• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제65권1호
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• pp.149-159
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of castration method and short-term fattening periods on Hanwoo cattle. Thirty-two Hanwoo calves (average body weight: 148.4 ± 19.8 kg) were used. The calves were randomly assigned in a 2 × 2 factor according to two castration methods (castration or hemi-castration) and two short-term finishing periods (24 months or 26 months). The final body weight increased significantly as the fattening period increased (p < 0.05), and the average daily weight gain was higher in the hemi-castration groups than in the castration groups (p < 0.05). After surgical castration, testosterone concentration was higher in the hemi-castration group than in the castration group during the entire experimental period (p < 0.05). The rib eye area was wider in the hemi-castration group than in the castration group (p < 0.01).An interaction effect was observed between the castration method and short-term fattening period (p < 0.05). Marbling and auction price scores differed between castration methods and were higher in the castration group than in the hemi-castration group (p < 0.01). Gross receipts and net income increased in the castration group compared to the hemi-castration group (p < 0.01) and showed a tendency to increase with the short-term fattening period, but there was no significant difference. Thus, castration to remove both testicles is essential for economic profit through producing high-quality Korean beef meat, and short-term fattening for 26 months, rather than 24 months, can benefit more by increasing carcass weight and meat quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권7호
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• pp.935-944
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• 2013

Essential oils have been shown to favorably effect in vitro ruminal fermentation, but there are few in vivo studies that have examined animal responses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of thyme (THY) and cinnamon (CIN) essential oils on feed intake, growth performance, ruminal fermentation and blood metabolites in feedlot calves fed high-concentrate diets. Twelve growing Holstein calves ($213{\pm}17kg$ initial BW) were used in a completely randomized design and received their respective dietary treatments for 45 d. Treatments were: 1-control (no additive), 2-THY (5 g/d/calf) and 3-CIN (5 g/d/calf). Calves were fed ad libitum diets consisting of 15% forage and 85% concentrate, and adapted to the finishing diet by gradually increasing the concentrate ratio with feeding a series of transition diets 5 wk before the experiment started. Supplementation of THY or CIN did not affect DMI and ADG, and feed efficiency was similar between treatment groups. There were no effects of additives on ruminal pH and rumen concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and total VFA; whereas molar proportion of acetate and ratio of acetate to propionate decreased, and the molar proportion of propionate increased with THY and CIN supplementation. Rumen molar concentration of butyrate was significantly increased by adding CIN compared to control; but no change was observed with THY compared with control group. No effects of THY, or CIN were observed on valerate, isobutyrate or isovalerate proportions. Plasma concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea-N, ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were not changed by feeding THY or CIN. Results from this study suggest that supplementing a feedlot finishing diet with THY or CIN essential oil might be useful as ruminal fermentation modifiers in beef production systems, but has minor impacts on blood metabolites.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1569-1575
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• 2016

Two experiments were conducted to examine the influence of kaolinite clay supplementation (0%, 1%, or 2% diet dry matter [DM] basis) on characteristics of digestion (Trial 1) and growth performance (Trial 2) in calf-fed Holstein steers fed a finishing diet. In Trial 1, 6 Holstein steers ($539{\pm}15kg$) with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to evaluate treatment effects on characteristics of digestion. Kaolinite clay supplementation decreased total tract DM digestion (linear effect, p<0.01) without effects ($p{\geq}0.10$) on site and extent of digestion of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, starch and N, or ruminal microbial efficiency. There were no treatment effects on ruminal pH, volatile fatty acids molar proportions or estimated methane production. In Trial 2, 108 Holstein steers ($132.4{\pm}5.6kg$) were used in a 308-d study to evaluate growth performance and carcass characteristics. There were no treatment effects (p>0.10) on average daily gain (ADG) and gain efficiency (ADG/dry matter intake). Kaolinite supplementation tended (linear effect, p = 0.08) to increase dietary net energy (NE) during the initial 112-d period. However, the overall (308-d) effect of supplementation dietary NE was not appreciable (p>0.20). However, due to the inertness of kaolinite, itself, the ratio of observed-to-expected dietary NE increased with kaolinite supplementation. This effect was more pronounced (linear effect, $p{\leq}0.03$) during the initial 224 d of the study. Overall (308 d), kaolinite supplementation tended to increase (linear effect, p = 0.07) dietary NE by 3% over expected. Kaolinite supplementation did not affect carcass weight, yield grade, longissimus area, kidney, pelvic and heart fat, and quality grade, but decreased (linear effect, p = 0.01) dressing percentage. It is concluded that kaolinite supplementation up to 2% of diet DM may enhance energetic efficiency of calf-fed Holstein steers in a manner independent of changes in characteristics of ruminal and total tract digestion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.80-88
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• 2016

