eprintid: 50250 rev_number: 17 eprint_status: archive userid: 1903 dir: disk0/00/05/02/50 datestamp: 2018-05-04 08:42:03 lastmod: 2019-05-14 12:42:49 status_changed: 2019-05-14 12:42:49 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Carrasco Barco, Coral creators_name: Carro Travieso, Maria Dolores creators_name: Fuentetaja, A. creators_name: Medel de la Torre, Pedro creators_id: mariadolores.carro@upm.es title: Performance, carcass and ruminal fermentation characteristics of heifers fed concentrates differing in energy level and cereal type (corn vs. wheat) publisher: INIA rights: by-nc-nd ispublished: pub subjects: agricultura full_text_status: public keywords: beef cattle; ruminal pH; volatile fatty acids; in vitro fermentation abstract: A total of 144 beef heifers (218 ± 26.4 kg body weight) were housed in 24 pens (6 animals each) and used in a 168-day feedlot study to evaluate the influence of cereal type and energy level on performance, carcass quality and ruminal fermentation. Four concentrates were formulated according to a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with two energy levels (1,452 vs. 1,700 kcal net energy/kg) and two main cereals (wheat vs. corn). Concentrate and straw were offered ad libitum. Concentrate intake and body weight were recorded on days 42, 84, 126 and 168. Ruminal fluid was obtained by ruminocentesis from 3 heifers per pen on days 1, 84 and 168; and carcass weight, classification and yield, were determined in the same animals. Heifers fed high-energy diets had lower intake (6.97 vs. 7.29 kg fresh matter/d; p=0.011), and lower concentrate to gain ratio (5.15 vs. 5.66 kg/kg; p=0.002) than those fed low energy concentrates, and tended (p=0.069) to be heavier along the time. Neither carcass yield and classification, nor ruminal pH, volatile fatty acids nor NH3 -N concentrations were affected (p>0.050) by energy level. Total volatile fatty acids concentration tended (p=0.070) to be greater in heifers fed corn-based than wheat-based concentrates. No energy level x cereal type interactions were observed. These results indicate that high energy concentrates decreased feed intake and feed conversion but had minor effects on carcass performance. Cereal type had no effects on performance and ruminal fermentation and no interactions between cereal type and energy were detected. date_type: published date: 2017-07 publication: Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research volume: 14 number: 5 pagerange: 1-14 id_number: 10.5424/sjar/2017154-11230 institution: Agronomica department: otro refereed: TRUE issn: 1695-971X official_url: http://revistas.inia.es/index.php/sjar/article/view/11230 comprojects_type: MINECO comprojects_type: MINECO comprojects_code: FIT060000200511 comprojects_code: IDI-20050617 citation: Carrasco Barco, Coral and Carro Travieso, Maria Dolores and Fuentetaja, A. and Medel de la Torre, Pedro (2017). Performance, carcass and ruminal fermentation characteristics of heifers fed concentrates differing in energy level and cereal type (corn vs. wheat). "Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research", v. 14 (n. 5); pp. 1-14. ISSN 1695-971X. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2017154-11230 . document_url: https://oa.upm.es/50250/1/INVE_MEM_2017_272779.pdf