Effects of dried distiller's grains and lasalocid inclusion on feedlot lamb growth, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fluid volatile fatty acid concentrations, and ruminal hydrogen sulfide concentration1

Abstract

Our hypothesis was that increasing the inclusion level of dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS) to feedlot lambs would increase growth and the inclusion of lasalocid (LAS; Bovatec, Alpharma, LLC, Bridgewater, NJ) would increase ADG and G:F, while not affecting digestibility, ruminal VFA concentration, and ruminal pH. Furthermore, we hypothesized that rations containing LAS and higher levels of DDGS would cause increased ruminal hydrogen sulfide gas (HS) concentrations. Two hundred forty crossbred (Suffolk × Rambouillet) lambs (31.9 ± 5.87 kg BW; approximately 90 d of age) were allocated to 6 treatments in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Lambs were placed into 24 feedlot pens (4 pens/treatment; 10 lambs/pen) for a 111 d finishing study. Main effects included concentration of DDGS (0, 15, or 30% DM basis) and inclusion of LAS (0 or 22.05 g/metric ton LAS) resulting in treatments of: 1) 0% DDGS without LAS (0DDGS-NL), 2) 0% DDGS with LAS (0DDGS-L), 3) 15% DDGS without LAS (15DDGS-NL), 4) 15% DDGS with LAS (15DDGS-L), 5) 30% DDGS without LAS (30DDGS-NL), and 6) 30% DDGS with LAS (30DDGS-L). Two-day weights were taken at the beginning and end of the experiment. Two-hundred-eighteen lambs (64.8 ± 7.99 kg BW) were slaughtered on d 112 at a commercial abattoir and carcass data collected. The inclusion of LAS increased ( ≤ 0.02) final BW, ADG, G:F, and HCW. As DDGS in the ration increased to 30%, DMI decreased linearly ( = 0.03) while G:F increased linearly ( = 0.03). A second study was conducted utilizing the same treatments to evaluate N and S balance, ruminal VFA and H2S concentration, and ruminal pH in 24 crossbred wethers (Suffolk × Rambouillet; 41.2 ± 12.23 kg BW). Daily urinary sulfur excretion and ruminal H2S concentration were linearly increased ( < 0.001) as DDGS increased in the ration. Total ruminal VFA concentration linearly decreased ( = 0.002) as DDGS increased in the ration. The inclusion of LAS increased ( = 0.02) ruminal pH. The results confirm our hypothesis that LAS increased overall growth and increasing DDGS increased ruminal HS concentration but did not influence growth. We reject the hypothesis that the combined effects of LAS and DDGS would have no effect on rumen pH and VFA concentrations.

Influence of Fermented-Moutai Distillers' Grain on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Blood Metabolites of Finishing Cattle

“…Reis et al ( 5 ) found that feeding dried DG improved the growth performance and meat quality of bulls. However, Crane et al ( 6 ) reported that adding DG to the diet of lambs had no effect on growth performance and meat quality but improved the level of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. Thus, the effect of DG on the performance of ruminants is not consistent.…”

Replacing cottonseed meal and sorghum with dried distillers’ grains with solubles enhances the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of feedlot lambs

“…The ADG increased linearly as the DDGS level in the diets increased ( P < 0.001; Table 3 ), corroborating Castro-Pérez et al (2014) who replaced up to 45% of the dry-rolled corn and SBM with DDGS in the diets of Pelibuey × Katahdin crossbred intact male lambs. However, several authors ( Huls et al, 2006 ; Şahin et al, 2013 ; Crane et al, 2017 ) found no differences in ADG when substituting traditional protein and energy feedstuffs with DDGS, but it should be noted that the DDGS proportions in the diets tested by those authors were up to 30%, while in this trial surpassed 50%. When higher levels (~60%) of DDGS were tested ( Felix et al, 2012 ; Curzaynz-Leyva et al, 2019 ; Hodges et al, 2020a ), the quadratic effect is more consistent, indicating that partial replacement of traditional protein and energy feedstuffs with DDGS can maximize growth performance.…”

“…All other wool characteristics were not influenced by DDGS levels in the diets. Accordingly, Crane et al (2017) observed no effects of up to 30% DDGS in Suffolk × Rambouillet lamb diets on the fiber diameter distribution, the fiber curvature distribution, the staple length, or the comfort factor. The fiber diameter and fiber elongation rate (i.e., staple length, Table 4 ) could have corresponded to a higher nutrition plane ( Naderi et al, 2015 ), indicated by increased DMI and ADG ( Table 3 ), as well as changes in the protein source ( Ružić-Muslić et al, 2016 ), despite conflicting results on the relationship between DMI and wool growth ( Khan et al, 2012 ) and no correlation between lamb growth performance and wool quality traits ( Malau-Aduli et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Research on DDGS substituting traditional sources of protein and energy in feedlot lamb diets found no differences in major carcass traits ( Van Emon et al, 2012 ; Abdelrahim et al, 2014 ; Kawęcka et al 2018 ), which can be understood as an advantage to the sheep industry by reducing production costs without losing carcass grade ( Schauer et al 2008 ; Whitney and Braden, 2010 ; Crane et al, 2017 ). However, in agreement with this study, some authors ( Felix et al 2012 ; Curzaynz-Leyva et al 2019 ) have reported positive effects of DDGS levels on lamb carcass traits, which might be even more interesting for the sheep industry.…”

Research progress of rumen hydrogen sulfide production in ruminants

“…The level of dietary sulfur and its utilization in rumen were positively correlated with the concentration of H 2 S produced (Sarturi et al, ). Crane et al () found a linear increase in rumen H 2 S concentration with the increase of DDGS (a kind of high‐sulfur feed ingredient) in diet. Therefore, the sulfur level of ruminant's diet is closely related to rumen H 2 S production.…”