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This study evaluated the effect of feeding ergot contaminated grain continuously or intermittently through backgrounding (BG) and finishing (FN) in a mash or pelleted supplement on the growth performance, health and welfare parameters, and carcass characteristics of feedlot beef steers. Sixty black Angus steers (300 ± 29.4 kg BW) were used in a complete randomized 238-d study. Steers were stratified by weight and randomly assigned to four different diets (15 steers/treatment) and individually housed. Treatments included: (1) control [CON; no added ergot alkaloids (EA)], (2) continuous ergot mash (CEM; fed continuously at 2 mg total EA/kg of DM), (3) intermittent ergot mash (IEM; fed at 2 mg total EA/kg of DM, during the first week of each 21-d period and CON for the remaining 2 wk, this feeding pattern was repeated in each period), and (4) intermittent ergot pellet (IEP; fed at 2 mg of total EA/kg of DM as a pellet during the first week of each 21-d period and CON for the remaining 2 wk as described for IEM). Steers were fed barley based BG diets containing 40% concentrate:60% silage (DM basis) for 84 d (four 21-d periods), transitioned over 28 d (no ergot fed) to an FN diet (90% concentrate:10% silage DM basis) and fed for 126 d (six 21-d periods) before slaughter. In the BG phase, steer DMI (P < 0.01, 7.45 vs. 8.05 kg/d) and ADG (P < 0.01) were reduced for all EA diets compared to CON. The CEM fed steers had lower ADG (P < 0.01, 0.735 vs. 0.980 kg) and shrunk final BW (P < 0.01, 350 vs. 366 kg) than CON. CEM had lower gain:feed (P < 0.07, 0.130 vs. 0.142) than CON. In the FN phase, steer DMI (P < 0.01, 9.95 vs. 11.05 kg/d) and ADG (P = 0.04) were also decreased for all EA fed steers compared to CON. Total shrunk BW gain (P = 0.03, 202.5 vs. 225.2 kg), final BW (P = 0.03, 617.9 vs. 662.2 kg), and carcass weight (P = 0.06) decreased for all EA fed steers compared to CON. The percentage of AAA carcasses decreased for all EA fed steers (P < 0.01, 46.7 vs. 93.3%) compared to CON. EA fed steers had increased rectal temperatures (P < 0.01, 39.8 vs. 39.4 °C) compared to CON. Pelleting ergot contaminated grain did not reduce the impact of ergot alkaloids on any of the measured parameters during BG or FN. Continuously or intermittently feeding ergot contaminated diets (2 mg total EA/kg of DM) significantly reduced intake, growth performance, and carcass weight, with minimal impact on blood parameters in feedlot steers. Pelleting was not an effective method of reducing ergot toxicity., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

As the contamination of cereal grains with ergot has been increasing in Western Canada, studies were undertaken to evaluate the impacts of heating (60, 80, 120, or 190 °C) alone or in combination with pelleting on concentrations of ergot alkaloids. Fifteen samples of ergot-contaminated grain from Alberta and Saskatchewan were assayed for R and S epimers of six alkaloids (ergocryptine, ergocristine, ergocornine, ergometrine, ergosine, and ergotamine) using HPLC MS/MS. Five samples with distinct alkaloid profiles were then selected for heating and pelleting studies. Heating resulted in a linear increase (p < 0.05) of total R and total S epimers with increasing temperature, although some individual R epimers were stable (ergometrine, ergosine, ergotamine). Pelleting also increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of total R and total S epimers detected, although ergometrine concentration decreased (p < 0.05) after pelleting. A feeding study arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial structure used 48 backgrounding Angus-cross steers fed four different diets: (1) Control Mash (CM, no added ergot), (2) Control Pellet (CP), (3) Ergot Mash (EM), or (4) Ergot Pellet (EP). Pelleting heated the ergot to 90−100 °C under 4 bars pressure, but the ergot used in the feeding study was not otherwise heated. Alkaloid concentrations of EM and EP varied by up to 1.1 mg/kg depending on the feed matrix assayed. No differences among treatments were noted for growth performance, feed intake, feed conversion, concentrations of serum prolactin and haptoglobin, hair cortisol, or in temperatures of extremities measured by infrared thermography. The only negative impacts of ergot alkaloids were on blood parameters indicative of reduced immune function or chronic inflammation. Pelleting did not heighten the negative clinical outcomes of ergot, although alkaloid concentrations of pelleted feed increased depending on the matrix assayed. It was hypothesized that the heat and pressure associated with pelleting may enhance the recovery of alkaloids from pelleted feed.

