ARS | Publication request: Diet Effect on the Type and Spatial Distribution of Odorous Emissions from Beef Cattle

Submitted to: American Chemistry Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 12, 2009
Publication Date: August 20, 2009
Citation: Woodbury, B.L., Eigenberg, R.A., Varel, V.H., Spiehs, M.J. 2009. Diet Effect on the Type and Spatial Distribution of Odorous Emissions from Beef Cattle. [abstract] In: Proceedings of 238th American Chemistry Society National Meeting, Aug. 16-20, 2009, Washington, DC. Abstract 65, p. 101.

Technical Abstract: This study evaluated odorous emissions from beef cattle waste resulting from being fed either a corn-based or a wet distiller’s grain with solubles (WDGS) diet. Analyses included using remote-sensing technologies to determine pen surface spatial distributions. Finishing steers, 45 head per pen, total of 8 pens, were fed either a diet of 0 or 40% WDGS; four pens per treatment. Odor potential was determined by mixing 350 g surface sample with 700 ml distilled water from 20 sites per pen and incubating at room temperature for three days. Slurry samples were analyzed for volatile fatty acid (VFA) compounds following incubations. Remote sensing techniques were combined with multi-linear regression of VFA characteristics at day three to determine pen surface spatial distributions of these compounds. Preliminary analysis indicated greater potential branched-chain VFA production with WDGS than corn-based diets. Additional analysis will investigate the types of branched chain VFA production based on diet.