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Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effect of type and feeding frequency of high-fibre feeds on intake, total tract digestibility and ruminal fermentation in beef steers fed a high-concentrate diet

A. López A B , H. O. Coria B , M. A. Nazareno B C , E. M. García B C , R. A. Distel D and J. I. Arroquy A B C E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A INTA-Estación Experimental Agropecuaria de Santiago del Estero, 850 Jujuy, Santiago del Estero 4200, Argentina.

B Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias, Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, 1912 Av. Belgrano Sur, Santiago del Estero 4200, Argentina.

C Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia Santiago del Estero (CITSE)-CONICET, RN 9 Km 1125, Villa El Zanjón, Santiago del Estero 4206, Argentina.

D Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida (CERZOS) and Departamento de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET, Camino de la Carrindanga Km 7, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina.

E Corresponding author. Email: Arroquy.jose@inta.gob.ar

Animal Production Science 59(12) 2245-2251 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18014
Submitted: 7 January 2018  Accepted: 19 February 2019   Published: 11 October 2019

Abstract

The inclusion of fibre in a total mixed ration (TMR) often has operational and economic constraints. The objective of the present study was to compare intake and ruminal fermentation of steers fed either a TMR or a diet with the fibre fraction fed separately from the concentrate fraction. Six ruminally fistulated steers were used in a six-treatments, four-period cross-over experiment. Treatment structure was a 3 × 2 factorial. The first factor was fibre delivery either as a part of a TMR or offered separately from the concentrate fraction once every 3 or 6 days. The second factor was represented by two fibre sources, namely, alfalfa hay or cotton by-products. Fibre delivery and source did not significantly affect total, concentrate, fibre and digestible dry-matter intake, compared with TMR. A similar response was observed for ruminal pH, ammonia concentration and total volatile fatty acid concentration. Intake of crude protein and fibre, as well as the concentration of total volatile fatty acids, were higher for alfalfa hay than for cotton by-products. In conclusion, feeding the fibre portion separately from the concentrate fraction once every 3 or 6 days did not negatively affect intake and rumen function compared with when a TMR was fed, regardless of fibre source.

Additional keywords: choice feeding, cotton by-product, feedlot, fibre delivery, rumen function.


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