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The goal of this study was to evaluate the variation in spoilage microbiota associated with sliced, prepackaged deli-style ham from varying processing environments available in the retail market in the United States. Three different brands of presliced ham, water added were purchased at local markets and evaluated every 2 wk beginning 4 wk prior to the sell-by date until 4 wk beyond the sell-by date. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA genes using operational taxonomic units showed that Brand A had a different bacterial community structure compared with Brands B and C, according to unweighted (P = 0.006) and weighted (P < 0.001) UniFrac distance matrices. Brand A had a greater proportion of sequence reads mapping to Carnobacterium, Bacillus, and Prevotella, whereas B and C had greater proportions of Pseudomonas, Photobacterium, and Lactococcus. Brand A also had a lower salt concentration (P < 0.007), greater moisture percentage and less fat percentage (P < 0.012), and increased aerobic plate count (P = 0.017). Differences in spoilage microbiota can in part be attributed to the factors involved with different processing locations, as shown by 3 different brands of ham, as well as slight differences in formulation including salt concentration and organic acid use.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the primary animal health concern facing feedlot producers. Many antimicrobial mitigation strategies are available, but few studies have compared feedlot performance during both the receiving and finishing periods following application of different antimicrobials used as metaphylaxis at arrival. The objective of this study was to compare antimicrobial metaphylaxis methods on clinical health and growth performance across both the receiving and finishing periods. A total of 238 multiple-sourced steers in two source blocks were used in a generalized complete block design. The four treatments included: 1) a negative control, 5 mL of sterile saline injected subcutaneously (CON); 2) subcutaneous administration of florfenicol at 40 mg/kg of BW (NUF); 3) subcutaneous administration of ceftiofur in the posterior aspect of the ear at 6.6 mg/kg of BW (EXC); and 4) subcutaneous administration of tulathromycin at 2.5 mg/kg of BW (DRA). The morbidity rate for the first treatment of BRD was decreased for the DRA and EXC treatments compared to CON and NUF (P < 0.01). Additionally, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), and gain-to-feed (G:F) were greater (P ≤ 0.02) in the DRA treatment during the receiving period compared to all other treatments. The ADG was also greater (P < 0.05) for EXC than the CON treatment throughout the finishing period. Nonetheless, other growth performance variables did not differ among metaphylactic treatments during the finishing period (P ≥ 0.14). Likewise, no differences in carcass characteristics or liver abscess score were observed (P ≥ 0.18). All complete blood count (CBC) variables were affected by day (P ≤ 0.01) except mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.29). Treatment × time interactions were observed for platelet count, white blood cell (WBC) count, monocyte count and percentage, and lymphocyte percentage (P ≤ 0.03). However, there were no observed hematological variables that differed

Aims: Our objective was to determine how injectable antimicrobials affected populations of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in feedlot cattle. Methods and Results: Two arrival date blocks of high-risk crossbred beef cattle (n = 249; mean BW = 244 kg) were randomly assigned one of four antimicrobial treatments administered on day 0: sterile saline control (CON), tulathromycin (TUL), ceftiofur (CEF) or florfenicol (FLR). Faecal samples were collected on days 0, 28, 56, 112, 182 and study end (day 252 for block 1 and day 242 for block 2). Hide swabs and subiliac lymph nodes were collected the day before and the day of harvest. Samples were cultured for antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. The effect of treatment varied by day across all targeted bacterial populations (p ≤ 0.01) except total E. coli. Total E. coli counts were greatest on days 112, 182 and study end (p ≤ 0.01). Tulathromycin resulted in greater counts and prevalence of Salmonella from faeces than CON at study end (p ≤ 0.01). Tulathromycin and CEF yielded greater Salmonella hide prevalence and greater counts of 128ERYR E. coli at study end than CON (p ≤ 0.01). No faecal Salmonella resistant to tetracyclines or third-generation cephalosporins were detected. Ceftiofur was associated with greater counts of 8ERYR Enterococcus spp. at study end (p ≤ 0.03). By the day before harvest, antimicrobial use did not increase prevalence or counts for all other bacterial populations compared with CON (p ≥ 0.13). Conclusions: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in feedlot cattle is not caused solely by using a metaphylactic antimicrobial on arrival, but more likely a multitude of environmental and management factors.

