Effects of Dietary Energy on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation and Bacterial Community, and Meat Quality of Holstein-Friesians Bulls Slaughtered at Different Ages.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary energy levels on growth performance, rumen fermentation and bacterial community, and meat quality of Holstein-Friesians bulls slaughtered at different ages. Thirty-six Holstein-Friesians bulls (17 months of age) were divided into a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with three energy levels (LE, ME and HE; metabolizable energy is 10.12, 10.90 and 11.68 MJ/kg, respectively) of diets, and three slaughter ages (20, 23 and 26 months). Results indicated that bulls fed with ME and HE diets had higher dry matter intake, average daily gain, and dressing percentage at 23 or 26 months of age. The ME and HE diets also reduced bacterial diversity, altered relative abundances of bacteria and produced lower concentrations of acetate, but higher

SUBMITTER: Wang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6941049 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature