Effects of monensin inclusion into increasing amount of concentrate on growth and physiological parameters of early-weaned beef calves consuming warm-season grasses. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Two experiments evaluated the effects of concentrate amount and monensin inclusion on growth and physiological parameters of early-weaned beef calves consuming warm-season grasses in drylot (Exp. 1) and pastures (Exp. 2). In both experiments, treatments consisted of two concentrate DM amounts (1 or 2% of BW) and two inclusion rates of monensin (0 or 20 mg of monensin/kg of total DM intake). In Exp. 1, 48 Angus Brahman crossbred early-weaned (EW) beef calves (initial age = 90 13 d; initial BW = 83 12 kg) were distributed in 12 drylot pens (four calves per pen; three pens per treatment) and provided stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) hay (9% CP and 52% IVDOM) at amounts to ensure 10% DM refusals for 56 d. In Exp. 2, 36 Angus Brahman crossbred EW heifer calves (initial BW = 171 15 kg) were randomly allocated into one of 12 bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) pastures on a continuous and fixed stocking rate (1 ha and three heifers per pasture; three pastures per treatment) and received daily supplementation of their respective treatments for 84 d. In both experiments, effects of monensin inclusion concentrate amount were not detected for any variable (P 0.14), but overall ADG and plasma IGF-1 concentrations were greater (P 0.05), whereas fecal coccidia egg counts tended (P = 0.09; Exp. 1) or were less (P = 0.05; Exp. 2) for calves offered concentrate with vs. without monensin inclusion. Calves offered concentrate at 2% of BW had greater (P 0.05) overall ADG (Exps. 1 and 2), herbage mass (Exp. 2 only), in vivo apparent digestibility, total DMI and plasma concentrations of glucose and IGF-1 (Exp. 1 only), less forage DM intake (Exp. 1 only), and no effects on fecal coccidia egg counts (Exps. 1 and 2) compared to calves offered concentrate at 1% of BW. Increasing concentrate amount is an effective management practice to increase ADG and decrease forage DMI in early-weaned calves consuming warm-season grasses, whereas the decrease in fecal coccidia egg count and additional ADG provide evidence that monensin should be supplied to early-weaned calves grazing warm-season pastures and receiving concentrate at 1% of BW or above.

published proceedings

  • J Anim Sci

author list (cited authors)

  • Vendramini, J., Moriel, P., Cooke, R. F., Arthington, J. D., da Silva, H. M., Piccolo, M. B., ... Mamede, P. A.

citation count

  • 5

complete list of authors

  • Vendramini, Joao MB||Moriel, Philipe||Cooke, Reinaldo F||Arthington, John D||da Silva, Hiran Marcelo||Piccolo, Matheus B||Sanchez, Joao Marcelo D||Gomes, Vinicius||Mamede, Pedro A

publication date

  • January 2018