Evaluation of different byproduct combinations along with treated corn stover on growing steer performance

Abstract Text:

Changes in ethanol production, including secondary fermentation of fiber, may result in the use of other fibrous materials such as CaO-treated corn residue (TCR), to carry distillers solubles (DS) and protein in distillers grains (HPD). These processing and pelleting methods may allow other ingredients to be added. Both crude glycerin (CG) and DS have been shown to improve performance of growing cattle. The objectives of this research were to evaluate distillers grains products with different concentrations of DS and CG on the performance of growing steers. An 81-day growing study utilized 300 yearling crossbred steers (initial BW = 311, SD = 15 kg) in a randomized block design. Within a block, cattle were stratified by BW, assigned randomly to pen with 15 head per pen and five replications per treatment. All steers were fed 46% brome hay diet with 4% supplement. Treatments consisted of a control diet (CON) containing 50% modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS); product A (PRODA) consisting of 12.5% TCR, 18.75% DS, and 18.75% HPD; product B (SOL) consisting of 12.5% TCR, 30% DS, and 7.5% HPD; or product C (GLY) consisting of 12.5% TCR, 25% DS, 5% CG, and 7.5% HPD.  Performance data (BW, DMI, ADG, G:F) were analyzed with the MIXED procedure of SAS with pen as the experimental unit and block treated as fixed effect. Steers consuming distillers grains products had greater DMI, but lower ADG compared to steers fed MDGS, which was reflected in reduced G:F, and ending body weight compared to CON. Utilizing up to 30% DS, 5% CG, and 12.50% TCR as a replacement for MDGS in a brome hay diet reduced steer performance.

	Treatment					P-value
	CON	PRODA	SOL	GLY	SEM
DMI, kg/day	10.7a	10.8a	11.4b	11.1a,b	0.14	0.01
ADG, kg/day	1.61a	1.40b	1.37b	1.40b	0.03	<0.001
Gain:Feed	0.152a	0.130b	0.121c	0.126bc	0.003	<0.01

Keywords: Growing cattle, Distillers grains, Treated stover