Friday, September 18, 2009

Glycerol to Replace some corn in rations

Some one asked about this very topic today on one of my lists. I can't find the post to reply personally. This research is on dairy cows, but since both dairy cows and goats are ruminants, I feel it is valuable information

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Feeding value of glycerol as a replacement for corn grain in rations fed to lactating dairy cows
S. S. Donkin*,1, S. L. Koser*, H. M. White*, P. H. Doane{dagger} and M. J. Cecava{dagger}

* Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
{dagger} Archer Daniels Midland Company, Decatur, IL 62521

1 Corresponding author: sdonkin@purdue.edu

Growth of the corn ethanol industry has created a need for alternatives to corn for lactating dairy cows. Concurrent expansion in soydiesel production is expected to increase availability and promote favorable pricing for glycerol, a primary co-product material. The objective of this study was to determine the feeding value of glycerol as a replacement for corn in diets fed to lactating dairy cattle. Sixty lactating Holstein cows housed in individual tie stalls were fed a base diet consisting of corn silage, legume forages, corn grain, soyhulls, roasted soybeans, and protein supplements. After a 2-wk acclimation period, cows were fed diets containing 0, 5, 10, or 15% refined glycerol for 56 d. Cows were milked twice daily and weekly milk samples were collected. Milk production was 36.3, 37.2, 37.9, and 36.2 ± 1.6 kg/d and feed intake was 23.8, 24.6, 24.8, and 24.0 ± 0.7 kg/d for 0, 5, 10, and 15% glycerol treatments, respectively, and did not differ except for a modest reduction in feed intake during the first 7 d of the trial for 15% glycerol (treatment x time effect). Milk composition was not altered by glycerol feeding except that milk urea nitrogen was decreased from 12.5 ± 0.4 to 10.2 ± 0.4 mg/dL with glycerol addition. Cows fed diets containing 10 and 15% glycerol gained more weight than those fed rations containing 0 or 5% glycerol but body condition scores did not differ with glycerol feeding. The data indicate that glycerol is a suitable replacement for corn grain in diets for lactating dairy cattle and that it may be included in rations to a level of at least 15% of dry matter without adverse effects on milk production or milk composition.

http://jds.fass.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/10/5111?etoc


Key Words: glycerol • energy • biofuel

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Oh No!! Don't Go into the Woods today!


Without tucking your pants in your socks, that is. Just what we need, another tick-bourne disease!


Researchers have found that up to 15% of ticks collected carry Anaplasma phagocytophilum part of the same group of bacterium that cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Fifty cases have been identified in humans in the past three years. Ticks in the western part of the United States, yes, the same ones who carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the deer tick is the culprit.

There are antibody tests in place to diagnose Anaplasmosis.The antibiotic doxycycline is the treatment. Use precautions against tick bites that are in place for prevention of Lyme’s disease.


Read more at: http://www.examiner.com/x-7707-Infectious-Disease-Examiner~y2009m9d12-An-emerging-tickborne-disease-seen-in-parts-of-the-United-States-What-is-anaplasmosis?cid=examiner-email