Replacing rice straw with peanut vine and Broussonetia papyrifera silage in beef cattle feed reduced the use of soybean meal

The present study investigated whether replacing dietary rice straw with peanut vine (PEV) and Broussonetia papyrifera silage (BPS) reduces the use of soybean meal and explored its effects on the growth performance, blood biochemical indicators, serum metabolomics, and meat quality of fattening bulls. Forty-five Simmental crossbred bulls (initial body weight = 484.29 ± 8.49 kg) were randomly allotted into three dietary treatment groups (n = 15): (1) CON, 5% rice straw (DM basis); (2) PEV, 5% peanut vine (DM basis); and (3) BPS, 5% B. papyrifera silage (DM basis). The remaining roughage for all three treatment groups was supplemented with 25% corn silage (DM basis). The experiment lasted for 123 d, with the first 14 d serving as an adaptive period. Throughout the experiment, dietary BPS decreased the average daily dry matter intake (P