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Animals
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Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality
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Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 23533

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sandra Lobón

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal production and health, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon, Av. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: animal production; animal nutrition; condensed tannins; meat quality
Dr. Margalida Joy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal production and health, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon, Av. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: animal production; animal nutrition; feeding system; feedstuffs; animal product quality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ruminant production is usually based on local breeds under extensive or semi-extensive feeding management, and the final products are milk and meat, often processed as typical products. However, to reach high productivity, ruminants are usually reared under intensive systems, with a feeding system based on concentrates rich in cereals. The use of cereals in diets creates a competitive conflict with human nutrition, and the intensive feeding system is not in line with the recent demands of consumers of animal-friendly systems. Moreover, several countries are characterized by harsh climate conditions and pastures are available only for short periods or their quality is not enough to maintain the animal requirements. Therefore, the introduction of alternative feedstuffs could overcome the problems of environmental harshness and production costs. 

Original papers taking into account the introduction of alternative feedstuffs (forage diets, inclusion of additives or secondary compounds, use of by-products, grazing feeding systems, etc.) that could influence animal performance and product quality are invited to this Special Issue, with the aim of bringing together the latest findings on alternative feedstuffs in ruminants in animal science. Moreover, contributions on animal welfare, health and sustainability related to alternative feedstuffs are welcome.

Dr. Sandra Lobón
Dr. Margalida Joy
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forage
  • concentrate
  • feeding management
  • product quality
  • by-product

