Effects of Using Wet Distillers Grains with Solubles to Adapt Cattle to Finishing Diets on Feed Intake, Ruminal pH, and Ruminal Hydrogen Sulfide Concentration

Authors

Kelsey Rolfe, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Galen E. Erickson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Terry J. Klopfenstein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Judson Vasconcelos, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2010

Comments

Published in 2009 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report (Lincoln, NE: December, 2008). Copyright © 2008 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Abstract

An adaptation strategy with wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) fed at decreasing levels (87.5 to 35%) was compared to a traditional grain adaptation with decreasing forage (45 to 7.5%) when adapting steers to a common finishing diet. Traditionally adapted steers had higher intake in steps one through three compared to steers adapted with distillers grains. However, DMI was not different between the two adaptation systems in step four, or when steers were on the finishing diet. Ruminal pH was higher for traditionally adapted steers compared to steers adapted to distillers grains in adaptation diets two and three. Ruminal hydrogen sulfide concentration did not appear to be a problem.