Effect of monensin inclusion in supplements for cattle consuming low quality tropical forage
S. R. McLennan A D , M. J. Callaghan B , A. J. Swain C and J. F. Kidd CA The University of Queensland, Centre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
B Ridley AgriProducts Pty Ltd, 1325 Boundary Road, Wacol, Qld 4076, Australia.
C Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: s.mclennan@uq.edu.au
Animal Production Science 52(7) 624-629 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN11273
Submitted: 7 November 2011 Accepted: 7 February 2012 Published: 5 April 2012
Abstract
A pen feeding study was carried out over 70 days to determine the effects of monensin (M) inclusion in two commercial supplements designed to provide different planes of nutrition to recently weaned steers. Thirty Bos indicus crossbred steers (191.4 ± s.d. 7.1 kg) were individually fed a low quality pangola grass hay (57 g crude protein/kg DM; 497 g/kg DM digestibility) ad libitum (Control) with either a urea/molasses-based supplement of Rumevite Maxi-graze 60 Block (B), fed at 100 g/day, or grain-based Rumevite Weaner Pellets (WP), fed at 7.5 g/kg liveweight (W).day, both with and without M, viz. B, B+M, WP and WP+M, respectively. There were no significant interactions between supplement type and M inclusion for any measurement. Growth rates (main effects) averaged 0.17, 0.35 and 0.58 kg/day for the Control, B and WP supplements, respectively, with all means different (P < 0.05), while the response (P < 0.05) to M across supplement type was 0.11 kg/day. Hay DM intake was similar for the Control and B treatments (18.6 and 19.6 g/kg W.day) but was reduced (P < 0.05) with the WP supplement (16.8 g/kg W.day) while corresponding total DM intakes increased from 18.6 to 20.0 to 23.5 g/kg W.day (all differences P < 0.05), respectively. Monensin inclusion in the supplements did not affect supplement, hay or total DM intake. Inclusion of M in supplements for grazing weaners in northern Australia may increase survival rates although the effect of M with cattle at liveweight maintenance or below requires further investigation.
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