127 Effect of Inclusion of Dried Citrus Pulp in the Receiving Supplement for Newly Received Stocker Cattle

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to further investigate effects of feeding dried citrus pulp (DCP) to cattle. Crossbred beef heifers (n = 167, initial body weight = 266 ± 1.8 kg) arriving on 2 delivery dates were used in a 42-day receiving trial. Heifers were processed after arrival and placed randomly into 8 pens on each delivery date (10 or 11 heifers/pen; total of 16 pens). Each pen was assigned randomly to 1 of the 2 supplements. Dietary treatments were: 1) a corn and distillers’ grains based receiving supplement (control), or 2) an identical receiving supplement except it contained 20% dried citrus pulp (replacing a portion of the corn). Heifers had access to bermudagrass hay and water for ad libitum intake, but were only offered up to 1.8 kg/day of their appropriate receiving supplement. Cattle were observed daily for clinical bovine respiratory disease (BRD), if presenting symptoms of BRD and if rectal temperature was ≥ 40° C; cattle were treated according to a standard preplanned protocol with antibiotic and deemed morbid. Weights were recorded on day 0, 14, 28, 41, and 42. Statistical analyses were performed by using the Mixed and GenMod procedures of SAS 9.4 with treatment as the fixed effect and delivery date as a random effect. Dietary treatment had no effect on body weight on any day, or on the overall average daily gain (ADG; P > 0.54). Heifers fed the control supplement had a greater ADG from day 28 to 42 (P = 0.07) compared to those fed DCP. Incidence of morbidity was not affected by DCP supplementation (P = 0.53). In conclusion, feeding dried citrus pulp in receiving supplements resulted in similar overall average daily gain and did not affect the incidence of bovine respiratory disease within the 42-day receiving period.