Background: Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is one of the most significant diseases of beef cattle. As such, IBK costs the US beef industry at least 150 million annually. However, strategies to prevent IBK are limited, with most cases resulting in treatment with antibiotics once the disease has developed. Longitudinal studies evaluating establishment of the ocular microbiota may identify critical risk periods for IBK outbreaks or changes in the microbiota that may predispose animals to IBK. Results: In an attempt to characterize the establishment and colonization patterns of the bovine ocular microbiota, we conducted a longitudinal study consisting of 227 calves and evaluated the microbiota composition over time using amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) based on 16S rRNA sequencing data and culture-based approaches. Beef calves on trial consisted of both male (intact) and females. Breeds were composed of purebred Angus and composites with varying percentages of Simmental, Angus, and Red Angus breeds. Average age at the start of the trial was 65 days ±15.02 and all calves remained nursing on their dam until weaning (day 139 of the study). The trial consisted of 139 days with four sampling time points on day 0, 21, 41, and 139. The experimental population received three different vaccination treatments (autogenous, commercial (both inactivated bacteria), and adjuvant placebo), to assess the effectiveness of different vaccines for IBK prevention. A significant change in bacterial community composition was observed across time periods sampled compared to the baseline (p < 0.001). However, no treatment effect of vaccine was detected within the ocular bacterial community. The bacterial community composition with the greatest time span between sampling time periods (98d span) was most similar to the baseline sample collected, suggesting re-establishment of the ocular microbiota to baseline levels over time after perturbation. The effe

A finishing trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of corn oil on animal performance, carcass characteristics, and methane production in finishing cattle. Corn oil was supplemented at 3% of the diet (dry matterbasis) and led to a decrease in intake, a numerical improvement in average daily gain, and improved feed efficiency compared to the control cattle. Dry matter intake while in the methane barn was not decreased between treatments, although it was numerically similar to what was observed outside of the methane barn. Corn oil did not affect any carcass parameters. Methane production (g/d) was reduced with the inclusion of corn oil compared to the control. Methane (g/lb of gain) was also reduced with the inclusion of corn oil compared to the control. A numerical reduction of methane (g/lb of intake) was observed when corn oil was included in the diet. Corn oil appears to be a viable option for both improving performance as well as decreasing methane production in beef cattle finishing diets.

A study was conducted to evaluate the impact that level of intake has on methane and carbon dioxide production by growing steers. Two treatments were evaluated that included ad-libitum intake compared to limit-fed steers. The ad-libitum fed cattle had greater gains, similar feed efficiency and produced more methane and carbon dioxide per day, while the limit fed cattle produced more methane and carbon dioxide per pound of intake than the ad-libitum fed cattle.

The rumen has several important physiological functions, including absorption, transport, metabolic activity, and host protection (Roh et al., 2007). The rumen is extensively researched due to the importance of ruminants in agriculture and the major role played by rumen microbes in nutrient utilization and health of the ruminant animal. The microbial community of the rumen is altered by diet (McCann et al., 2014), age (Jami et al., 2013), and environment.

The importance of the rumen microbiota on nutrient cycling to the animal is well recognized; however, our understanding of the influence of the rumen microbiome composition on feed efficiency is limited. The rumen microbiomes of two large animal cohorts (125 heifers and 122 steers) were characterized to identify specific bacterial members (operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) associated with feed efficiency traits (ADFI, ADG, and G:F) in beef cattle. The heifer and steer cohorts were fed a forage-based diet and a concentrate-based diet, respectively. A rumen sample was obtained from each animal via esophageal tubing and bacterial community composition was determined through 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region. Based on a regression approach that used individual performance measures, animals were classified into divergent feed efficiency groups. Within cohort, an extreme set of 16 animals from these divergent groups was selected as a discovery population to identify differentially abundant OTUs across the rumen bacterial communities. The remaining samples from each cohort were selected to perform forward stepwise regressions using the differentially abundant OTUs as explanatory variables to distinguish predictive OTUs for the feed efficiency traits and to quantify the OTUs collective impact on feed efficiency phenotypes. OTUs belonging to the families Prevotellaceae and Victivallaceae were present across models for heifers, whereas OTUs belonging to the families Prevotellaceae and Lachnospiraceae were present across models for steers. Within the heifer cohort, models explained 19.3%, 25.3%, and 19.8% of the variation for ADFI, ADG, and G:F, respectively. Within the steer cohort, models explained 27.7%, 32.5%, and 26.9% of the variation for ADFI, ADG, and G:F, respectively. Overall, this study suggests a substantial role of the rumen microbiome on feed efficiency responses.

Porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD) is a term used to describe the multifactorial disease syndromes caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2), which can be reproduced in an experimental setting through the co-infection of pigs with PCV-2 and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The resulting PCVAD-affected pigs represent a subpopulation within the co-infected group. In co-infection studies, the presence of increased microbiome diversity is linked to a reduction in clinical signs. In this study, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was investigated as a means to prevent PCVAD in pigs co-infected with PRRSV and PCV-2d. The sources of the FMT material were high-parity sows with a documented history of high health status and robust litter characteristics. The analysis of the donated FMT material showed the absence of common pathogens along with the presence of diverse microbial phyla and families. One group of pigs (n = 10) was administered the FMT while a control group (n = 10) was administered a sterile mock-transplant. Over the 42-day postinfection period, the FMT group showed fewer PCVAD-affected pigs, as evidenced by a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality in transplanted pigs, along with increased antibody levels. Overall, this study provides evidence that FMT decreases the severity of clinical signs following co-infection with PRRSV and PCV-2 by reducing the prevalence of PCVAD.

Precision animal agriculture is poised to rise to prominence in the livestock enterprise in the domains of management, production, welfare, sustainability, health surveillance, and environmental footprint. Considerable progress has been made in the use of tools to routinely monitor and collect information from animals and farms in a less laborious manner than before. These efforts have enabled the animal sciences to embark on information technology-driven discoveries to improve animal agriculture. However, the growing amount and complexity of data generated by fully automated, high-throughput data recording or phenotyping platforms, including digital images, sensor and sound data, unmanned systems, and information obtained from real-time noninvasive computer vision, pose challenges to the successful implementation of precision animal agriculture. The emerging fields of machine learning and data mining are expected to be instrumental in helping meet the daunting challenges facing global agriculture. Yet, their impact and potential in “big data” analysis have not been adequately appreciated in the animal science community, where this recognition has remained only fragmentary. To address such knowledge gaps, this article outlines a framework for machine learning and data mining and offers a glimpse into how they can be applied to solve pressing problems in animal sciences.

Background: Rumen microbes play a greater role in host energy acquisition than that of gut-associated microbes in monogastric animals. Although genome-enabled advancements are providing access to the vast diversity of uncultivated microbes, our understanding of variables shaping rumen microbial communities is in its infancy. Viruses have been shown to impact microbial populations through a myriad of processes, including cell lysis and reprogramming of host metabolism. However, little is known about the processes shaping the distribution of rumen viruses or how viruses may modulate microbial-driven processes in the rumen. To this end, we investigated how rumen bacterial and viral community structure and function responded in five steers fed four randomized dietary treatments in a crossover design. Results: Total digestible nutrients (TDN), a measure of dietary energy, best explained the variation in bacterial and viral communities. Additional ecological drivers of viral communities included dietary zinc content and microbial functional diversity. Using partial least squares regression, we demonstrate significant associations between the abundances of 267 viral populations and variables driving the variation in rumen viral communities. While rumen viruses were dynamic, 14 near ubiquitous viral populations were identified, suggesting the presence of a core rumen virome largely comprised of novel viruses. Moreover, analysis of virally encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) indicates rumen viruses have glycosidic hydrolases to potentially augment the breakdown of complex carbohydrates to increase energy production. Other AMGs identified have a role in redirecting carbon to the pentose phosphate pathway and one carbon pools by folate to boost viral replication. Conclusions: We demonstrate that rumen bacteria and viruses have differing responses and ecological drivers to dietary perturbation. Our results show that rumen viruses have implications for understanding the str

Knowledge of producer concerns and perceptions on methane production from cattle and its impact on the environment is unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this survey were to determine what producers know about methane production by cattle and to determine if different age groups, regions of Nebraska, and production size/ type affects producer opinions on enteric methane production and climate change. Producers felt that methane production has little impact on animal performance but were not very confident in their knowledge. Most producers received information related to animal agriculture from veterinarians; therefore, veterinarians should continue to be a major target for extension efforts.

