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Feeding value of whole raw soya beans as a protein supplement for beef cattle consuming low‐quality forages
Author(s) -
Arelovich H. M.,
Lagrange S.,
Torre R.,
Martinez M. F.,
Laborde H. E.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/jpn.12761
Subject(s) - meal , zoology , rumen , straw , beef cattle , chemistry , soybean meal , food science , urea , biology , fermentation , agronomy , raw material , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Summary Experiments (Exp) I and II were conducted to compare raw whole soya beans ( WSB ), roasted ( rWSB ) or other protein sources as supplements of low‐quality forages fed ad libitum to beef cattle, upon DM intake ( DMI ), ruminal and blood parameters, and animal performance. Exp I: treatments for wheat straw fed to four ruminally cannulated steers were (i) Control‐ WS : no supplement; (ii) WSB ‐ WS : whole soya beans; (iii) rWSB ‐ WS : roasted WSB ; and (iv) SBM ‐ WS : soybean meal–wheat midds mixture; all fed at 1.4 kg DM /day. Exp II : 12 steers grazed deferred grain sorghum ( DS ) receiving these treatments: (i) Control‐ DS : no supplement; (ii) WSB ‐ DS : 1.26 kg DM /day whole soya beans; and (iii) SFM ‐ DS : 1.35 kg DM /day of sunflower meal. In Exp I, WS DMI resulted 47, 52 and 41% greater for WSB ‐ WS , rWSB ‐ WS and SBM ‐ WS , respectively, than Control‐ WS ( p < .05). In Exp II , the DMI of DS was unaffected by supplementation; a substitution of DS by supplement was found for WSB ‐ DS ( p < .05); however, total diet and digestible DMI increased with supplementation ( p < .05). Rumen pH in Exp I remained unaffected by supplementation, but N‐ NH 3 as well as blood urea‐N in Exp II increased ( p < .05). In Exp II , average daily weight gains improved similarly with both supplements compared with Control‐ DS . Additionally, feed‐to‐gain ratio decreased ( p < .05), being lower for WSB ‐ DS (8.3) vs. SFM ‐ DS (9.9). Roasting effects of WSB as a supplement for low‐quality forages were not detected, and all protein sources increased total diet DMI and forage utilization. Only moderate cattle weight gains could be expected for unsupplemented DS.