Effects of Different Cutting Height on Nutritional Quality of Whole Crop Barley Silage and Feed Value on Hanwoo Heifers

The present study evaluated the effects of different cutting height on nutritive value, fermentation quality, in vitro and in vivo digestibility of whole crop barley silage. Whole crop barley forage (Yuyeon hybrid) was harvested at height of 5, 10, and 15 cm from the ground level. Each cutting height was rolled to make round bale and ensiled for 100 days. After 100 days of ensiling, pH of silage was lower (p<0.05) in 5 cm, but no difference between 10 and 15 cm of cutting height. The content of lactate and lactate to acetate ratio were increased (p<0.05) in 5 cm of cutting height, whereas the acetate content was higher (p<0.05) in 10 and 15 cm than that of 5 cm cutting height. Aerobic stability was greater (p<0.05) in silages of 10 and 15 cm of cutting height. Three total mixed rations (TMR) were formulated with silages from the three different cutting heights (TMR5, TMR10, and TMR15) incorporated as forage at 70:30 ratio with concentrate (dry matter [DM] basis). In vitro dry matter digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in the TMR5 and TMR10 than that in TMR15, whereas in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in the TMR10 and TMR15 than that in TMR5. Concentration of NH3-N was highest (p<0.05) in the TMR10 followed by TMR15 and TMR5. Total volatile fatty acid was decreased (p<0.05) with increased cutting height. The digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber were highest (p<0.05) in TMR15, than those in TMR5 and TMR10, whereas acid detergent fiber digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in TMR5 than that in TMR10. The results showed that increasing cutting height, at least up to 10 to 15 cm, of whole crop barley forage at harvest (Yuyeon) may be beneficial for making silage for TMR formulation and increasing digestibility of DM and NDF

Comparative effects of dietary sea urchin shell powder and feed additives on meat quality and fatty acid profiles of broiler breast meat

This study was a small pen trial in which we investigated comparative effects of dietary sea urchin shell powder and feed additives on meat quality and fatty acid profiles of broiler breast meat. A total of 108 male broilers were assigned to 3 groups (control, 1% sea urchin shell powder, and 1% feed additives) with 3 replicates of 12 chicks per pen in a completely randomized design for 28 days. The following parameters have been investigated: proximate composition (DM, CP, EE, and ash), physicochemical properties (pH, TBARS, cooking loss and DPPH radical scavenging), meat color and fatty acid profiles. No remarkable effects between treatment and storage day were observed for proximate composition, physicochemical properties, meat color and fatty acid profiles. In conclusion, diets with 1% sea urchin shell powder have the ability to increase DPPH radical scavenging and unsaturated fatty acid, indicating an opportunity for partial diet substitution in comparison with 1% feed additives

Effect of Microbial and Chemical Combo Additives on Nutritive Value and Fermentation Characteristic of Whole Crop Barley Silage

This study was conducted to assess the effects of microbial and chemical combo additives on nutritive values, fermentation indices and aerobic stability of whole crop barley silage. Barley forage (Youngyang) was harvested at about 30% dry matter (DM) by treatments, chopped to 5 cm length and treated with distilled water only (CON), Lactobacillus plantarum (INO), propionic acid (PRO) or an equal mixture of INO and PRO (MIX). Barley forages were ensiled in 4 replications for 0, 2, 7, and 100 days. On 100 days of ensiling, MIX silage had higher (p<0.05) in vitro DM digestibility than CON silage, but lower (p<0.05) acid detergent fiber concentration. The pH in all treated silages was lower (p<0.05) than CON silage. The MIX silage had higher (p<0.05) lactate concentration and lactate to acetate ratio than in CON, but lower (p<0.05) yeast count. Aerobic stability in CON, PRO, and MIX silages were higher (p<0.05) than in INO silage. It is concluded that microbial and chemical combo additives using L. plantarum and propionic acid could efficiently improve nutritive values of barley silage in terms of increased in vitro DM digestibility compared to other treatments. In addition, all treatments except CON reduced yeast count which is the initiate microorganism of aerobic spoilage

Influence of fermented fish meal supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, and fecal microflora of weaning pigs

