Influence of supplemental condensed tannins on initial 112-d feedlot growth-performance and characteristics of digestion of calf-fed Holstein steers

• Published in: Translational animal science Vol. 6; no. 1; p. txac024
• Main Authors: Montano, Martin F, Carvalho, Pedro H V, Chirino-Romero, Juan O, Latack, Brooke C, Salinas-Chavira, Jaime, Zinn, Richard Avery
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-01-2022
• Subjects: Beef cattle; Evaluation; Fatty acids; Feedlots; Growth; Methane; Ruminant Nutrition; Mexico; feedlot; digestion; Holstein steers; tannin
• ISSN: 2573-2102; 2573-2102
• DOI: 10.1093/tas/txac024

In experiment 1, 150 calf-fed Holstein steers (119 ± 6 kg) were used to evaluate the effects of level of supplemental condensed tannin (0, 14, and 28 g/kg diet DM) in a conventional steam-flaked corn-based growing-finishing diet on feedlot growth performance. There were no treatment effects on growth performance during the initial 56-d period. However, during the subsequent 56-d period, supplemental condensed tannin tended to increase average daily gain (ADG; linear effect,
= 0.09). The increase in ADG was consistent with the tendency for increased dry matter intake (DMI; linear effect,
= 0.08). Hence, differences in gain efficiency during the second 56-d period were not appreciably affected (
= 0.80). Supplemental condensed tannin did not affect overall (112-d) ADG, DMI, gain efficiency, or dietary NE. In a second experiment, six Holstein steers (179.4 ± 7.9 kg) with cannulas in the rumen and proximal duodenum were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design to evaluate treatment effects on characteristics of ruminal and total tract digestion. Treatments were the same as in Trial 1. Tannin supplementation decreased (linear effect,
= 0.03) ruminal OM digestion and tended to decrease (linear effect,
= 0.06) ruminal feed N degradation. Tannin supplementation decreased (linear effect,
= 0.03) ruminal pH, but did not affect (
> 0.20) ruminal molar proportions of volatile fatty acids and estimated methane production. In current study, supplemental tannin had marginal effects on overall growth performance of calf-fed Holstein steers, but reduced ruminal, postruminal, and total tract nitrogen digestion.