ABSTRACT
Objective
Our objective was to determine the effects of dietary quality and protein supplementation
of a low-quality warm-season hay on energy metabolism and methane emissions of beef
steers.
Materials and Methods
Eight cross-bred steers were used in a respiration calorimetry study with a replicated
4 × 4 Latin square design. Experimental diets were (1) a low-quality forage-based
diet (7.4% CP, 66.6% NDF); (2) a low-quality forage with supplemental cottonseed meal
(10.0% CP, 66.3% NDF); (3) a medium-quality forage-based diet (10.5% CP, 65.0% NDF);
and 4) a high-quality forage-based diet (13.0% CP, 58.4% NDF). Diets were based on
bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) hay cut at 2 stages of maturity.
Results and Discussion
Organic matter, fiber, energy, and protein digestibility and energy retention increased
(P < 0.05) as the quality of the forage-based diets increased. Total methane production
was not affected by diet, but methane production per unit of digested OM or energy
retention decreased (P < 0.05) with increased diet quality. Protein supplementation of the low-quality grass
hay increased (P < 0.05) DM, fiber, energy, and protein digestion but did not affect methane production.
Methane production per unit of energy and protein retention decreased (P < 0.05) with protein supplementation. Enteric nitrous oxide emissions were minor
and not affected by diet. An automated head chamber system gave average emission results
similar to respiration chambers.
Implications and Applications
Results demonstrate that protein supplementation of low-quality forage or increasing
the quality of forage-based diets will potentially decrease the carbon-footprint of
beef production.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
July 18,
2020
Received:
April 27,
2020
Footnotes
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
