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Effect of Initial Diet on Cattle Performance and Subsequent Adaptation to High Concentrate Diets^1,2,

Ohio Agriculture and Development Center, Wooster, 44691 and The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to study the effect of hay, hay plus lactic acid, corn silage and concentrate on the performance and incidence of disease in new feeder calves during the initial 30- to 60-day period following arrival in the feedlot. The role of previous diet in adaptation to high concentrate diets as measured by daily gain, ruminal characteristics and incidence of liver abscesses was also investigated.

Hay diets resulted in 20 to 160% faster gains during the first 5 days after steers were-received than did the feeding of corn silage diets. Thereafter, steers fed corn silage gained faster than steers fed hay. Initial exposure of steers to corn silage diets resulted in decreased consumption and performance. Little difference in incidence or severity of sickness was noted between steers fed hay or corn silage diets. Feeder steers converted to corn grain within a 19-day period had greater gains (.96 kg ADG) and increased incidence and severity of sickness than steers fed hay, hay plus lactic acid or corn silage (.53, .58, .86 kg ADG, respectively).

Overall gains during the finishing period were similar regardless of the diet fed previous to finishing. Corn silage compared to hay fed previous to the finishing period resulted in 12 to 49% better gains during the first 28 days of the finishing period. In experiment 3, the average daily gains were 1.13, 1.47, 2.44 and 2.51 kg the first 13 days of the finishing period for steers previously fed hay, hay plus lactic acid, corn silage and concentrate, respectively. In one experiment, the rumen wall of steers fed corn silage previous to the finishing period had less hair accumulation and clumping of papillae than steers previously fed hay. In two experiments there was a trend toward reduced incidence of liver abscesses when corn silage vs hay was fed previous to the finishinng period.

¹ Supported in part by NIH Grant No. 5 SOI RR 054 63-11. Approved for publication as Journal Article No. 99-74 of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster.

² The authors thank the Monsanto Co., St. Louis, Missouri for donating the lactic acid used in this study. The Assistance of Dr. C. R. Weaver in the statistical analyses of the data is gratefully acknowledged.

³ Department of Animal Science

⁴ Present Address: Department of Animal Science, Jull Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, 20742.

⁵ Veterinary Pathobiology and Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

⁶ Present Address: Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, 99163.