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Effects of Adding Sodium Bentonite to High Grain Diets for Ruminants¹

University of Nebraska³, Lincoln 68583

Abstract

A 3 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted to study the effects of grain sources and sodium bentonite (NaB) in adapting lambs to 90% concentrate diets. Thirty wether lambs were allotted to treatments of dry corn (DC); DC + NaB; ground, ensiled ground high moisture corn (HMC); HMC + NaB; wheat (W) and W + NaB. The NaB was fed as 2.5% of the diet dry matter and replaced corn cobs. Each treatment was fed ad libitum at 35, 55 and 75% concentrate with each concentrate level fed for 5 days. The final concentrate level (90%) was fed for 15 days. Rumen samples were obtained at 2, 3 and 5 hr postfeeding on the first day of each concentrate level and also at days 10 and 15 of the 90% diets. NaB supplementation increased (P<.05) ruminal acetate and butyrate (molar %) and decreased (P<.01) propionate (molar %). As the concentrate level increased, acetate decreased and propionate increased. NaB had no effect on ruminal pH or lactate. Lambs fed W had lower ruminal pH than DC.

A second experiment tested the addition of 2.5% NaB to HMC diets at two levels of corn silage (0 and 12%) using 47 steers per treatment fed for 161 days. NaB had little effect on gain or carcass measurements. Frequency and severity of liver abscesses were higher on the all-concentrate diet than that 12% corn silage. Addition of NaB to the all-concentrate diet did not appreciably increase intake or decrease liver abscesses.

¹ Published with approval of the Director as Paper No. 5481 Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. This research was supported in part by American Colloid Co., Skokie, IL.

² Present address: 6618 S. 72nd Ave., Ralston, NE 68127.

³ Animal Science Department.

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