Twenty crossbred steers ($400{\pm}40.1kg$ of initial body weight) were used to assess the effects of a dietary supplementation with crude glycerin (CG) as a substitute for corn grain on performance, carcass traits, and meat quality. Four isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were offered to the experimental animals (5 steers per treatment) for 121 days using randomized complete block design. The steers individually received dietary treatments containing 0%, 7%, 14%, and 21% of CG (88.91% pure) on a dry matter (DM) basis. The diets were offered ad libitum as total mixed rations twice daily. Weight gain and carcass traits were determined. At the end of the experimental period, the harvest data and carcass characteristics of the steers were recorded, and meat quality was determined. No significant effect of CG inclusion was observed in any of the growth performance and carcass characteristics traits studied. Also, there were no apparent effects of diets (p>0.05) on meat quality (pH, water holding capacity, drip losses, and cooking losses). The study concluded that CG could be used as a substitute for corn grain up to the level of approximately 21% of DM in the diets of finishing steers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.1909-1916
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• 2007

This study compared the growth performance and carcass evaluation of Jeju native cattle (JNC) and its crossbreds (CBK = 25 JNC:50 Charolais:25 Brahman and BCBK = 62.5 JNC:25 Charolais:12.5 Brahman). Eight male calves of each JNC, CBK and BCBK were weaned at 4 month of age and were fed for 24 months of age. All animals grazed a pasture between 5 to 10 months of age then they were fed growing ration at the rate of 1.5% of their BW along with ad libitum supply of Italian ryegrass hay between 11 to 16 months of age and thereafter switched to ad libitum feeding of finishing ration and hay between 17 to 24 months of age. Mean body weight (BW) and BW gain were higher in CBK compared with BCBK and JNC at 4, 10, 16 and 24 months of age. Average daily BW gain during 4 to 10 months of age was the highest for CBK followed by BCBK and JNC. However, daily BW gain was higher in BCBK than in CBK and JNC during 11 and 16 months of age. During fattening period (17 to 24 months) average daily BW gain was higher in JNC than in CBK and BCBK. Slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weight were higher in CBK compared with JNC and BCBK. Weight of bones, boneless meat, ribs, excluded rib meat, retailed cut meat, tender loin, sir loin, strip loin, sticking, top round, bottom round, fore leg, shank, and thin-flank were higher in CBK than in BCBK and JNC. Fat weight in these carcass cuts and kidney fat was similar in JNC and its crossbreds. Logissimus dorsi and its ratio were higher in CBK compared with BCBK and JNC. Percent moisture, crude protein, and ash contents of beef were similar in JNC and its crossbreds. Percent beef fat was higher in JNC and BCBK than in CBK. Cooking loss and water holding capacity of beef was similar in JNC and its crossbreds. Sheer force was lower in BCBK compared with JNC and CBK. Juiciness, tenderness and flavor of beef were higher in BCBK compared with JNC and CBK. In conclusion, CBK has shown higher growth rate and produced heavier carcasses with good degree of fatness compared with JNC and BCBK. However, fattening for longer period could increase the maintenance cost in CBK and BCBK because of their higher BW which they attained during growing period.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제57권6호
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• pp.25.1-25.7
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• 2015

Rumen bypass fat is commonly added to increase energy intake in dairy cattle. The objective of this study is to examine the addition of rumen bypass fat during finishing period on performance and carcass characteristics in grain fed steers. This study was conducted as a completely randomized block design with 126 cross-bred steer calves (initial BW $471.5{\pm}7.5kg$) randomly assigned to pens with 9 steers/pen (n = 7 pens/treatment). Each pen was randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups; rumen bypass fat treatment (CCS, calcium soap of palm fatty acids) and control diet (CT, tallow). The diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Animals were fed twice daily at 110 % of the previous daily ad libitum intake. Blood from each sample was taken from the jugular vein. Muscle and adipose samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi regions. Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics were assessed. To examine adipogenic gene expression, quantitative real-time PCR was completed. Steers fed the CT had a greater level of performance for most of the parameters measured. The CT group had greater DMI (P < 0.05) and tended to have greater ADG (P < 0.10). Marbling score (P < 0.05) and quality grade (P < 0.05) were greater for steers fed the CT diet than those fed CCS. The longissimus muscle area tended to be greater (P < 0.10) in steers fed CT ($87.60cm^2$) than those fed CCS (84.88 cm2). The leptin mRNA expression was down-regulated (P < 0.05) in adipose tissue of steers fed a CCS when compared to those fed CT. These data suggest that calcium soap of palm fatty acids can be added to finishing diets without significant reduction in final body weight, although there may be modest reductions in marbling and quality scores.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제37권5호
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• pp.839-851
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• 2024

Objective: The main goal of our current study was to improve the growth curve of meat animals by decreasing the birth weight while achieving a finishing weight that is the same as that before selection but at younger age. Methods: Random regression model was developed to derive various selection indices to achieve desired gains in body weight at target time points throughout the fattening process. We considered absolute and proportional gains at specific ages (in weeks) and for various stages (i.e., early, middle, late) during the fattening process. Results: The point gain index was particularly easy to use because breeders can assign a specific age (in weeks) as a time point and model either the actual weight gain desired or a scaled percentage gain in body weight. Conclusion: The point gain index we developed can achieve the desired weight gain at any given postnatal week of the growing process and is an easy-to-use and practical option for improving the growth curve.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.823-829
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• 2016

Eight Holstein steers ($216{\pm}48kg$ body weight) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to evaluate effects of wheat straw processing (ground vs pelleted) at two straw inclusion rates (7% and 14%; dry matter basis) in dry rolled or steam-flaked corn-based finishing diets on characteristics of digestion. The experimental design was a split plot consisting of two simultaneous $4{\times}4$ Latin squares. Increasing straw level reduced ruminal (p<0.01) and total tract (p = 0.03) organic matter (OM) digestion. As expected, increasing wheat straw level from 7% to 14% decreased (p<0.05) ruminal and total tract digestion of OM. Digestion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch, per se, were not affected (p>0.10) by wheat straw level. Likewise, straw level did not influence ruminal acetate and propionate molar proportions or estimated methane production (p>0.10). Pelleting straw did not affect ($p{\geq}0.48$) ruminal digestion of OM, NDF, and starch, or microbial efficiency. Ruminal feed N digestion was greater (7.4%; p = 0.02) for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets. Although ruminal starch digestion was not affected by straw processing, post-ruminal (p<0.01), and total-tract starch (p = 0.05) digestion were greater for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets, resulting in a tendency for increased post-ruminal (p = 0.06) and total tract (p = 0.07) OM digestion. Pelleting wheat straw decreased (p<0.01) ruminal pH, although ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration and estimated methane were not affected ($p{\geq}0.27$). Ruminal digestion of OM and starch, and post-ruminal and total tract digestion of OM, starch and N were greater (p<0.01) for steam-flaked than for dry rolled corn-based diets. Ruminal NDF digestion was greater (p = 0.02) for dry rolled than for steam-flaked corn, although total tract NDF digestion was unaffected (p = 0.94). Ruminal microbial efficiency and ruminal degradation of feed N were not affected (p>0.14) by corn processing. However, microbial N flow to the small intestine and ruminal N efficiency (non-ammonia N flow to the small intestine/N intake) were greater (p<0.01) for steam-flaked than for dry rolled corn-based diets. Ruminal pH and total VFA concentration were not affected ($p{\geq}0.16$) by corn processing method. Compared with dry rolled corn, steam-flaked corn-based diets resulted in decreased acetate:propionate molar ratio (p = 0.02). It is concluded that at 7% or 14% straw inclusion rate, changes in physical characteristics of wheat straw brought about by pelleting negatively impact OM digestion of both steam-flaked and dry-rolled corn-based finishing diets. This effect is due to decreased post-ruminal starch digestion. Replacement of ground straw with pelleted straw also may decrease ruminal pH.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제24권11호
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• pp.1552-1559
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• 2011

