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A study involving a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was conducted to evaluate effects of hybrid (Pioneer 3335 and 3489), maturity (half milkline and blacklayer), and mechanical processing (field chopper with and without on-board rollers engaged) on intake and digestibility of corn silage. Forty Angus steers (322 [+ or -] 5.2 kg BW) were assigned to the eight silage treatments (five steers per treatment) and individually fed using electronic gates. Diets consisted of 60% corn silage and 40% chopped alfalfa hay (DM basis). Following a 5-d adaptation period, intake was measured for 7 d and subsequently fecal samples were collected for 5 d. Chromic oxide (5 g/d) was fed beginning 7 d before fecal sample collection and digestibility was determined by the ratio of Cr in the feed and feces. Steers were reallocated to treatments and these procedures were repeated, providing 10 observations per treatment. In addition, all silages were ruminally incubated in six mature cows for 0, 8, 16, 24, 48, and 96 h to determine extent and rate of DM, starch, NDF, and ADF disappearance. Processing increased DMI of hybrid 3489 but did not affect DMI of hybrid 3335 (hybrid x processing; P [is less than] 0.06). Total tract digestibility of DM, starch, NDF, and ADF decreased (P [is less than] 0.01) as plant maturity increased. Maturity tended to decrease starch digestibility more for hybrid 3489 than for hybrid 3335 (hybrid x maturity; P [is less than] 0.10). Processing increased (P [is less than] 0.01) starch digestibility but decreased (P [is less than] 0.01) NDF and ADF digestibility, resulting in no processing effect on DM digestibility. There was a numerical trend for processing to increase starch digestibility more for late-than for early-maturity corn silage (maturity x processing; P = 0.11). Processing increased in situ rates of DM and starch disappearance and maturity decreased in situ disappearance rates of starch and fiber. These data indicate that hybrid, maturity, and processing all affect corn silage digestibility. Mechanical processing of corn silage increased starch digestibility, which may have been associated with the observed decreased fiber digestibility. Key Words: Corn Silage, Digestibility, Hybrid, Maturity, Processing

To assess the effects of feeding high-oil corn on carcass characteristics and meat quality, 60 yearling steers were fed high concentrate diets containing either control corn (82% of diet), high-oil corn (82% of diet), or high-oil corn at a concentration that was isocaloric with the control diet (74% of diet). After being fed for 84 d, steers were slaughtered. At 72 h postmortem, carcass data were collected and rib sections from five steers grading U.S. Choice and five steers grading U.S. Select from each treatment were collected, vacuum packaged, and aged for 14 d. Three steaks (2.54 cm thick) were removed from each rib for Warner-Bratzler shear force measurement, sensory appraisal, and fatty acid composition analyses. Data were analyzed with treatment as the main effect for the carcass data and treatment, quality grade, and two-way interaction in the model for the longissimus data. The two-way interaction was nonsignificant (P [is greater than] 0.05) for all variables tested. No differences were detected (P [is greater than] 0.05) in carcass measurements except for marbling scores and quality grades, both of which were greater (P [is less than] 0.05) for carcasses from steers fed the high-oil corn. Overall, 78% of steers fed the high-oil corn graded U.S. Choice compared with 47% for the control and 67% for isocaloric group. Shear force and sensory properties of the longissimus were not different (P [is greater than] 0.05) among treatments. Steaks from U.S. Choice carcasses rated higher (P [is less than] 0.05) for tenderness and tended to rate higher (P [is less than] 0.10) for juiciness. Feeding the isocaloric and high-oil diets increased (P [is less than]0.05) linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and the total PUFA content of lipid extracted from the longissimus. Saturated fatty acid percentage was lowest (P [is less than] 0.05) for high-oil corn and highest (P [is less than] 0.05) for control, with isocaloric being intermediate. Feeding high-oil corn increased (P [is less than] 0.05) pentadecyclic acid, margaric acid, and total odd-chain fatty acid content. Feeding high-oil corn in finishing beef cattle diets enhanced intramuscular lipid deposition and increased unsaturation of fatty acids of the longissimus. Key Words: Beef Cattle, Corn, Carcass Quality, Fatty Acids

In trial 1, 30 midlactation (213 d in milk) Holstein cows were randomly assigned to a control or enzyme treatment in a two-period crossover design and were fed a total mixed ration based on alfalfa hay and silage. Cows on the enzyme treatment received an enzyme solution containing cellulases and xylanases, which was sprayed on the forage component of the ration at a rate of 1.65 ml/kg of forage dry matter (DM) between 8 and 24 h prior to feeding. Cows consuming the forage treated with enzyme produced more milk (27.2 vs. 25.9 kg/d) and digested more DM per day than did cows fed the control forage. In trial 2, 40 early lactation Holstein cows were assigned to one of four treatments for 16 wk. Following a 2-wk covariate period, cows were assigned to 1) no enzyme treatment, 2) a low (1.25 ml/kg of forage DM) enzyme treatment, 3) a medium (2.5 ml/kg of forage DM) enzyme treatment, or 4) a high (5.0 ml/kg of forage DM) enzyme treatment. Enzymes were a 2:1 combination of cellulase and xylanase diluted in water and sprayed on a combination of alfalfa hay and silage and whole cottonseed immediately before mixing with a concentrate based on barley. Dry matter intakes were similar for cows on treatments 2, 3, and 4 and were greater than those for cows on treatment 1. Production of milk, 3.5% fat-corrected milk, and energy-corrected milk was greater for cows on treatment 3 than for cows on treatment 1. Fibrolytic enzymes applied to the forage portion of the rations prior to feeding improved lactational performance of early and midlactation cows.

We conducted two feedlot trials and one metabolism trial to evaluate the effect of barley level, barley bulk density, and physical form of roughage on lamb growth performance and digesta kinetics. Level of whole barley (50, 70, 90%) and type of roughage (chopped or pelleted alfalfa) were evaluated in Trial 1 (50 d period). Trial 2 (50 d) evaluated barley bulk density (heavy = 671 and light = 607 kg/m3), form of roughage (pelleted or chopped alfalfa), and level of barley (80 or 40%). The influence of treatments used in Trial 2 on digesta kinetics was evaluated in Trial 3. Gain:feed increased and DMI decreased (P < .10) linearly with increasing level of barley, and ADG and DMI were greater (P < . 10) for lambs fed pelleted vs chopped alfalfa in Trial 1. The 70% barley diet produced the highest yield grade and kidney-pelvic fat and the lowest leg score among barley levels (P < .10). Lambs fed pelleted alfalfa had heavier carcasses and a thicker body wall than lambs fed chopped alfalfa (P < .02). In Trial 2, DMI was less and gain:feed greater (P < .01) for lambs fed the heavy barley than for lambs fed the light barley and for the 80% barley diet compared to the 40% barley diet. Lambs fed pelleted alfalfa had greater dressing percentages than lambs fed chopped alfalfa. Backfat and body wall thickness were greater (P < .10) for lambs fed the 80% barley diet than for those fed the 40% barley diet. In Trial 3, retention time of barley was greater (P < .10) for lambs fed light rather than heavy barley, and retention time of alfalfa was greater (P < .10) for lambs fed chopped compared with pelleted alfalfa. Acetate:propionate ratio was greater (P < .10) for lambs fed light vs heavy barley and lambs fed the 40 vs 80% barley diets. Ruminal pH was lower (P = .05) and in situ barley digestion greater (P = .03) over time in lambs fed the 80% barley diet than in lambs fed the 40% barley diet. Feedlot lamb ADG was not always greatest with high levels of barley; however, gain:feed improved at the higher barley levels. The higher barley levels seemed to result in fatter lambs.