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to estimate the effect of dietary supplementation with fermented fish meal on growth performance, blood metabolites, and fecal microflora in weaning pigs. A total of 180 weaned pigs ((Landrace ×Yorkshire) × Duroc; with average body weight of 6.0 kg) were randomly distributed among three dietary treatments (0, 0.2, and 0.5% fermented fish meal) in three replicate pens (20 heads per pen) in a completely randomized trial over three weeks. Addition of fermented fish meal to weanling pig diets had a linear effect on average feed intake and a quadratic trend on final body weight, average daily gain, and gain:feed ratio throughout the whole period (but not initial body weight). Hematocrit, monocyte, immunoglobulin G, and blood urea nitrogen levels responded linearly and quadratically with increasing levels of dietary fermented fish meal. Moreover, we found a linear correlation between the diets and lymphocyte and insulin levels among the different dietary treatments. In contrast, red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, insulin-like growth factor 1, and glucose levels were not affected by diets with different levels of fermented fish. During the experimental period, diets with 0.2% and 0.5% fermented fish meal showed a reduction in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli populations (but not E. coli populations at week 3) that were linear, quadratic, or both, compared with controls. In particular, there was a significant reduction in S. enterica population when pigs were fed 0.5% fermented fish meal over the period of 3 weeks). Dietary supplementation with 0.2% and 0.5% fermented fish meal can be used as a protein source to improve growth performance and the parameters chosen for the blood profile, which reduces harmful microorganisms in the feces of weanling pigs

Changes in Microbial Diversity, Methanogenesis and Fermentation Characteristics in the Rumen in Response to Medicinal Plant Extracts

This study evaluated the in vitro effect of medicinal plant extracts on ruminal methanogenesis, four different groups of methanogens and ruminal fermentation characteristics. A fistulated Holstein cow was used as a donor of rumen fluid. Licorice and mugwort extracts (Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Artemisia capillaris, 0.5% and 1% of total substrate DM, respectively), previously used as folk remedies, were added to an in vitro fermentation incubated with buffered-rumen fluid. Total gas production in Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract treatment was not significantly different between treatments (p<0.05) while total gas production in the Artemisia capillaris extract treatment was lower than that of the control. Artemisia capillaris extract and Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract reduced CH4 emission by 14% (p<0.05) and 8% (p<0.05), respectively. Ciliate-associated methanogens population decreased by 18% in the medicinal plant extracts treatments. Medicinal plant extracts also affected the order Methanobacteriales community. Methanobacteriales diversity decreased by 35% in the Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract treatment and 30% in the Artemisia capillaris extract treatment. The order Methanomicrobiales population decreased by 50% in the 0.5% of Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract treatment. These findings demonstrate that medicinal plant extracts have the potential to inhibit in vitro ruminal methanogenesis

Effects of chestnut ( Castanea sativa ) meal supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of pigs

ABSTRACT This study examined the effect of chestnut ( Castanea sativa ) meal (CNM) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of pigs. Thirty-two crossbred pigs were randomly allocated equally into four groups and fed one of four diets containing 0, 30, 50, or 100 g kg−1 DM CNM for 49 days. The animals were housed individually into the cage, fed the diet ad libitum , and allowed to access water freely. Feed efficiency decreased quadratically, while carcass yield decreased linearly with increasing CNM supplementation. The highest pH and the lowest drip loss were found in 30 g kg−1 of CNM supplementation, respectively, while no effects on fatty acid profiles were observed in all treatments. The addition of CNM at 30 g kg−1 into the diets could improve feed efficiency and reduce drip loss in meat

Effect of microbial inoculants on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet potato vine silage

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of homo or hetero fermentative inoculants on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet potato vine (SPV) silage containing Italian ryegrass hay as moisture absorbent. Methods The SPV was harvested at 15% dry matter, mixed with Italian ryegrass hay at 1:1 ratio on a fresh weight basis, and chopped to 3 to 5 cm length. After then, the chopped forage mixture was ensiled into 20-L mini silos in quadruplicate for 7, 48, and 100 days after application of microbial inoculants at 1.2×105 colony forming units (cfu)/g of forage following: no inoculant (CON), Lactobacillus plantarum as a homo fermentative (LP), Lactobacillus buchneri as a hetero fermentative (LB), and mixture of LP and LB at 1:1 ratio as a combo fermentative (MIX). Results The LP and MIX silages had lowest pH (p<0.001) on 7 and 48 days, while MIX and CON silages had greatest lactate concentrations (p<0.05) on 7 and 48 days, respectively. Acetate concentrations were highest (p<0.01) in LB and MIX silages on 7 days, and in LB silage on 48 days, while lactate to acetate ratios were lowest (p<0.001) in LB silages. The chemical compositions and nutrient digestibility of silage ensiled for 100 days was not affected by inoculants. On 100 days of ensiling, LB silage had lowest (p<0.01) lactate concentration and lactate to acetate ratio, but highest acetate concentration. Aerobic stability was highest (p<0.001) in LB silage followed in MIX silage. On contrast, LB silage had lowest (p<0.05) lactic acid bacteria and mold. Conclusion The results indicated that application of LB solely had a better effect on aerobic stability than not only LP, but also MIX. However, LP application did not show beneficial effects from the viewpoints of fermentation quality and aerobic stability compared to CON