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Sunflower Cake from the Biodiesel Industry in the Diet Improves the Performance and Carcass Traits of Nellore Young Bulls
by Vinicius da Silva Oliveira, Analivia M. Barbosa, Ederson A. de Andrade, Gercino F. Virginio Júnior, Thiago V. C. Nascimento, Anny Graycy Vasconcelos de Oliveira Lima, Ricardo W. D. Portela, Jarbas M. da Silva Júnior, Elzânia S. Pereira, Leilson R. Bezerra and Ronaldo L. Oliveira
Animals 2022, 12(23), 3243; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233243 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1823
Abstract
We aimed to determine the optimal inclusion level of sunflower cake (0, 90, 180, and 270 g/kg total DM) as a partial replacement of soybean meal and corn ground in young bulls’ diets by examining nutrient intake and digestibility, ingestive behavior, nitrogen balance, [...] Read more.
We aimed to determine the optimal inclusion level of sunflower cake (0, 90, 180, and 270 g/kg total DM) as a partial replacement of soybean meal and corn ground in young bulls’ diets by examining nutrient intake and digestibility, ingestive behavior, nitrogen balance, metabolic serum profile, growth performance, and carcass traits. Thirty-two intact Nellore bulls (BW 374 ± 42.5) were distributed in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted 90 days. The final BW of the animals was 515.25 ± 24.7. There was a linear decrease effect in the intake of DM, crude protein and nonfibrous carbohydrates, eating and rumination efficiency, N-urinary, N-total excretion, and blood urea nitrogen. Sunflower cake did not affect the NDF digestibility, nitrogen (N)-fecal excretion, blood metabolites, Longissimus lumborum muscle area, or subcutaneous fat deposition. There were linear and quadratic effects on the eating and rumination time, microbial protein production and efficiency, gamma-glutamyl transferase and cholesterol serum concentrations, and muscle carcass tissue. There was a quadratic effect on ether extract intake, final BW, and total gain with the inclusion of sunflower cake in the young bull’s diet. The replacement of soybean meal and corn ground with sunflower cake at the level of 90 g/kg of DM in the diet of young bulls is recommended because it reduces the DM intake and digestibility, increases microbial protein synthesis and muscle tissue deposition, and consequently improves the performance, feed efficiency, and carcass traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality)
14 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
Effects of Oil Supplements on Growth Performance, Eating Behavior, Ruminal Fermentation, and Ruminal Morphology in Lambs during Transition from a Low- to a High-Grain Diet
by Leili Bahramkhani-Zaringoli, Hamidreza Mirzaei-Alamouti, Jörg R. Aschenbach, Mina Vazirigohar, Amlan Kumar Patra, Iraj Jafari-Anarkooli, Mahdi Ganjkhanlou, Daryoush Alipour and Morteza Mansouryar
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2566; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192566 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2138
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of a maximum recommended oil supplementation on growth performance, eating behavior, ruminal fermentation, and ruminal morphological characteristics in growing lambs during transition from a low- to a high-grain diet. A total of 21 [...] Read more.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of a maximum recommended oil supplementation on growth performance, eating behavior, ruminal fermentation, and ruminal morphological characteristics in growing lambs during transition from a low- to a high-grain diet. A total of 21 Afshari male lambs with an initial body weight (BW) of 41.4 ± 9.1 kg (mean ± SD) and at 5–6 months of age were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments (n = 7 per group), including (1) a grain-based diet with no fat supplement (CON), (2) CON plus 80 g/d of prilled palm oil (PALM), and (3) CON plus 80 g/d soybean oil (SOY); oils were equivalent to 50 g/kg of dry matter based on initial dry matter intake (DMI). All lambs were adapted to the high-grain diet for 21 d. In the adaptation period, lambs were gradually transferred to a dietary forage-to-concentrate ratio of 20:80 by replacing 100 g/kg of the preceding diet every 3 d. Thereafter, lambs were fed experimental diets for another 22 days. Fat-supplemented lambs had greater DMI, body weight (BW), and average daily gain (ADG), with a lower feed to gain ratio (p < 0.05), compared to CON lambs. The highest differences of DMI between fat-supplemented and CON-lambs were observed in week 3 of the adaptation period (p = 0.010). PALM- or SOY-supplementation lowered DM and NDF digestibility compared with CON (p < 0.05), and SOY caused the lowest organic matter (OM) digestibility compared with CON and PALM lambs (62.0 vs. 67.6 and 66.9; p < 0.05). Ruminal pH was higher for PALM and SOY compared with CON (p = 0.018). Lambs in SOY tended to have the highest ammonia-N concentrations (p = 0.075), together with a trend for higher concentrations of propionic acid, at the expense of acetic acid in ruminal fluid, on the last day of the adaptation period (diet × time, p = 0.079). Fat-supplemented lambs had lower isovaleric and valeric acid concentrations compared with CON on d 40 (diet × time, p < 0.05). PALM and SOY-fed lambs had a longer eating time (min/d and min/kg of DMI), chewing activity (min/d), meal frequency (n), and duration of eating the first and second meals after morning feeding (p < 0.05), and the largest meal size (p < 0.001). Fat supplemented lambs had greater ruminal papillary length (p < 0.05) and width (p < 0.01), and thicker submucosal, epithelial, and muscle layers, compared with the CON (p < 0.01). Blood metabolites were not influenced by dietary treatments (p > 0.05). The results from this study suggest that fat supplementation to high-grain diets may improve the development of ruminal epithelia and modify ruminal fermentation via optimized eating behavior or the direct effect of oils on the ruminal environment, resulting in better growth performance in growing lambs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality)
12 pages, 316 KiB  
Article
Effects of Using Rosemary Residues as a Cereal Substitute in Concentrate on Vitamin E, Antioxidant Activity, Color, Lipid Oxidation, and Fatty Acid Profile of Barbarine Lamb Meat
by Samir Smeti, Yathreb Yagoubi, Houssemeddine Srihi, Sandra Lobón, Juan Ramón Bertolín, Mokhtar Mahouachi, Margalida Joy and Naziha Atti
Animals 2021, 11(7), 2100; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072100 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4933
Abstract
The shortage of some ingredients and, consequently, the continuous increase in the price of feed encourage the search for other alternatives to maintain animal production and enhance its products. In this line, the use of aromatic plant by-products in animal diet has been [...] Read more.
