Dry and Propionic Acid Treated-High Moisture Corn Fed with and without Monensin to Feedlot Heifers

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Thirty-six crossbred heifer calves were used to evaluate diets containing rolled dry corn or propionic acid treated-high moisture corn fed with and without the addition of monensin. The heifers were individually fed one of the four experimental diets for 155 days and then slaughtered. Treating unground high moisture corn with propionic acid preserved the corn by preventing fungal growth and aflatoxin contamination. Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics were similar for heifers fed the two types of corn. Heifers fed diets without monensin gained 11% faster (P<.05) but required 13% more (P<.01) feed per unit of gain than did the monensin treated heifers. The apparent digestibility of crude fiber was greater (P<.01) for diets containing dry corn. Greater (P<.01) nitrogen-free extract digestibility coefficients were obtained for diets containing acid treated-high moisture corn. The addition of monensin to the diets did not significantly (P>.05) affect the digestibility. Heifers fed dry corn diets had a greater (P<.05) total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration than heifers fed acid treated-high moisture corn diets. Heifers fed diets containing monensin had similar (P>.05) concentrations of acetic and iso-valeric acids, greater (P<.05) concentrations of propionic acid, and lower (P<.05) concentrations of butyric and valeric acids. Copyright © 1977. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1977 by American Society of Animal Science.