The effects of urea-treated potato pulp (PP) ensiled with beet pulp or wheat bran pellets to reduce moisture of PP and flake density of corn grain supplemented with the PP silage on digestibility and ruminal fermentation in beef steers.

The effects of adding beet pulp or wheat bran to urea-treated potato pulp (PP) in order to reduce moisture of PP silage and flake density of corn grain on digestibility and ruminal fermentation in beef steers were studied in a split-plot design experiment. The whole-plot treatments were PP silage mixed with 0% added pellets (CON), 9% (as-fed basis) beet pulp pellets (BP) or 9% (as-fed basis) wheat bran pellets (WB) as water-absorbing materials. The subplot treatments consisted of supplements formulated to contain either high-density corn (HDC) or low-density corn (LDC). BP steers consumed more (BP vs WB, P = 0.011) concentrate than did WB steers, whereas hay intake did not differ between the treatments. Dry matter (BP vs WB, P = 0.023) and organic matter (BP vs WB, P = 0.029) digestibility were higher for BP steers than for WB steers. Starch digestibility was higher (P = 0.006) for LDC than for HDC. There were no differences in the concentration of ruminal ammonia nitrogen among the treatments. Molar proportions of ruminal acetate were higher for BP steers than for WB steers (BP vs WB, P = 0.030). Conversely, molar proportions of propionate were lower for BP steers than for WB steers (BP vs WB, P = 0.044). Flake density of corn did not affect ruminal characteristics. In conclusion, from the viewpoint of feed intake and digestibility, BP is superior to WB as a moisture control material for urea-treated PP silage, and flake density of corn supplemented with urea-treated PP silage does not alter ruminal fermentation.