Intake, Digestibility, Ruminal Fermentation, and In Situ Disappearance of Bermudagrass Hay by Lactating Beef Cows Offered Corn or Hominy Feed as Supplements at Two Different Rates

Hominy feed (HF) has been evaluated in feedlot and dairy rations but not as a supplemental energy source for lactating beef cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect level HF supplementation on intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation characteristics, situ dry matter (DM) disappearance bermudagrass hay. Five ruminally cannulated cows (body weight (BW) = 596 kg, SE 13.9) were used an experiment with 5 × Latin square design. Treatments hay-basal diet low (LH; 0.25% BW), medium (MH; 0.50% ground corn (LC; (MC; BW) no supplement (CON). Cows housed individually, supplements offered at 0800 daily. Hay maintain 10% refusal. Periods 16–d, 10 d adaptation. Ruminal fluid sampled 14 each period measurement pH, volatile fatty acids, rumen ammonia-N. An degradation hay completed diet. dry-matter intake (DMI % affected (p 0.14) by supplement, total DMI greater ≤ 0.05) MH MC compared LH CON. Digestible BW LC, intermediate, CON lesser 0.01) than all other diets. Dry-matter fill, passage rate, retention time did differ ≥ 0.31). A interaction observed ammonia-N 0.0002), propionate 0.02) effects parameters, effects. Bermudagrass hay’s potentially degradable fraction CON, effective DM degradability different 0.39) among Overall, diets reduced or CON; therefore, negative associative from any levels study.