Table 2.
Nutrient composition of TMR and supplements provided to beef heifers during the first trimester of gestation
| Supplements | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical composition | Total mixed ration1 | NoVTM2 | VTM3 | Protein/energy4 |
| Dry matter, % | 53.0 | 86.6 | 89.6 | 87.7 |
| Ash, % DM | 11.5 | 5.3 | 25.1 | 2.4 |
| Crude protein, % DM | 9.9 | 15.6 | 14.8 | 17.5 |
| Neutral detergent fiber, % DM | 65.9 | 41.9 | 27.6 | 19.4 |
| Ether extract, % DM | 1.5 | — | — | 9.1 |
| Nonfiber carbohydrates, % DM | 11.1 | 37.2 | 32.5 | 51.6 |
| Mineral content | ||||
| Calcium, g/kg DM | 5.74 | 2.47 | 50.62 | 0.30 |
| Phosphorus, g/kg DM | 2.05 | 8.94 | 22.82 | 4.59 |
| Sodium, g/kg DM | 0.26 | 0.12 | 19.44 | 0.24 |
| Magnesium, g/kg DM | 2.83 | 4.47 | 5.20 | 1.96 |
| Potassium, g/kg DM | 15.81 | 14.22 | 13.15 | 6.05 |
| Sulfur, g/kg DM | 2.25 | 2.41 | 4.84 | 2.57 |
| Manganese, mg/kg DM | 121.2 | 103.9 | 953.4 | 26.0 |
| Cobalt, mg/kg DM | 0.36 | 0.14 | 3.38 | 0.05 |
| Copper, mg/kg DM | 4.8 | 13.7 | 285.8 | 3.6 |
| Selenium, mg/kg DM | 0.3 | 0.4 | 7.0 | 0.3 |
| Zinc, mg/kg DM | 28.4 | 130.2 | 1,051.8 | 35.0 |
1Proportion of ingredients: prairie grass hay (55%), corn silage (38%), and dried distillers grains plus solubles (7%).
2NoVTM, supplement was a pelleted product fed at a 0.45 kg/heifer/d with no added vitamin and mineral supplement.
3VTM, supplement was a pelleted product fed at a 0.45 kg/heifer/d (consisting of 113 g of a mineral and vitamin supplement, formulated to deliver similar levels of vitamins and minerals that were fed prebreeding, and 337 g of a carrier).
4Blend of ground corn, dried distillers grains plus solubles, wheat midds, fish oil, urea, and ethoxyquin fed at rate to achieve targeted gain of 0.79 kg/d for moderate gain (MG) treatment.