Real time PCR was used in this study to determine the effect of triticale dried distillers grains with solubles (TDDGS) as a replacement for grain or barley silage in finishing diets on the presence of six classical ruminal bacterial species (Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens, Selenomonas ruminantium, Streptococcus bovis, Megasphaera elsdenii, Prevotella ruminicola and Fibrobacter succinogenes) within the rumen contents of feedlot cattle. This study was divided into a step-wise adaptation experiment (112 days) that examined the effects of adaptation to diets containing increasing levels of TDDGS up to 30% (n = 4), a short-term experiment comparing animals (n = 16) fed control, 20%, 25% or 30% TDDGS diets over 28 days, and a rapid transition experiment (56 days) where animals (n = 4) were rapidly switched from a diet containing 30% TDDGS to a barley-based diet with no TDDGS. It was found that feeding TDDGS as replacement for barley grain (control vs. 20% TDDGS) decreased 16S rRNA copy numbers of starch-fermenting S. ruminantium and S. bovis (p<0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively), but did not alter 16S rRNA copy numbers of the other rumen bacteria. Furthermore, feeding TDDGS as a replacement barley silage (20% vs. 25% and 30% TDDGS) increased 16S rRNA copy numbers of S. ruminantium, M. elsdenii and F. succinogenes (p<0.001; p = 0.03 and p<0.001, respectively), but decreased (p<0.001) the 16S rRNA copy number of P. ruminicola. Upon removal of 30% TDDGS and return to the control diet, 16S rRNA copy numbers of S. ruminantium, M. elsdenii and F. succinogenes decreased (p = 0.01; p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively), but S. dextrinosolvens and S. bovis increased (p = 0.04 and p = 0.009, respectively). The results suggest that replacement of TDDGS for grain reduces 16S rRNA copy numbers of starch-fermenting bacteria, whereas substitution for barley silage increases 16S rRNA copy numbers of bacteria involved in fibre digestion and the metabolism of lactic acid. This outcome supports the contention that the fibre in TDDGS is highly fermentable.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.623-633
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• 2017

Food waste has been recognized as a organic sources for composting and many research was conducted to efficiently utilize or treat. This study was to evaluate a feasibility for producing food waste compost under co-composting with mixture of food and animal waste. The mixing ratio of food and animal waste was 35% as main material, which additionally mixed 30% of sawdust for co-composting. Total days of composting experiment were 84 days and each sub samples were collected at every 7 days from starting of composting. Results showed that inner temperature in composting was rapidly increased to $70{\pm}4^{\circ}C$ within 3~5 days depending on mixing animal waste of cattle, pig, and chicken base compared to sole food waste base. Expecially, the CN ratio in the mixture of food and pig water was the highest (16.2) among compost. After finishing composting experiment, maturity was evaluated with solvita and germination test. Maturity index (MI) of the mixture of food and animal waste was ranged between 6~7, but was 3 in sole food waste. Calculated germination index (GI) was at the range of about 100 irrespectively of mixing of food and animal waste. However, NaCl content and heavy metal as Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents was increased in the mixture of food and animal waste. which was the highest in compost mixed the food and pig waste. Both MI and GI showed that manufactured fertilizer was suitable for fertilizer criteria while sole food waste was not adequate for composting due to composting periods. Overall, mixing the food and animal waste can be utilized for improving compost maturity, but more research should be conducted to make high quality of food waste compost with animal waste in agricultural fields.