Effect of varying the proportion of molasses in the diet on intake, digestion and microbial protein production by steers
D. V. Tuyen A B , X. M. Tolosa A D , D. P. Poppi A E and S. R. McLennan C F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
B Current address: Department of Animal Feed and Nutrition, National Institute of Animal Science, Thuyphuong-Tuliem, Hanoi, Vietnam.
C Centre for Animal Science, The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
D Current address: Northern Provincial Hospital, Private Mail Bag 9006, Luganville, Vanuatu.
E Schools of Agriculture and Food Sciences and Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: s.mclennan@uq.edu.au
Animal Production Science 55(1) 17-26 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13225
Submitted: 31 May 2013 Accepted: 19 November 2013 Published: 6 January 2014
Abstract
The present experiment was conducted to determine the efficiency of microbial protein production in the rumen and intake by cattle fed high-molasses diets. Intake and microbial crude protein (MCP) production were measured along with the concentration of rumen ammonia-nitrogen (N) and volatile fatty acids (VFA), pH and the rate of digestion of roughage in the rumen. Eight Brahman crossbred steers weighing 211 ± 19.3 (± s.d.) kg were used in a double 4 × 4 Latin square design. Steers were allocated to one of four total mixed rations: control (pangola hay only), 25M (25% molasses/urea mix + 75% hay), 50M (50% molasses/urea + 50% hay), and 75M (75% molasses/urea + 25% hay). The production and efficiency of production of MCP (EMCP) of the diet increased quadratically as the level of molasses in the diet increased. The EMCP from the molasses/urea mix was estimated as 166 g MCP/kg digestible organic matter (DOM), a relatively high value. Intake of dry matter (DM) and DOM increased quadratically, reaching a peak when molasses was ~50% (as fed) of the ration. Digestibility of DM increased quadratically and that of neutral detergent fibre decreased linearly with increasing level of molasses in the diet. Molasses inclusion in the diet had no effect on rumen pH, ammonia and VFA concentration in the rumen fluid, plasma urea-N, urine pH or ruminal fractional outflow rate of ytterbium-labelled particles and Cr-EDTA. It was concluded that a diet with a high level of molasses (>50%) and supplemented with adequate N had high EMCP, and that low MCP production was not a factor limiting intake or performance of cattle consuming high-molasses diets.
Additional keywords: efficiency, microbial protein production.
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