RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Carcass CharactertisticsAs expected, significant differences were found in liveweights and carcass weights between control and experimental animals.
Forty Holstein steers, initially weighing 385 kg, were individually fed ground ear corn based on rations containing 0, 0.75, 1.50 or 2.25% NaHCO3. Initial intake of rations containing 1.5 and 2.25% NaHCO3 was low. No differences (P > 0.05) were detected over the 84-day trial in ADG, feed intake or feed conversion. Rumen pH was not affected but ruminal fluid from steers receiving 1.5 and 2.25% NaHCO3 had significantly (P < 0.05) higher percent acetic, lower percent propionic and a higher A/P ration. NaHCO3 did not improve feedlot performance when added to ground ear corn diets full-fed to finishing Holstein steers.
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.