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Effect of Adding Buffers to All-Concentrate Rations on Feedlot Performance of Steers, Ration Digestibility and Intra-Rumen Environment^1,2,

Canada Department of Agriculture, Nappan, Nova Scotia

Abstract

Forty-two yearling Hereford steers were fed individually in an experiment lasting 111 days to determine the effect of adding buffers to an all-concentrate ration of rolled barley with molasses, protein, mineral and vitamin supplementation. The addition of 3% sodium bicarbonate resulted in a significant change in feed intake, carcass specific gravity and carcass weight corrected to equal fat content, but not average daily gain. The addition of 3% sodium bicarbonate plus 2% ground limestone plus 1% potassium carbonate did not improve results over those obtained on the control ration. Half the steers were allowed to consume the wood sawdust used for bedding and the others were prevented from doing so; this did not have a significant effect on any of the criteria studied. However, there was an interaction between bedding treatments and rations for loss of weight during transportation to market. This was interpreted as indicating that the steers fed the control ration consumed more of their bedding than did those fed the buffered rations.

Three rumen-fistulated Jersey steers were used to study the effect of these buffers on digestibility, nitrogen retention and intrarumen environment. There was no significant effect on digestibility of the organic matter and nitrogen or on nitrogen retention. There was a consistent but non-significant decrease in percent dry matter of rumen contents and an associated decrease in total VFA concentration from the addition of buffers. The molar percent of acetic acid was significantly higher on the control ration than on the buffered rations. Greater ratios of acetic to butyric acid and to the higher VFA resulted on the control ration but there were no significant changes in propionic acid concentrations. The pH and buffering capacity of rumen fluid were lower when the control ration was fed.

¹ Presented before the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, Chicago, Illinois, November 24, 1962.

² Contribution No. 133, Division of Animal and Poultry Science.

³ The authors wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the following: Officers of the Health of Animals Division, Production and Marketing Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture for the pathology examinations; Officers of the Livestock Division, Production and Marketing Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture for grading the carcasses; the management and staff of the Swift Canadian Co. Ltd. packing plant at Moncton, N. B. The technical assistance of R. V. Brown, W. W. Smith, R. T. Ripley and H. A. Harrison is also gratefully acknowledged.