Feeding Pellets Containing Agro-Industrial Waste Enhances Feed Utilization and Rumen Functions in Thai Beef Cattle

Abstract

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of citric waste fermented with yeast waste pellet (CWYWP) supplementation on feed intake, rumen characteristics, and blood metabolites in native Thai beef cattle that are fed a rice-straw-based diet. Four native male Thai beef cattle (1.0–1.5 years old) with an initial body weight (BW) of 116 ± 16 kg were held in a 4 × 4 Latin square design within 21-day periods. The animals were assigned to receive CWYWP supplementation at 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% of the total dry matter (DM) intake per day. The results indicate that feeding beef cattle with CWYWP leads to a linear increase in the total intake as well was the intake of crude protein (CP) and the digestibility of CP, with the maximum levels observed at 6% CWYWP supplementation (p p > 0.05). In addition, the CWYWP supplementation resulted in no significant changes in the concentration of ammonia-nitrogen, remaining within an average normal range of 10.19–10.38 mg/dL (p > 0.05). The inclusion of 6% CWYWP resulted in the highest population of ruminal bacteria (p p < 0.05). In conclusion, this experiment demonstrates that supplementing Thai native beef cattle with CWYWP at either 4% or 6% DM per day can enhance their total CP intake as well as the CP digestibility and rumen bacterial population, and can increase propionate concentration.

Keywords

• beef
• by-product
• recycling
• propionic acid
• feed processing
• citric fermented with yeast