Alkaline Treated Wheat Straw Or Corn Stover Fed to Growing Calves

Alkaline Treated Wheat Straw or Corn Stover Fed to Growing Calves

Adam L. Shreck Procedure of processes were used to treat corn Brandon L. Nuttelman stover and wheat straw, this could Cody J. Schnieder This experiment utilized 460 potentially influence the response Dirk B. Burken steers (initial BW: 729 ± 44 lb). to treatment and results. Steers were Casey N. Macken Steers were received during the limit-fed a mix of 47.5% alfalfa hay, William A. Griffin fall of 2011 and grazed corn stalks 47.5% wet corn gluten feed, and 5.0% Galen E. Erickson from late November until start supplement at 2% of BW for five days Terry J. Klopfenstein1 of the experiment (Feb. 23, 2012). prior to trial initiation and five days Corn stover was treated using CaO following to equalize gut fill. Steers (standard quicklime; Mississippi were weighed two consecutive days Summary Lime Company, Kansas City, Mo) following five days of limit-feeding and carried out using a patented at initiation and at the end of the Four hundred sixty steer calves were fed process with successive tub grinders trial. This trial was designed as 2 x CaO treated (5% of DM) or untreated (Performance Plus Liquids, Inc., 2 factorial with factors consisting wheat straw and corn stover with wet Palmer, Neb). Wheat straw was treated of alkaline treatment (CaO+ H2O distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) with CaO every two weeks similar vs. none) and residue (corn stover during a 69-day growing study. An to as described in previous reports vs. wheat straw). There were three interaction between crop residue and (2012 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report, pp. initial weight blocks, six replications alkaline treatment was observed for 106-107; pp. 108-109). In both corn per treatment, and 19 steers per pen. ending BW and ADG. The relative stover and wheat straw treatments, Diets (Table 1) were offered ad libitum response in ADG and ending BW due to the mixture was calculated to be to steers once daily. Treated diets alkaline treatment was greater for wheat 50% DM with calcium oxide added contained sufficient Ca (3.35% from straw compared to corn stover. Steers fed at 5% of the total DM. Treated corn CaO treatment) and supplement was wheat straw diets had greater DMI and stover and treated wheat straw DM included at 1.0%. Untreated diets improved F:G compared to corn stover averaged 57.6 and 49.6%, respectively. had supplement inclusion of 3.0% diets. Alkaline treatment increased DMI Treated corn stover and wheat straw and limestone was added (1.58% and improved F:G, although the F:G were stored anaerobically in silage of diet DM) to maintain a Ca:P of response was small. Growing calves on bags throughout the trial. The 1.2:1. Monensin was included in untreated residue diets may be more authors recognize that methodology both supplements and formulated to economical. to apply alkaline treatment is a supply 200 mg/steer daily. Monthly critical factor to be considered. composite samples were assayed for Introduction Correspondingly, since two types (Continued on next page)

Utilizing crop residues for Table 1. Dry matter and nutrient composition of diets fed to growing steers. growing calves has the potential to be economical when fed with distillers Corn Stover Wheat Straw grains. Previous research with wheat Ingredient, % of DM Treated Untreated Treated Untreated straw (2009 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report, pp. 35-36) and corn stover Treated stover/straw Untreated stover/straw 69.0 — 69.0 — (2009 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report, WDGS — 67.0 — 67.0 pp. 30-32) found increased ADG and Supplement 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 improved F:G when inclusion levels Fine ground corn 0.8228 1.2388 0.8228 1.2388 of WDGS increased in growing calf Limestone — 1.5840 — 1.5840 Tallow 0.1000 0.1000 0.1000 0.1000 diets . Another option to increase Trace mineral 0.0500 0.0500 0.0500 0.0500 ADG and improve F:G may be grow- Vitamin A-D-E 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 ing cattle on alkaline treated residue. Rumensin1 0.0122 0.0122 0.0122 0.0122 The objective of this trial was to Crop Residue evaluate treated wheat straw or corn DM, % 57.6 86.8 49.6 86.7 2 stover in growing calf diets. IVDMD, % 39.6 38.6 43.1 36.1 1Formulated to provide 200 mg per steer/daily. 2in vitro DM disappearance of crop residue, 48 hour incubation time.

© The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. All rights reserved. 2014 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report — Page 67 Table 2. Effect of crop residue and alkaline treatment on growing steer performance.

