A study was conducted to investigate the effects of methods of feeding a total mixed ration (TMR) on behavior patterns of growing Hanwoo steers. A total of 15 growing steers (13 months old) were assigned to the control (fed roughage and concentrate mix separately), TMR1 (fed restricted TMR), and TMR2 (fed TMR ad libitum) groups. Individual behaviors of steers were observed for 48 hours. Compared with the control, feeding restricted TMR (TMR1) resulted in short eating time, long ruminating time, short chewing time, high frequencies of defecation, urination, and drinking of water, great numbers of boluses and chews, long ruminating time per bolus, low feed value index, high eating and chewing efficiencies (p<0.05). Compared with feeding restricted TMR (TMR1), feeding TMR ad libitum (TMR2) resulted in 1.2 kg more daily feed DM intake, long eating and chewing times, short resting time, great frequencies of defecation, urination and drinking of water, more numbers of boluses and chews, long ruminating time per bolus, low feed value index, low eating and high ruminating efficiencies (p<0.05) and similar chewing efficiency (p>0.05). Considering all these results, the wet TMR feeding system induced generally more desirable eating and ruminating behaviors of growing Hanwoo steers, but made the barn floor wetter due to more defecation and urination.

A study was conducted to determine the dietary effects of a clay mineral (sodium bentonite, NaB) on manure gas emission, health, production, and meat characteristics of Hanwoo steers. Two diets fed to steers included a control diet (concentrate mix and rice straw) and a treatment diet (control diet+1.0% clay mineral/concentrate mix). Dietary NaB addition considerably reduced concentrations of gases (H 2 S, SO 2 and NH 3 ) in the manure of Hanwoo steers. Growing steers fed NaB had similar blood profiles with the exception of lower (p<0.05) concentrations of blood alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase. Dietary NaB addition tended to increase (p = 0.10) live weight by 30 kg at slaughtering and did not affect carcass yield and quality traits. Dietary NaB addition increased concentrations of P (p<0.01), Mg (p<0.01), Na (p<0.01), Zn (p<0.005), K (p = 0.08), Fe (p = 0.08) and Cu (p = 0.07) in the longissimus muscle compared to the control but did not affect (p>0.05) fatty acid composition. The study demonstrated that the dietary addition of a clay mineral could be effective in improving mineral bioavailability to Hanwoo steers, which could be one of the reasons for their improved performance.

A study was conducted to determine the dietary effects of Na-bentonite (NaB) and probiotics on meat characteristics and health of Hanwoo steers fed rice straw as a sole roughage source. A total of 24 growing Hanwoo steers (avg BW 232 kg) were assigned to two treatments which included a control diet (concentrate mix and rice straw) and a treatment diet (control diet + 0.5-1.0% NaB + 0.5-1.0% probiotics. The diets were fed for 22 months up to the time the animals were slaughtered. Dietary treatment increased (p<0.05) concentrations of trace minerals such as Zn, Cu, and Fe in the longissimus muscle compared to the control. The treatment diet did not affect cold carcass weight, yield traits such as backfat thickness, longissimus muscle area, yield index, yield grade and quality traits such as marbling score, meat color, fat color, texture, maturity and quality grade. Blood profiles of growing steers were within the normal ranges for healthy cattle. In conclusion, feeding a combination of clay mineral and probiotics to Hanwoo steers fed rice straw as a sole roughage source could have a desirable effect on improving trace mineral retention in longissimus muscle without any deleterious effects on carcass traits of steers.

This study investigated the effects of feeding by-product feed (BF)-based silage on the behavior of growing Hanwoo heifers. Twelve Hanwoo heifers (13.2 months-old, 315 kg body weight; four heifers per pen) were assigned to three diets: a rice straw (RS) diet (concentrate mix and free access to RS), a RS and BF-based silage (RSBFS) diet (concentrate mix and free access to RS and BF-based silage), and a BF-based silage (BFS) diet (concentrate mix and free access to BF-based silage). Behavior was recorded for 5 days using camcorders. Compared to the RS group, the BFS group showed 21.7% higher dry matter intake, shorter feeding, rumination, and chewing times, as well as longer resting time (p < 0.05). Although all groups exhibited similar drinking, urination, and defecation frequencies, the BFS group exhibited higher feeding rates, rumination efficiency, and chewing efficiency than the RS group (p < 0.05). Compared to the BFS group, the RSBFS group showed higher peNDF8.0 intake (15.2% vs. 25.0% dry matter intake), longer feeding and sitting times, lower defecation frequency (p < 0.05), and similar rumination efficiency. In conclusion, complete replacement of conventional RS with BF-based silage reduced rumination and chewing activity in growing Hanwoo heifers, and BF-based silage feeding with large-particle straw is an effective approach in improving heifer behavior.

This study was conducted to compare the effects of feeding dry or fermented (aerobically or anaerobically with or without lactic acid bacteria) restaurant food residue mixture-containing diets on animal performance and blood profiles. Rats were used as the model animal for the simulation of laboratory rodents, rabbit or horse feeding and fed for 4 wks. The results were compared with feeding a dry diet (control) with the same ingredient composition as diets processed by aerobic and anaerobic methods. Feeding all the fermented diets tended to increase (p>0.05) average daily gain of rats resulting in improved (p<0.01) feed efficiency. Apparent digestibility of NDF was increased (p<0.05) by feeding the fermented diets, although digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, and NFC were not affected (p>0.05). Compared with the aerobically fermented diet, digestibility of ADF was increased (p<0.05) for the anaerobically fermented diet and for the 0.5% LAB culture plus anaerobically fermented diet. The digestibility of crude ash tended to increase (p>0.05) with feeding of the fermented diets. Feeding either of the fermented diets had little effects on serum nutrients, electrolytes, enzymes and blood cell profiles of rats except sodium and uric acid concentrations. These results showed that compared with feeding a dry food residue-containing diet, feeding aerobically or anaerobically fermented diets showed better animal performance as indicated by higher feed efficiency and rat growth rate. These improvements were attributed to the desirable dietary protein conservation during the food residue fermentation process and to higher total tract digestibilities of NDF and crude ash in the fermented food residue diets.