This study evaluated the effect of feeding pelleted or mash ergot contaminated grain fed continuously or intermittently on the growth performance, blood serum variables, and carcass quality of finishing beef steers. Sixty black angus steers (442 ± 36.7 kg) were used in a complete randomized finishing (90% concentrate:10% barley silage DM basis) 126-d study. Steers were randomly assigned to 4 different treatments and individually housed. Treatments included: 1) control ration [CON; no added ergot alkaloids (EA)], 2) continuous ergot mash (CEM; fed continuously at 2 ppm total EA), 3) intermittent ergot mash (IEM; fed at 2 ppm EA during the first week of each 21-d period and control diet for the remaining 2 weeks), and 4) intermittent ergot pellet (IEP; fed at 2 ppm EA incorporated into a pelleted supplement during the first week of each 21-d period and control diet for the other 2 weeks). Steers were weighed every 21 d and blood samples were collected on day 0, 42, 84, and 126. Steer DMI (P < 0.01, 9.95 vs. 11.05 kg/day) and ADG (P = 0.04) decreased for all EA treatments compared with the CON. Total shrunk BW gain (P = 0.03, 202.5 vs. 225.2 kg), final BW (P = 0.03, 617.9 vs. 662.2 kg), and carcass weight (P = 0.06) decreased for all EA steers compared with the CON steers. No treatment effects (P > 0.05) were observed for carcass dressing percentage, ribeye area, marbling score, or liver abscess. The percent of carcasses graded AAA decreased for all EA steers compared CON steers (P < 0.01, 46.7 vs. 93.3%). Steers fed EA had increased rectal temperature compared with CON steers (P < 0.01, 39.8 vs. 39.4 °C). Hair cortisol concentrations were less in steers fed IEP (P = 0.05, 1.23 vs. 1.76 pg/mg) than CON. No treatment effects (P > 0.05) were observed for complete blood count, and serum prolactin, haptoglobin, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, amylase, calcium, creatine, glucose, lipase, total bilirubin, total protein, or globulin. Blood urea nitrogen was less for EA steers compared with CON (P = 0.01, 3.48 vs. 4.10 mmol/L). The IEM steers had decreased concentrations of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase compared with IEP steers (P = 0.04, 23.4 vs. 28.5 IU). Pelleting ergot contaminated grain did not reduce the impact of ergot alkaloids on any of the measured parameters. Results suggest that continuously or intermittently feeding an ergot contaminated diet (2 ppm EA) can significantly reduce intake, growth performance, and carcass weight, with minimal impact on blood serum variables in finishing steers. Pelleting was not an effective method of reducing ergot toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding pelleted or mash ergot contaminated grain continuously or intermittently on performance and blood parameters of backgrounding steers. Sixty black angus steers (300 ± 29.4 kg) were used in a complete randomized backgrounding (60% barley silage:40% concentrate DM basis) 84 d study. Steers were randomly assigned to 4 different treatments and housed individually. Treatments included: 1) control ration (CON; no added ergot), 2) continuous ergot mash (CEM; fed continuously at 2 ppm), 3) intermittent ergot mash (IEM; fed at 2 ppm on the first wk of each 21 d period and control diet for the remaining 2 wk), and 4) intermittent ergot pellet (IEP; fed at 2 ppm during the first wk of each 21 d period and control diet for the other 2 wk). Calves were weighed every 21 days and blood samples were collected on d 0, 42, and 84. No treatment effects (P>0.05) were observed for complete blood count. Steer DMI was reduced for all ergot diets compared to the CON diet (P< 0.01, 7.45 vs. 8.05 kg/d). Steer ADG was reduced for all ergot diets compared to the CON diet (P< 0.01). CEM fed steers had lower ADG (P< 0.01, 0.980 vs. 0.735 kg) and shrunk final weight (P< 0.01, 366 vs. 350 kg) than CON calves, but CEM and IEM were no different. CEM fed steers had lower Gain:Feed (P< 0.07, 0.130 vs. 0.142) than CON calves. Pelleting ergot contaminated grain did not reduce the impact of ergot alkaloids on any of the measured parameters. Results suggest that continuously or intermittently feeding an ergot contaminated TMR (2 ppm) can significantly reduce the growth performance of backgrounded feedlot steers but no effects were observed for blood parameters. Pelleting was not an effective method of reducing ergot toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]