Sodium butyrate and monensin supplementation to postweaning heifer diets: Effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate growth and performance of postweaning heifers supplemented with monensin (MON), sodium butyrate (SB), or the combination of MON and SB (MSB) compared with heifers not receiving these feed additives. Forty Holstein heifers [mean age 84.2 ± 1.2 d; body weight (BW) 99.8 ± 10.8 kg (mean ± SD)] were housed in a freestall barn, blocked by birth date, and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were (1) 100 g of soybean meal carrier (control; CON); (2) 0.75 g of SB/kg of BW + carrier (SB); (3) 1 mg of MON/kg of BW + carrier (MON); (4) 1 mg of MON/kg of BW + 0.75 g of SB/kg of BW (MSB). Data were analyzed using single degree of freedom contrasts evaluating CON versus additives (ADD), SB versus MON, and SB and MON versus MSB. Treatments were hand-mixed daily. Feed and orts were measured daily and frozen at −20°C. Orts samples were subsampled for dry matter (DM) determination, and total mixed ration samples were taken weekly and composited monthly for DM and nutrient analysis. Initial BW, heart and paunch girths, body length, blood samples, and fecal coccidia counts were measured before the start and weekly during the 12-wk trial. Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), and ketone concentrations. Apparent totaltract nutrient digestibility was determined from d 21 to 27 and from d 63 to 69 using acid detergent insoluble ash as a marker. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) and metabolizable energy intake were increased in ADD compared with CON, and average BW, final BW, and heart girth tended to increase. Whereas MSB tended to be greater than SB and MON for heart girth, feed efficiency was greater with MON compared with SB. Compared with CON, ADD decreased coccidia counts. No effect of treatment on PUN was detected. Monensin and SB tended to have greater plasma glucose than MSB did. Average blood ketone concentrations were greater with ADD versus CON, in SB versus MON, and in MSB versus SB and MON. During the wk-3 digestibility phase, DMI tended to be greater in heifers fed SB versus MON, as well as in heifers fed MSB versus SB and MON. Digestibility of nutrients were similar, except that starch digestibility was increased in heifers fed MSB versus SB and MON. During the wk-9 digestibility phase, DMI and digestibility of nutrients were similar, except NDF, which tended to be greater in CON than in ADD. Overall, ADD resulted in positive growth and reduced coccidia compared with CON.

Impact of dietary supplementation of β-hydroxybutyric acid on performance, nutrient digestibility, organ development and serum stress indicators in early-weaned goat kids

“…However, nutrient digestibility in this study was not affected by dietary BHBA. Similar to our results, sodium butyrate supplementation did not affect the nutrient digestibility in post-weaned heifers ( Rice et al., 2019 ; Stahl et al., 2020 ). The lack of BHBA effect on digestibility could be due to the weaning of goats and the introduction of the solid diet, which is helpful for rumen development ( Kim et al., 2016 ).…”

“…In this study, the interaction effects of BHBA supplementation and age on the body weight, average daily gain, and starter feed intake indicated that both the age and dietary BHBA supplementation are vital in the growth and development of goats. The positive effects of BHBA supplementation agree with previous studies on the butyrate supplementation ( Kotunia et al., 2004 ; Mazzoni et al., 2008 ), which was reported to stimulate growth performance and feed intake in lambs ( Cavini et al., 2015 ; Chai et al., 2017 ), calves ( Guilloteau et al., 2009 ), post-weaned heifers ( Stahl et al., 2020 ), pre-weaned pigs ( Mazzoni et al., 2008 ), and growing-finishing pigs ( Sun et al., 2020 ).…”

Canola meal or soybean meal as protein source and the effect of microencapsulated sodium butyrate supplementation in calf starter mixture. I. Performance, digestibility, and selected blood variables

“…Previous research has shown that calves fed starter mixtures with MSB had fewer incidents of diarrhea, greater solid fecal consistency, and fewer electrolyte treatments prior to weaning (Górka et al, 2011a), none of which were observed in the present studies. A recent publication by Rice et al (2019) and Stahl et al (2020) observed that supplementing calves with sodium butyrate decreased the coccidia count in feces. In both of our studies, calves received an oral coccidiostat on d 15 of the study as a preventative measure, which could have diminished or eliminated the MSB response on fecal score and number of incidences of diarrhea.…”

Exploring the Impact of Ampelopsis Grossedentata Flavonoids on Growth Performance, Ruminal Microbiota, and Plasma Physiology and Biochemistry of Kids

“…It is postulated that such favorable outcomes may be attributed to the flavonoids' potential to mitigate the oxidative stress response in kids, ameliorate intestinal injury, and foster the growth and development of the intestines [8]. The improvement effect of monensin on the growth performance of ruminants has been studied for a long time [74][75][76][77], and the similar effect of AGF and monensin in improving kid growth performance has been observed to be comparable. In the current study, a notable upsurge in daily weight gain was documented for the MN group in comparison to the CON group.…”