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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #69123
Title: INTAKE AND DIGESTION BY STEERS CONSUMING DIFFERENT PARTICLE SIZE FRACTIONS OF BROILER LITTER

Author
item Goetsch, Arthur
item ROSSI, J - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item PATIL, A - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item WANG, Z - UNIV OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/26/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Eight Holstein steers (153 +/- 13.6 kg body weight (BW) were used in two simultaneous 4 x 4 Latin squares with 21-day periods to determine effects of separating deep-stacked broiler litter into small and large particle size fractions on feed intake and digestibility. Diets contained different levels of two sources of deep-stacked broiler litter (source A: 26% crude protein (CP) and 32% neutral detergent fiber (NDF); source b: 25% CP and 46% NDF). All steers were fed ground corn at .5% BW (dry matter (DM)). Hay was consumed ad libitum by Control steers (without broiler litter) or at .5% BW (DM) with dietary broiler litter. Broiler litter was consumed ad libitum without separation (whole; W) or after separation (1-mm screen) into small (S; 28 and 35% CP for A and B, respectively) and large (L; 24 and 20% CP for A and B, respectively) fractions. Total organic matter (OM) intake was increased (P=.07) by dietary inclusion of broiler litter (4.55, 4.56, 4.63, 4.73, 4.24, 5.18, 4.77, and 4.59 kg/d for Control-A, W-A, S-A, L-A, Control-B, W-B, S-B, and L-B, respectively; SE .211). Apparent total tract OM digestibility was greater (P=.08) for source A than for B (57.4, 57.8, 54.9, 57.6, 56.5, 48.4, 47.2, and 54.8%; SE 3.90), and digestible OM intake tended (P=.11) to be greater for source A (2.56, 2.64, 2.54, 2.72, 2.36, 2.51, 2.18, and 2.58 kg/d for Control-A, W-A, S-A, L-A, Control-B, W-B, S-B, and L-B, respectively; SE .174). In conclusion, separating deep-stacked broiler litter into two particle size fractions did not alter feeding value as assessed with digestible OM intake by growing steers.