Performance of beef cows supplemented with de-oiled rice bran

Abstract

Experiment 1, 120 crossbred beef cows (body weight 467±6 kg) had free choice access to hay and were supplemented with deoiled rice bran (DORB) at 0.5, 0.7 or 0.9% of BW (as fed) from late gestation (December 13) through early lactation (April 18). Increasing level of DORB to 0.9% of BW tended (P <0.13) to increase BW by 18 kg; however, pregnancy rate did not differ (P>0.18). Calf birth weight (P=0.46) or calf BW at the end of the study (P≤0.46) were not affected by level of DORB. There was a linear reduction (P=0.04) in hay fed with increasing level of DORB during gestation; however, hay fed during lactation was not different (P=0.33). In Experiment 2, 12 crossbred beef cows (BW489±8 kg) were individually fed DORB at 0, 0.50, 0.75 or 1.00% of BW (as fed) and allowed ad libitum access to chopped hay. Hay (P>0.19) and total dry matter intake were not affected (P>0.42) by level of DORB. Total and hay dry matter digestibility increased (P<0.05) in a cubic response. Increasing level of DORB resulted in a linear (P<0.01) increase in hay neutral detergent fiber digestibility and tended to increase the BW of beef cows, but not other performance parameters. It is concluded that DORB can be utilised to supplement warm season grass hay fed to gestating and lactating beef cows. © GSP, India.