A finishing study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary nitrate and sulfate on methane production in finishing cattle. Both nitrate and sulfate addition decreased DMI and ADG. In diets with no sulfate, addition of nitrate had no impact on emissions, but nitrate and sulfate in combination decreased CH4:CO2. However, neither nitrate nor sulfate had any further impact on methane production. Effect of these compounds may be diet dependent and in this study had little impact on CH4 emissions in finishing cattle.

A headbox calorimeter study evaluated the impacts of forage quality on methane production, diet digestibility, and VFA profile of growing steers. Daily production of methane and carbon dioxide were greater for steers fed high- quality compared to low- quality forages. Th ere was no difference in DM or OM digestibility, likely due to dramatic intake differences, and no difference in the amount of methane produced per unit of OM digested. Methane emissions data from this study agree reasonably well with those obtained by alternate methods previously utilized by this group.

An individual feeding experiment (n = 60) was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding a direct- fed microbial (DFM) or not on performance of finishing steers fed 0 or 40% modified distillers grains (MDGS) in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Gain and F:G were improved when cattle were fed MDGS compared to the corn diet. No significant differences (P ≥ 0.23) were observed between cattle fed DFM or not for DMI and ADG. However, numeric advantages were observed for F:G when cattle were fed a DFM, with a 5% improvement in feed efficiency for steers supplemented with DFM.

The objective of this study was to evaluate performance and carcass characteristics of heifers fed a newly developed direct- fed microbial (DFM), using 336 heifers in a pen study. Th e experiment consisted of feeding corn (CON) or 40% modified distillers grains plus solubles (40MDGS) and presence or absence of DFM added as a top- dress. No significant differences were observed for heifer performance and carcass characteristics due to DFM. Feeding MDGS increased ADG, while reducing F:G compared to CON. The DFM developed for this study did not enhance performance as was hypothesized, while feeding MDGS did.

Seven ruminally and duodenally fistulated beef steers were fed 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% crude glycerin in forage- based diets. Rumen and duodenal samples were used to determine the effects of crude glycerin on the prevalence of five selected species of ruminal bacteria. In the rumen, Anaerovibrio lipolytica and Selenomonas ruminantium increased while Butyrivibrio fibrosolvens, Fibrobacter succinogenes, and Megasphaera elsdenii were unaffected. In the duodenum, A. lipolytica, S. ruminantium, and B. fibrosolvens increased while F. succinogenes and M. elsdenii were unaffected. Changes in the relative abundance of microbial species may help explain animal performance responses to crude glycerin.

Seven ruminally and duodenally cannulated steers were used to evaluate effects of increasing concentrations of crude glycerin on digestion in high forage diets. As glycerin inclusion increased, DM, OM, and NDF intake decreased. Neither DM nor OM digestibility were affected by glycerin inclusion. While dietary NDF digestibility decreased as glycerin increased, glycerin inclusion had no effect on rate or extent of in situ NDF digestibility estimates. As glycerin inclusion increased, propionate and butyrate VFA proportions increased while acetate decreased. Decreases in acetate to propionate ratio with increasing concentrations of crude glycerin may improve F:G in forage- based diets.

The rumen microbial community in dairy cows plays a critical role in efficient milk production. However, there is a lack of data comparing the composition of the rumen bacterial community of the main dairy breeds. This study utilizes 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the rumen bacterial community composition in Holstein and Jersey cows fed the same diet by sampling the rumen microbiota via the rumen cannula (Holstein cows) or esophageal tubing (both Holstein and Jersey cows). After collection of the rumen sample via esophageal tubing, particles attached to the strainer were added to the sample to ensure representative sampling of both the liquid and solid fraction of the rumen contents. Alpha diversity metrics, Chao1 and observed OTUs estimates, displayed higher (P = 0.02) bacterial richness in Holstein compared to Jersey cows and no difference (P > 0.70) in bacterial community richness due to sampling method. The principal coordinate analysis displayed distinct clustering of bacterial communities by breed suggesting that Holstein and Jersey cows harbor different rumen bacterial communities. Family level classification of most abundant (>1%) differential OTUs displayed that OTUs from the bacterial families Lachnospiraceae and p-2534- 18B5 to be predominant in Holstein cows compared to Jersey cows. Additionally, OTUs belonging to family Prevotellaceae were differentially abundant in the two breeds. Overall, the results from this study suggest that the bacterial community between Holstein and Jersey cows differ and that esophageal tubing with collection of feed particles associated with the strainer provides a representative rumen sample similar to a sample collected via the rumen cannula. Thus, in future studies esophageal tubing with addition of retained particles can be used to collect rumen samples reducing the cost of cannulation and increasing the number of animals used in microbiome investigations, thus increasing the statistical power of rumen microbial com

