The effects of exogenous proteolytic enzyme (EPE) on intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and lactational performance were determined using 8 lactating Holstein cows in a double 4 x4 Latin square experiment with a 2 x2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets based on barley silage and alfalfa hay as the forage sources were formulated to maintain different forage to concentrate ratios...

This study evaluated the effects of dilution rate and forage-to-concentrate ratio on gas production by rumen microbes. Continuous cultures were used to monitor methane production at three liquid dilution rates (3.2, 6.3, or 12.5%/h) and three forage-to-concentrate ratios (70:30, 50:50, or 30:70). Filtered ruminal contents were allowed 6 d of adaptation to diets followed by 7 d of data collectio...

The economics of farming continues to be one of the major agricultural problems in the U.S. One important component of the solution is to increase profitability by crop improvement through plant breeding. Improved forage cultivars provide economic opportunities for livestock and crop farming operations and promote a more stable, sustainable agriculture. Farmers benefit by greater animal product...

portion of UIP and the amino acid spectrum of the UIP. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to measure or predict the relative amounts of MP (metabolizable protein) from microbes and UIP in any given feeding scenario. Both the production potential of the beef animal and microbial protein synthesis are driven by energy. It is impossible to predict MP supplied to the lower gut and MP needs of th...

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of diet and monensin on performance, digestibility, and methane production in steers fed forage-based diets. In Exp. 1, 72 individually fed steers (300 ± 25 kg) were used in a randomized block design arranged as 2 separate 2 × 2 factorials with two common treatments, thus 6 diets were fed with 12 steers per treatment. Factors included hig...