Combinations of wet corn gluten feed and steam-flaked corn in finishing cattle diets: effects on acid-resistant E. Coli and coliforms, VFA Profiles and pH

Abstract

Finishing beef steers (615 head) were used in a 152-day experiment to evaluate the effects of feeding 80:0, 60:30 or 30:60 ratios (dry basis) of steam-flaked corn and wet corn gluten feed (WCGF, 30WCGF, 60WCGF) on acid-resistant E. coli and coliforms. On days 114 to 118 ruminal and fecal samples were collected from 180 steers and analyzed for pH, VFA, and total and acid-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and coliforms. Ruminal (P=0.13) and fecal (P=0.10) VFA tended to decrease linearly as CGF increased. Consequently, there was a corresponding numerical linear increase in ruminal pH and a significant linear increase in fecal pH (P<0.05). Total and acid-resistant E. coli and coliforms, however, were not affected (P>0.10) by dietary treatment.