THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS OR INTERMITTENT FEEDING OF ERGOT CONTAMINATED GRAIN IN A MASH OR PELLETED FORM TO STEERS IN THE BACKGROUNDING AND FINISHING PHASES
Date
2024-03-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0009-0005-1357-5991
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of feeding ergot contaminated grain continuously or intermittently in a mash or pelleted supplement on the growth performance, blood, health, and welfare measurements, and carcass characteristics of feedlot beef steers through backgrounding (BG) and finishing (FN). Sixty black angus steers (300 29.4 kg BW) were used in a complete randomized 238-d study. Steers were stratified by weight and randomly assigned to 4 different diet treatments (15 steers/treatment) and individually housed. Treatments included: 1) control ration (CON; no added EA), 2) continuous ergot mash (CEM; fed continuously at 2 mg/kg total EA), 3) intermittent ergot mash (IEM; fed at 2 mg/g, EA during the first week of each 21-d period and CON for the remaining 2 weeks), and 4) intermittent ergot pellet (IEP; fed at 2 mg/kg EA incorporated into a pelleted supplement during the first week of each 21-d period and CON for the remaining 2 weeks). Steers were fed barley-based BG diets containing 40% concentrate: 60% silage (DM basis) for 84 d, transitioned over 28 d to a FN diet (90% concentrate: 10% silage DM basis) and fed for 126 d before slaughter. Steers were weighed every 21 d and blood samples were collected on d 0, 42, and 84 of BG and d 0, 42, 84, and 126 for FN. In the BG phase, steer DMI (P < 0.01, 7.45 vs. 8.05 kg/d) and ADG (P < 0.01) were reduced for all EA diets compared to CON. In the FN phase, steer DMI (P < 0.01, 9.95 vs. 11.05 kg/d) and ADG (P = 0.04) also decreased for all EA fed steers compared to CON. Total shrunk BW gain (P = 0.03, 202.5 vs. 225.2 kg), final BW (P = 0.03, 617.9 vs. 662.2 kg), and carcass weight (P = 0.06) decreased for all EA fed steers compared to CON. Results suggest that continuously or intermittently feeding ergot contaminated diets (2 mg/kg EA) can significantly reduce intake, growth performance, and carcass weight, with minimal impact on blood parameters in feedlot steers. Pelleting was not an effective method of reducing ergot toxicity.
Description
Keywords
ergot, feedlot, cattle, pellet, intermittent
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Animal and Poultry Science
Program
Animal Science