This study was designed to investigate the effects of a humate supplement on rumen ammonia N (RAN), serum urea N (SUN) and live performance i n beef cattle finishing diets. Twenty-four English cross steers (BW 432+5 kg) were stratified by weight, randomly assigned to individual pens and fed one of the four diets, containing 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5% humiclfulvic acid, for 56 d. Control diets contained 33.3 mgl kg monensin. Steers were weighed at d 0, 28 and 56. Blood (jugular veni-puncture) samples and rumen (esophageal tube) samples were taken prior to feeding on d 0 and there after prior to and 4 h post feeding on d 28 and 56. Rumen fluid p H was determined immediately, acidified with HCl and stored (-2OC) for subsequent RAN analysis. Serum was also stored (-2OC) for analysis of SUN. During the 56 d period there was no difference in DMI (P>0.58), ADG (P>0.24) or G:F (P>0.28) between treatments. There were no two or three way interactions for SUN (P>0.95), RAN (P>0.87) or rumen p H (P>0.15). There was a tendency for a cubic response (P
Spontaneous heating in stored alfalfa (Medicago sativa) has reduced forage quality and DM and N digestibility through microbial respiration and Maillard polymer formation. The impact of heating-degree-day (HDD) accumulation in stored bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) was evaluated for its effect on nutrient utilization by lambs. Twenty Rambouillet wether lambs (53.1 +/- 0.74 kg) were used in a completely randomized total collection experiment. The hays selected for this study had previously undergone spontaneous heating, producing either 5, 119, 201, 273, or 401 HDD (> 35 degrees C) during a 60-d storage period. Lambs were offered diets of these hays at 1.5% of BW. Dry matter intake did not differ (P = 0.59) among hays. Linear relationships were detected between HDD and apparent digestibilities of DM (y = 59.1 - 0.016x; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.37), OM (y = 59.3 - 0.017x; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.43), NDF (y = 66.4 - 0.012x; P = 0.01; R2 = 0.30), and hemicellulose (y = 74.0 - 0.012x; P = 0.02; R2 = 0.27). Similarly, significant regressions were observed for fecal N excretion (g/d; y = 4.70 + 0.004x; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.68), apparent N absorbed (g/d; y = 7.4 - 0.005x; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.50), apparent N absorption (%; y = 61.2 - 0.038x; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.71), apparent neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen digestibility (%; y = 85.8 - 0.026x; P = 0.01; R2 = 0.73), and apparent acid detergent insoluble nitrogen digestibility (%; y = 1.5 + 0.101x; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.62). Therefore, spontaneous heating during the storage of bermudagrass hay has a negative effect on dry matter and fiber digestion and nitrogen absorption by lambs.
, with or without grain supplementation, shortened the period from calving to conception and increased calving percentage in beef cows consuming bermudagrass hay.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.