Intestinal acid flow, dry matter, starch and protein digestibility and amino acid absorption in beef cattle fed a high-concentrate diet with defluorinated rock phosphate, limestone or magnesium oxide.

Five Angus heifers (285 kg) with duodenal and ileal cannulas were used to study the effects of feeding mineral acid neutralizers on digesta and fecal pH, intestinal acid flow, DM, starch and CP digestion and amino acid absorption in cattle fed a high-concentrate diet (7.5 kg/d). The experimental design was a 5 x 5 latin square. Treatments included control diet alone or control diet with the addition of 1.60% defluorinated rock phosphate-medium (DRP-M, 77% greater than 150 mu but less than 1,180 mu), 1.60% defluorinated rock phosphate-coarse (DRP-C, 85% greater than 850 mu but less than 1,700 mu), 1.28% limestone (92% greater than 150 mu but less than 850 mu) or .50% MgO, (81% greater than 250 mu but less than 1,180 mu), as an as-fed basis. Ileal pH was increased (P less than .05) from 7.49 to 7.85 by MgO. Fecal pH was increased (P less than .05) in this order: MgO (7.18) greater than DRP-M (6.86) = limestone (6.86) = DRP-C (6.75) greater than control (6.54). Liquid flow to the duodenum was increased (P less than .05) an average of 19.7% by the mineral treatments. Duodenal acid concentrations (mEq/liter) were greatest (P less than .05) for DRP-M (65.4) and DRP-C (64.0) vs limestone (55.5) and MgO (54.4). Acid flow to the intestine was increased (P less than .05) to 4.02, 4.53 and 4.82 Eq/d for animals fed limestone, DRP-M and DRP-C, respectively, from 3.51 Eq/d for control animals. Total tract DM, starch and CP digestibilities were similar (P greater than .10) among treatments. Limestone and DRP-M increased (P less than .10) the partial digestibility of most amino acids by about 6.8%. Mineral treatments did not increase total tract digestion of starch or CP. However, cattle fed DRP-M and limestone may have used protein more efficiently.