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Variability in Response by Beef Steers to Cement Kiln Dust in High Concentrate Diets

US Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

Two finishing trials and one digestion trial were conducted to determine the influence of cement kiln dust addition on response and nutrient utilization by beef steers fed complete diets consisting of 15% corn silage and 85% concentrate (dry matter basis). In trial 1, 40 steers were fed finishing diets for 112 days, while in trial 3 40 steers were fed finishing diets for 126 days. In trial 1 and the digestion trial (trial 2), control diets (C) contained feed grade limestone as the supplemental Ca source, while the other diets contained kiln dust W, X, Y or Z as the supplemental Ca source. Average daily gains (kilograms/day) and dry feed intakes (kilograms/day) in trial 1 were, respectively: (C) 1.34, 11.7; (W) 0.53, 6.4; (X) 1.59, 9.7; (Y) 1.44, 11.5, and (Z) 1.25, 10.0. Steers fed kiln dust X had the highest average daily gain, and best feed efficiency, while steers fed kiln dust W had the lowest average daily gains and poorest feed efficiency. Furthermore, the diet containing kiln dust X, when fed to steers at ad libitum intakes, had the highest digestibilities of organic matter, crude protein, cell wall and starch. Kiln dusts W and X had more of a lower gastrointestinal tract buffering effect than either limestone or kiln dusts Y and Z. In trial 3, kiln dust W was added to the diet of beef steers as 0, 1, 2 and 3% of the dietary dry matter. Steers fed 1% kiln dust W showed a 20% improvement in both average daily gain and efficiency by comparison with steers fed 0% kiln dust. Results from these three trials indicate that inconsistency in animal response to different kiln dusts may be due, in part, to variability in composition and (or) level of use. Kiln dust is not an approved feed ingredient for livestock. However research with kiln dust has provided basic information on the use of buffering materials in high concentrate diets that can be applied to more conventional feedstuffs.

¹ USDA, SEA, AR, Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center, P. O. Box 166, Clay Center, NE 68933.