We have characterized the molecular and genomic diversity of the microbiota of the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, a cnidarian model for comparative developmental and functional biology and a year-round inhabitant of temperate salt marshes. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries revealed four ribotypes associated with N. vectensis at multiple locations and times. These associates include two novel ribotypes within the ε-Proteobacterial order Campylobacterales and the Spirochetes, respectively, each sharing 99% 16S rRNA identity with Endozoicomonas elysicola and Pseudomonas oleovorans, respectively. Species-specific PCR revealed that these populations persisted in N. vectensis asecually propagated under laboratory conditions. cDNA indicated expression of the Campylobacterales and Endozoicomonas 16S rRNA in anemones from Sippewissett Marsh, MA. A collection of bacteria from laboratory raised N. vectensis was dominated by isolates from P. oleovorans and Rhizobium radiobacter. Isolates from field-collected anemones revealed an association with Limnobacter and Stappia isolates. Genomic DNA sequencing was carried out on 10 cultured bacterial isolates representing field- and laboratory-associates, i.e., LImnobacter spp., Stappia spp., P. oleovorans and R. radiobacter. Genomes contained multiple genes identified as virulence (host-assocation) factors while S. stellulata and L. thiooxidans genomes revealed pathways for mixotrophic sulfur oxidation. A pilot metatranscriptome of laboratory-raised N. vectensis was compared to the isolate genomes and indicated expression of ORFs from L. thiooxidans with predicted functions of motility, nutrient scavenging (Fe and P), polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis for carbon storage, and selective permeability (porins). We hypothesize that such activities may mediate acclimation and persistence of bacteria in a N. vectensis holobiont defined by both internal and external gradients of chemicals and nutrients

To understand the relationship betweenmicrobial community and methane, the microbial community of the rumen was examined by esophageally tubing cattle on a common diet and on 10 treatment diets. Microbial community analysis via 16S taq sequencing displayed structuring of microbial communities (Bacteria and Archaea) by diet. This study demonstrates that diet influences microbial community composition within the rumen, and the potential capacity to develop dietary interventionstrategies for methane mitigation and animal performance.

A finishing study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary fat source and presence or absence of monensin on performance, methane (CH4) emissions, and ruminal VFA profile of cattle. No effects on performance or VFA profile were observed. Inclusion of modified distillers grain plus solubles (MDGS) in the diet tended to increase measures of CH4 production when compared to other fat sources (corn oil or tallow), while inclusion of monensin in the finishing diet was not significant for CH4 production.

Enteric methane production from cattle and its effect on climate change has been a topic of debate. Multiple studies have explored methods to reduce cattle enteric methane production while simultaneously improving performance. However, most strategies developed have not been widely implemented by cattle producers. Knowledge of producer concerns and perceptions on methane production from cattle and its effect on the environment may be limited. Therefore, the objectives of this survey were to determine what Nebraska producers know about methane production by cattle and how it affects performance and to determine whether different age groups, regions of Nebraska, and production size and type affects producer opinions on enteric methane production and climate change. The survey had a response rate of 22%. Regarding climate change, approximately 39% of producers disagreed, 33% were neutral, and 28% agreed they were concerned. However, producers in central and eastern Nebraska were closer to neutral than producers in western Nebraska (P < 0.05). Younger producers perceived cattle to have a more positive effect on the environment and reported that they were more likely to adopt new management techniques that have been shown to improve animal performance than older producers (P < 0.05). Most producers reported receiving production-related information from veterinarians (47.6%), followed by the “other” category (34.9%), the University of Nebraska (15.6%), and state and federal governments, which were the lowest (1.4 and 0.6%, respectively). In the last 3 yr, approximately 57% of producers attended one or fewer extension meetings, but 37% had not attended any extension meetings.