The shortage of some ingredients and, consequently, the continuous increase in the price of feed encourage the search for other alternatives to maintain animal production and enhance its products. In this line, the use of aromatic plant by-products in animal diet has been recently and widely considered, given their richness in bioactive compounds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the inclusion of rosemary residues (RR) and protein sources on lamb meat quality. The experiment was carried out on 24 male Barbarine lambs (3 months old) with an average body weight (BW) of 17.8 ± 2.6 kg, which were divided into three homogeneous groups according to BW. The diet comprised 600 g of oat hay and 600 g of concentrate. Three types of concentrate were evaluated: commercial concentrate as the control group (C); rosemary residues (RR) plus soybean meal as the RRS group, and RR plus faba bean as the RRF group. After an experimental period of 65 days, lambs were slaughtered. The inclusion of RR in both concentrates increased the α-tocopherol and total polyphenol content in meat and protected meat against discoloration (high red index and chroma after 9 days of storage) but did not affect meat lipid oxidation, which was similar for all groups. The FA profile was affected by the inclusion of RR, with no effect from the source of protein (faba bean or soybean). The inclusion of RR in the concentrate increased the C18:2 n-6, C18:3 n-3, C20:4 n-6, C20:5 n-3, and C22:5 n-3 content (p < 0.05). Consequently, the inclusion of RR also increased the total polyunsaturated FA (p < 0.05) and the ratio of polyunsaturated FA to saturated FA (p < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrate that concentrate based on RR could be useful for lamb meat production by improving the nutritional quality of meat, especially the fatty acid profile. In addition, soybean meal can be replaced by faba bean in lamb concentrate without affecting meat quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality)
8 pages, 226 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Effects of Distillers Grains on Heifer Feeding Behavior in the Finishing Phase
by Kaylie A. Huizenga and Joshua C. McCann
Animals 2021, 11(7), 1905; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11071905 - 26 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1680
Abstract
The objective was to determine the effect of low inclusion levels of dried distillers grains (DDG) on feeding behavior in heifers consuming a high-moisture corn-based diet in the finishing phase. Simmental × Angus heifers (N = 90; 323 ± 50 kg) were fed [...] Read more.
The objective was to determine the effect of low inclusion levels of dried distillers grains (DDG) on feeding behavior in heifers consuming a high-moisture corn-based diet in the finishing phase. Simmental × Angus heifers (N = 90; 323 ± 50 kg) were fed for 180 d. Heifers were blocked by initial body weight (BW) into two groups, stratified by sire, and assigned to 15 pens with six heifers each. Pens were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: 0% DDG inclusion (0DG), 7% DDG inclusion (7DG), or 14% DDG inclusion (14DG). Treatments did not affect (p > 0.59) BW, average daily gain, and gain:feed. Although there was a treatment × time effect (p = 0.05) for dry matter intake (DMI), with 0DG having greater DMI during the last 70 d, no differences in overall DMI were detected. Treatment affected (p < 0.01) bunk visit duration and head down duration, with 7DG and 14DG having less minutes per day. Bunk visit frequency (p = 0.02) was less variable for heifers fed 14DG and DMI tended (p = 0.08) to be less variable for both distillers treatments. While dietary inclusion of DDG has minimal effects on overall heifer performance, low levels of DDG inclusion can affect feeding behavior and intake variation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality)
10 pages, 274 KiB  
Article
Grape Pomace Ingestion by Dry Cows Does Not Affect the Colostrum Nutrient and Fatty Acid Composition
by Michal Rolinec, Daniel Bíro, Milan Šimko, Miroslav Juráček, Ondrej Hanušovský, Zuzana Schubertová, Lucie Chadimová and Branislav Gálik
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1633; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061633 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4373
Abstract
The utilisation of different by-products from the food industry as nutrient sources for farm animals is both possible and beneficial. Grape pomace is a by-product that contains polyphenols and fatty acids, both of which have the potential to improve the nutritional quality of [...] Read more.
The utilisation of different by-products from the food industry as nutrient sources for farm animals is both possible and beneficial. Grape pomace is a by-product that contains polyphenols and fatty acids, both of which have the potential to improve the nutritional quality of cow colostrum. This study aimed to explore how the addition of grape pomace to the diet of dry cows affects the concentration of nutrients and fatty acids of colostrum. Sixteen Slovak spotted cows in late pregnancy were used in this study. From the seventh day before expected calving to the day of calving, cows in the grape pomace group received a diet supplemented with dried grape pomace, at 0.116 kg/cow/day. Colostrum samples were analysed for basal nutrients and fatty acid concentrations. Between the control and experimental groups, the nutrient and fatty acid concentrations of all the colostrum samples did not show significant differences. The nutrient levels in the colostrum from both groups of cows were typical, as related to the time from calving. The addition of the grape pomace into the diet of dry cows had no effect on nutrient concentrations and the fatty acid composition of the colostrum. The somatic cell score of the colostrum sampled at the 12th hour after calving (4.2 versus 2.6) was positively affected by grape pomace addition. The results of this study revealed that grape pomace (fed in an amount of 0.116 kg/cow/day) had no positive or negative effect on the base nutrients and fatty acids of cow colostrum, and, therefore, grape pomace can be used as a nutrient source for dry cows in small amounts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality)
18 pages, 297 KiB  
Article
Soybean Meal Can Be Replaced by Faba Beans, Pumpkin Seed Cake, Spirulina or Be Completely Omitted in a Forage-Based Diet for Fattening Bulls to Achieve Comparable Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality
by Magdalena Keller, Beat Reidy, Andreas Scheurer, Lukas Eggerschwiler, Isabelle Morel and Katrin Giller
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1588; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061588 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6161
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the complete substitution of imported soybean meal in beef cattle diets and the consequences on performance, meat, and adipose tissue quality. Thirty growing crossbred Limousin bulls, with an initial bodyweight of 164 ± 13 kg [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the complete substitution of imported soybean meal in beef cattle diets and the consequences on performance, meat, and adipose tissue quality. Thirty growing crossbred Limousin bulls, with an initial bodyweight of 164 ± 13 kg and 4.3 ± 0.3 months of age, were fed a grass/maize-silage based diet with little additional concentrate (0.5:0.3:0.2). Concentrates contained either soybean meal (positive control), faba beans, pumpkin seed cake, or spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), resulting in about 226 g crude protein (CP)/kg concentrate dry matter (DM) and 158 g CP/kg total diet DM. A grain-based concentrate providing just 135 g CP/kg concentrate DM and 139 g CP/total diet DM served as a negative control. Bulls of all groups had comparable average daily gains (1.43 ± 0.1 kg) and feed intakes (6.92 ± 0.37 kg). Carcass and meat quality did not differ among groups. The fatty acid profile of meat lipids was hardly affected. These results indicate that soybean meal can be replaced by any of the tested protein sources without impairing performance or meat quality. Importantly, bulls fed the negative control achieved a fattening and slaughter performance comparable to that of the protein-supplemented groups without affecting meat and adipose tissue quality. Thus, the present findings suggest that feeding crossbred bulls a grass/maize-silage based diet does not require additional protein supplementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Feedstuff in Ruminants. Implications on Performance and Product Quality)
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