Bowman-Schnug Sydney M, Johnson Bradley J, Turgeon O Abe, Figueroa Joaquin, Belknap Craig R, Gray Zebadiah T L, Edrington Thomas S
Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
Turgeon Consulting Service, LLC, Amarillo, TX 79118, USA.
Transl Anim Sci. 2025 Jul 22;9:txaf098. doi: 10.1093/tas/txaf098. eCollection 2025.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a fermentation product (SCFP) compared to a direct-fed microbial (DFM) on growth performance, health, carcass characteristics, and liver abscess prevalence in beef × dairy crossbred steers. Two thousand steers [50% beef, 25% Holstein, 25% Jersey genetics; initial shrunk body weight (SBW) = 288.2 ± 8.0 kg] were blocked by arrival date and randomly assigned to receive 1 of 2 treatments: 1) SCFP supplied in the starter diet at 12 g per steer daily and then 9 g per steer daily in the finishing diet (NS; NaturSafe™, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) or 2) DFM fed at 50 mg per steer daily throughout the feeding period (BD; Bovamine Defend, Chr. Hansen, Milwaukee, WI). Pen served as the experimental unit (200 steers/pen), with 5 pens per treatment. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design in R 4.2.2. with the main effect of treatment and random effect of block included in the model. Results were reported on a deads-in basis unless otherwise stated. Cattle were fed for a total of 275 ± 6.2 d. Initial and final SBW did not differ ( ≥ 0.84) by treatment. Initial treatment pulls were observed more frequently for NS compared to BD cattle (29.43% vs. 21.67%; < 0.01). However, NS cattle had a lesser rate of repulls as a proportion of initial pulls (10.08% vs. 16.61%; = 0.03). Fewer ( < 0.01) bullers were reported amongst NS cattle. Cattle supplemented with NS had a lower case fatality rate (6.08% vs. 11.96%; < 0.01) and tended to have a lower total mortality rate (1.60% vs. 2.70%; = 0.09) than BD. With deads included, average daily gain (ADG) tended ( = 0.06) to be greater for NS cattle. Dry matter intake did not differ ( = 0.99) by treatment; however, NS cattle had a numeric advantage in feed efficiency (G:F) nearing a tendency (0.132 vs. 0.130; = 0.11). On a deads-out basis, ADG and G:F were similar (≥ 0.85). Dressing percentage tended ( ≤ 0.10) to be greater for NS carcasses. Cattle fed BD had a greater ( = 0.03) proportion of USDA Prime carcasses. While treatment had no impact on liver abscess severity or total abscess occurrence, NS cattle tended to have less A- abscesses (1.72% vs. 3.87%; = 0.10). In this large-pen comparison, SCFP supplementation improved feedlot cattle health and positively influenced performance compared to a DFM.
本研究的目的是评估一种发酵产品（SCFP）与一种直接投喂微生物（DFM）相比，对肉牛与奶牛杂交阉牛的生长性能、健康状况、胴体特征和肝脓肿患病率的影响。两千头阉牛[50%肉牛、25%荷斯坦牛、25%泽西牛血统；初始缩重体重（SBW）=288.2±8.0千克]按到达日期进行分组，并随机分配接受两种处理中的一种：1）在育肥前期日粮中每头阉牛每日供应12克SCFP，然后在育肥后期日粮中每头阉牛每日供应9克（NS；NaturSafe™，Diamond V公司，爱荷华州锡达拉皮兹），或2）在整个饲喂期内每头阉牛每日饲喂50毫克DFM（BD；Bovamine Defend，科汉森公司，威斯康星州密尔沃基）。栏作为实验单位（每栏200头阉牛），每个处理5栏。数据在R 4.2.2中作为随机完全区组设计进行分析，模型中包括处理的主效应和区组的随机效应。除非另有说明，结果以死亡牛为基础进行报告。牛总共饲养275±6.2天。初始和最终的SBW在处理间没有差异（P≥0.84）。与BD组阉牛相比，NS组阉牛的初始处理淘汰率更高（29.43%对21.67%；P<0.01）。然而，NS组阉牛的再次淘汰率占初始淘汰率的比例更低（10.08%对16.61%；P=0.03）。NS组阉牛中报告的爬跨牛更少（P<0.01）。补充NS的阉牛病死率更低（6.08%对11.96%；P<0.01），且总死亡率有降低趋势（1.60%对2.70%；P=0.09）。计入死亡牛后，NS组阉牛的平均日增重（ADG）有增加趋势（P=0.06）。干物质摄入量在处理间没有差异（P=0.99）；然而，NS组阉牛在饲料效率（料肉比）上有数值优势，接近显著趋势（0.132对0.130；P=0.11）。以死亡牛除外为基础，ADG和料肉比相似（P≥0.85）。NS组胴体的屠宰率有增加趋势（P≤0.10）。饲喂BD的阉牛中美国农业部特优级胴体的比例更高（P=0.03）。虽然处理对肝脓肿严重程度或脓肿总发生率没有影响，但NS组阉牛的A级脓肿倾向于更少（1.72%对3.87%；P=0.10）。在这种大栏比较中，与DFM相比，补充SCFP改善了育肥牛的健康状况并对性能产生了积极影响。