The community composition of the fecal microbiota was compared between beef steers which were high-shedders and low-shedders of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Based on Shannon and Chao 1 diversity indices, the high-shedders had a more diverse fecal bacterial community than the low-shedding steers. Members of the genus Prevotella were observed as being more abundant in the low-shedders compared to the high-shedders, while Succinivibrio were more abundant in the high-shedders. Isolation of specific bacteria which are significantly more abundant in low-shedders may pave the way to developing direct-fed microbials which are effective in reducing STEC shedding among high-shedding beef steers.

This ongoing study investigates the impact of diet and bacteriophage activity on the structuring of rumen microbial community composition and diversity. Fistulated cattle were acclimated to a given diet for 21 days before samples were collected and subsequently enriched for viral particles with tangential flow filtration. Taxonomic identification, abundance, and functional attributes were assigned to both bacterial and viral communities. Principle coordinate analysis of the bacterial communities revealed significant clustering based on diet. While diet drives the structuring of rumen bacterial communities, bacteriophages may maintain high, constant bacterial diversity.

This ongoing study compares the gut microbial community composition between shedding steers high in shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) counts and low-shedding steers. Shedders were identified among 170 beef animals over three time periods using selective microbiological culture media. The isolated bacterial cultures were confirmed to be STEC using PCR, 16s rRNA sequencing and a shiga toxin immunoassay. The most abundant strains found in the cattle feces were those belonging to the serogroups O111 (40.3%) and O157:H7 (37.3%), with O103 (8.3%), O26 (6.0%), O83 (4.5%), and O55 (3.0%) being detected in much lower numbers . Out of the 52 animals which were identified as super-shedders of STECs which were selected for microbial community analysis, 61.54% shed STEC in at least two of the three sampling time points. Currently, work is being carried out to evaluate the microbial community composition of the identified STEC high-shedding and low-shedding cattle populations using 454-pyrosequencing.

Utilizing manure from cattle fed distillers grains in anaerobic digesters improved methane production and DM degradation of manure compared to manure from cattle fed no distillers grains. Manure from cattle fed in open lot pens had soil contamination which decreased OM content and led to decreased total methane production (L/day), but not when expressed as methane/g OM. If ash buildup is avoided, open lot manure can be used as anaerobic digester feedstock.

Two treatments (cattle diet) were used in anaerobic digestion of finishing cattle manure. Diet 1 contained 82.5% dry rolled corn (DRC) (CONT) and diet 2 contained 40% wet distillers grains plus solubles (DM basis) replacing DRC (WDGS). Cattle were housed in stanchions for 3 d with complete manure collection in a cement pit. Manure (feces and urine) was sampled and analyzed for minerals, DM and OM. Manure collected was weighed into individual allotments based on DM and frozen. Continuously stirred anaerobic digesters (n = 7, 1 L capacity) were inoculated and maintained for 5 mo before the trial to ensure steady-state. Temperature was maintained at 37°C and pH was maintained between 7.0 and 8.0 via addition of sodium hydroxide. Manure samples collected were thawed and hot water was added to bring total slurry volume to 50 mL. Each day, 50 mL of effluent was removed from each digester and replaced with 50 mL of fresh manure/water slurry (9% DM). Two collection periods were used with 35 d adaptation and 5 d collection, as a switchback. The DM and OM of effluent was measured and DMD and OMD were calculated. Concentration of methane was measured under constant flow of N2 gas. Organic matter in manure averaged 88.3% for CONT and 88.7% for WDGS. Manure DM was 18.3% for CONT and 17.8% for WDGS. CONT and WDGS manure did not differ in total N concentration, 3.95 and 3.79% of DM, respectively (P = 0.54). Sulfur, P2O5, Mg, Zn and Fe were greater in WDGS manure compared with CONT (P < 0.01). Minerals were concentrated approximately 2-fold in effluent compared with manure in both WDGS and CONT. Dry matter degradation was 42.7% for CONT and 44.9% for WDGS (P = 0.05). Organic matter degradation was 51.0% for CONT and 52.9% for WDGS (P = 0.10). Methane production was 0.551 L/d for CONT and 0.634 L/d for WDGS (P = 0.10), equal to 0.116 and 0.137 L/g VS fed (P = 0.05). Feeding distillers grains to cattle does not have large impacts on methane production or degradation of manure in anae