Relationship of Rumen Volatile Fatty Acids to Type of Grain, Sorghum Grain Processing Method and Feedlot Performance

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Abstract
Rumen samples (one to four) were taken by stomach tube from 160 cattle in four feeding trials and analyzed for VFA. The effect of grain (oats, barley, sorghum grain, corn, wheat) on VFA level was determined in two trials. Barley increased butyrate (P<.01) and decreased propionate (P<.05); otherwise, type of grain had little influence. Sorghum grain processing method significantly (P<.05, P<.01 in two trials) affected daily gain, feed intake, and feed/kg grain but failed to significantly (P>.05) affect VFA level. Propionate and A/P ratio were significantly (P<.05, P<.01) related (positively and negatively, respectively) to daily gain in two of three trials. Significant (P<.01) negative correlations were also noted in one trial between A/P ratio and feed intake, and between total VFA concentration and feed/kg gain. Under the conditions of these trials with limited rumen samplings of intact animals during the feeding period, ruminal VFA values did not provide a sensitive measure of differences in feed/kg gain effected by sorghum grain processing method. Copyright © 1972. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1972 by American Society of Animal Science

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