digestibilities when cows are fed poor-quality (mycotoxin-laden) silage, but activated carbon should not be used when goodquality forage is fed.

Evaluation of the effects of biochar on diet digestibility and methane production from growing and finishing steers

“…However, when good quality corn silage was fed, no differences were measured with the inclusion of biochar. The activated carbon product fed by Erickson et al (2011) may have had different physical and chemical properties than the biochar fed in the current study.…”

“…Most previous research has focused on forage-based diets ( Hansen et al, 2012 ; Leng et al 2012a ; Saleem et al 2018 ). Erickson et al (2011) fed 0, 20, or 40 g/d of an acid-washed activated carbon product made from lignite coal to dairy cows on a corn silage-based diet in two experiments. When poor quality corn silage was fed, the addition of activated carbon increased DMI and NDFD.…”

342 Evaluation of the effects of biochar on diet digestibility and methane production from growing and finishing steers

“…However, when good quality corn silage was fed, no differences were measured with the inclusion of biochar. The activated carbon product fed by Erickson et al (2011) may have had different physical and chemical properties than the biochar fed in the current study. CH 4 and CO 2 production.…”

“…Most previous research has focused on forage-based diets (Hansen et al, 2012;Leng et al 2012a;Saleem et al 2018). Erickson et al (2011) fed 0, 20, or 40 g/d of an acidwashed activated carbon product made from lignite coal to dairy cows on a corn silage-based diet in two experiments. When poor quality corn silage was fed, the addition of activated carbon increased DMI and NDFD.…”

“…However, the feedstock and process used to produce the biochar may affect results (Leng et al, 2013;McFarlane et al, 2017). In vivo results of feeding biochar to cattle are limited, Leng et al (2012a) reported a decrease in CH 4 production from cattle fed diets based on cassava root chips and foliage whereas Erickson et al (2011) measured an increase in diet digestibility when activated carbon was added to poor quality corn silage diets. The objectives of the following experiments were to determine the effects of biochar on CH 4 production and diet digestibility in vivo in growing and finishing beef cattle diets composed of feeds commonly used in the Great Plains of the United States.…”