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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #276538

Title: Effects of 35% corn wet distillers grains plus solubles in steam-flaked and dry-rolled corn based finishing diets on animal performance, carcass characteristics, beef fatty acid composition, and sensory attributes.

Author
item BUTTREY, EMALEE - Texas Agrilife Research
item JENKINS, KARLA - Texas Agrilife Research
item LEWIS, JENNIFER - Texas Agrilife Research
item SMITH, STEVE - Texas A&M University
item MILLER, RHONDA - Texas A&M University
item LAWRENCE, TY - West Texas A & M University
item MCCOLUM, F - Texas Agrilife Extension
item PINEDO, PABLO - Texas Agrilife Research
item Cole, Noel
item MACDONALD, JIM - Texas Agrilife Research

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2012
Publication Date: 4/15/2013
Citation: Buttrey, E.K., Jenkins, K.H., Lewis, J.B., Smith, S.B., Miller, R.K., Lawrence, T.E., McColum, F.T., Pinedo, P.J., Cole, N.A., MacDonald, J.C. 2013. Effects of 35% corn wet distillers grains plus solubles in steam-flaked and dry-rolled corn-based finishing diets on animal performance, carcass characteristics, beef fatty acid composition, and sensory attributes. Journal of Animal Science. 91:1850-1865.

Interpretive Summary: Distiller's grains are a byproduct of the bio-ethanol industry and can be a valuable feed resource for beef cattle and other livestock. Although distiller's grains have been fed in the northern great plains (where finishing diets are typically based on dry-rolled corn[DRC] and contain no supplemental fat) for several years, they are a relatively new commodity in the southern great plains (where steam-flaked corn [SFC]is the typical grain source and diets contain 2 to 4% supplemental fat). Thus, little is known about the effects of feeding distiller's grains in beef cattle finishing diets based on steam flaked corn. The fatty acid profiles in fat can affect the taste and acceptability of beef; however, the effects of feeding distillers grains on fatty acid profiles and meat taste have not been studies. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine the effects of feeding distiller's grain (35% of diet dry matter) on animal performance and eating quality of beef when diets were based on dry rolled or steam flaked corn. Fifty-four steers (308 ± 9 kg initial body weight) were individually fed for 174 days and were harvested on a single date when average estimated backfat thickness reached 1.30 cm. Final average daily gain (1.43 +/- 0.06 kg) was not affected by dietary treatment. However, steers fed SFC diets consumed less feed and were 10.6% more efficient than those fed DRC diets. Including WDGS in finishing diets improved feed efficiency of steers consuming both SFC and DRC diets. Dietary treatment did not affect carcass traits but including WDGS in finishing diets affected the concentrations of fatty acids in loin steaks and tended to increase total fat concentration of steaks compared with feeding diets without distiller's grains. Inclusion of distiller's grains tended to result in a more sour taste but did not affect other sensory traits. Feeding DRC diets resulted in less bitter taste and a strong tendency for increased steak juiciness compared to steaks from steers fed SFC diets. In finishing diets containing supplemental fat, very few interactions between corn processing method and distiller's grains were observed for the variables measured. Inclusion of distiller's grains impacted animal performance, carcass, and beef attributes; however, corn processing method also influenced many of the same variables.

Technical Abstract: Fifty-four individually-fed steers (308 +/- 9 kg initial BW) were used in an unbalanced, randomized complete block design with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement to determine the effects of corn processing method and wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) inclusion in finishing diets containing supplemental fat on animal performance, carcass characteristics, beef quality and sensory attributes. Dietary treatments included steam-flaked corn and dry-rolled corn based finishing diets containing 0 or 35% WDGS (0SFC and 35SFC, 0DRC and 35DRC, respectively). Steers were on feed 174 days and were harvested on a single date when average ultrasound estimated fat thickness reached 1.30 cm. Final body weight (556 +/- 14 kg) and average daily gain (ADG: 1.43 +/- 0.06 kg) were not affected (P = 0.25) by dietary treatment. Steers fed SFC diets consumed less feed and were 10.6% more efficient (P < 0.01) than those fed DRC diets. Including WDGS in finishing diets improved feed efficiency of steers consuming both SFC and DRC diets (P = 0.04). Dietary treatment did not affect the carcass weight, dressing percent, fat thickness, or yield grade (P = 0.27). Including WDGS in finishing diets decreased the concentration of 16:1, 18:1 cis-9, and 18:1 cis-11 fatty acids and increased the concentration of 18:1 trans-11 fatty acid in loin steaks (P = 0.01), and tended (P = 0.10) to increase total fat concentration of steaks compared with feeding diets without WDGS. A tendency (P = 0.08) for a corn processing method by WDGS interaction was detected for amount of connective tissue, but not for other consumer taste panel traits (P = 0.11). Inclusion of WDGS tended (P = 0.08) to result in a more sour taste but did not affect other sensory traits (P = 0.12). Feeding DRC diets resulted in less bitter taste (P = 0.04) and a strong tendency (P = 0.06) for increased steak juiciness compared to steaks from steers fed SFC diets. Objective measurements of color and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were also affected by dietary treatment (P = 0.05). In finishing diets containing supplemental fat, very few interactions between corn processing and WDGS were observed for the variables measured. Inclusion of WDGS impacted performance, carcass, and beef attributes, however corn processing methods also influenced many of the same response variables.