ARS | Publication request: Effects of adding MIN-AD to steam-flaked corn-based diets with or without wet corn distiller's grain plus solubles on performance by beef cattle during receiving and finishing phases

Submitted to: Professional Animal Scientist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: August 20, 2009
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Citation: May, M.L., Quinn, M.J., Dilorenzo, N., Smith, D.R., Hales, K.E., Simms, D.D., Galyean, M.L. 2009. Effects of adding MIN-AD to steam-flaked corn-based diets with or without wet corn distiller's grain plus solubles on performance by beef cattle during receiving and finishing phases. The Professional Animal Scientist. (25):559-568.

Interpretive Summary: MIN-AD (MIN-AD Inc., Amarillo, TX) is a commercial source of calcium-magnesium carbonate, and is frequently included in diets of finishing beef steers as a buffer against low pH in the digestive tract. Feeding wet corn distillers grain (WCDG) has been associated with an increased acid load in the rumen and digestive tract. Little research has been done to evaluate the effects of WCDG and MIN-AD on cattle performance and carcass measurements throughout the growing and finishing phases. Therefore, an experiment was conducted that included a receiving phase and a subsequent finishing phase. Treatments included MIN-AD (0 or 0.75% of the diet) and WCDG (0 or 15% of the diet). Neither MIN-AD nor WCDG affected daily gain, dry matter intake, gain efficiency, or body weight during the receiving period. Compared with control steers, cattle fed WCDG in the finishing phase had greater daily gain, dry matter intake, final body weight, and hot carcass weight. Feeding WCDG had no effect on dressing percentage, longissimus area, 12th-rib fat, yield grade, marbling score, quality grade, or incidence of liver abscesses. Our overall findings indicate that supplementing finishing cattle diets with MIN-AD had little effect on cattle performance, however longissimus muscle area was increased.

Technical Abstract: Effects of wet corn distillers grain (WCDG) and MIN-AD (MIN-AD Inc., Amarillo, TX), a commercial source of calcium-magnesium carbonate, on cattle performance and carcass measurements were evaluated in a 42-d receiving phase (220 steers; initial BW = 279.3 kg) and a subsequent finishing phase (192 steers). Both phases were arranged as a 2 x 2 factorial using steam-flaked corn-based diets. Factors were MIN-AD (0 or 0.75% of dietary DM) and WCDG (0 or 15% of dietary DM). Few MIN-AD x WCDG interactions were detected in either phase. Neither MIN-AD nor WCDG affected ADG, DMI, G:F, or 42-d BW (P > 0.129) during the receiving period. Compared with control steers, cattle fed WCDG in the finishing phase had greater (P < 0.01) ADG, DMI, final BW, and hot carcass weight (HCW). Fecal pH of cattle fed 15% WCDG was less than that of control steers (P < 0.05). Feeding WCDG had no effect (P > 0.19) on dressing percentage, LM area, 12th-rib fat, KPH, YG, marbling score, QG, or incidence of liver abscesses. Supplementing diets with MIN-AD increased LM area (P = 0.031), but ADG, DMI, G:F, final BW, HCW, dressing percentage, 12th-rib fat, KPH percentage, YG, marbling score, QG, and incidence of liver abscesses were no affected (P > 0.063) by MIN-AD. Results suggest that feeding 15% WCDG in a steam-flaked corn-based diet did not affect cattle performance during the receiving period, but it increased DMI, ADG, final BW, and HCW during the finishing period. Supplementing MIN-AD in combination with SCDG did not affect performance.