Corn stover Wheat straw

Item Treated Untreated Treated Untreated SEM CaO1 Residue2 CaO x Residue Initial BW, lb 729 729 728 727 0.64 0.59 0.43 0.19 Ending BW, lb 844b 834c 868a 841b 2.60 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 DMI, lb/day 16.7 15.7 18.7 16.4 0.43 <0.01 <0.01 0.15 ADG, lb 1.67b 1.52c 2.02a 1.63bc 0.04 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 F:G 10.00 10.32 9.25 10.06 — 0.06 0.07 0.18 $/head3 -15.01 0.00 -6.80 0.00 — — — — 1Main effect of CaO + water or none. 2Main effect of residue type (corn stover or wheat straw). 3Average profit/head relative to untreated crop residue. abcWithin a row, means lacking common superscripts differ, when interaction P < 0.05. in vitro DM disappearance (IVDMD). Results wheat straw diets resulted in lower net Inoculum for IVDMD was obtained return ($/head) compared untreated by collecting a mixture of rumen An interaction (P < 0.01) between residue diets. This estimated lost in fluid (strained through four layers crop residue and alkaline treatment profitability is related to the increase of cheesecloth) from two steers (Table 2) was observed for ending BW in diet cost from alkaline treatment, consuming a 30% concentrate-70% and ADG; therefore, simple effects increased DMI of steers fed alkaline roughage diet. Inoculum was mixed are presented. The magnitude of re- treated diets compared to untreated, with McDougall’s buffer at a 1:1 sponse on ADG and ending BW due and the small improvement in BW ratio along with 1 gram of urea/L to alkaline treatment was greater in gain of steers fed alkaline treated of rumen fluid. A 0.5 gram sample wheat straw diets compared to corn diets compared to untreated. The was added to a 200 mL test tube and stover diets. Steers fed treated corn results of this study indicate that 50 mL of inoculum was added. Test stover had increases of 1.9% for ADG response to CaO treatment on grow- tubes were placed in a water bath at and 3.2% for ending BW compared ing calf performance is dependent on 39°C for 48 hours. Fermentation was to untreated corn stover. However, crop residue source. Calcium oxide ended by adding 6 mL of 20% HCl steers fed treated wheat straw diets treated crop residues fed with distill- per test tube. Residue was filtered, had increases of 23.9% for ADG and ers grains did improve growing calf dried at 100°C, and weighed to 9.8% for ending BW compared to ADG and F:G. However, the response determine IVDMD. A partial budget untreated wheat straw. The observed to alkaline treatment in growing calf analysis was constructed to estimate ADG and ending BW differences diets is much lower than observed in profitability of steers fed diets in of steers fed treated and untreated finishing cattle work when used as this study. Assumptions included: crop residues are also supported by a corn replacement. Given the small untreated ground wheat straw or corn IVDMD of treated and untreated corn improvement in performance identi- stover cost at $100/DM ton, alkaline stover (39.6% vs. 38.6%) and wheat fied in this study, growing calves with treatment cost of $50/DM ton, straw (43.1 vs. 36.1%). No interaction untreated crop residues maybe just as WDGS priced 95% of corn ($6.50/ was observed for F:G (P = 0.18) or economical. bu), initial purchase price of $1.50/lb DMI (P = 0.15) between crop residue and $0.042 slide. Data were analyzed and alkaline treatment. Steers fed using the MIXED procedure of SAS treated wheat straw diets had greater 1Adam L. Shreck, graduate student; (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, N.C.) with DMI (P < 0.01) and tended (P = 0.07) Brandon L. Nuttelman, former research technician; Cody J. Schneider, former research block as a fixed effect. Main effects to have improved F:G compared to technician, Dirk B. Burken, research technician, of chemical treatment and residue, as corn stover diets. Alkaline treatment University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) well the interaction were tested. If an tended (P = 0.06) to improve F:G and Department of Animal Science, Lincoln, interaction was significant P( ≤ 0.05), increased DMI (P < 0.01) compared Neb.; Casey N. Macken, William A. Griffin, Performance Plus Liquids, Inc., Palmer, Neb; simple effect means were separated to untreated. Given the economic Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, with a t-test using the pDiff option. assumptions applied to this study, professors, UNL Department of Animal Science, feeding steers treated corn stover and Lincoln, Neb.