Effects of rumen-protected carbohydrate supplementation on performance and blood metabolites in feedlot finishing steers during heat stress

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the inclusion of a rumen-protected carbohydrate (RPC) on growth performance and blood metabolites of finishing steers during the summer. A 62-d feedlot study was conducted using 135 Angus crossbred steers (body weight = 287 ± 13 kg). All animals were fed a basal diet (BD), then treatments were top-dressed. The treatments were the same composition and only varied in ruminal degradability. Treatments were 1) a BD with 1 kg/d of a control supplement (0RPC), 2) the BD plus 0.5 kg/d of the control supplement and 0.5 kg/d of RPC (0.5RCP), and 3) the BD with 1 kg/d of RPC supplement (1RPC). Temperature humidity index and cattle panting scores (CPS) were measured daily during the experiment. Growth performance, back-fat over the 12th rib (BF), LM area, blood glucose and plasma insulin, urea, and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were measured. Data were statistically analyzed (PROC Mixed, SAS) using treatment, time, and their interaction as a fixed variable and pen as a random variable. There were no differences (P > 0.10) between the three treatments on CPS, BF, and LM area on day 62. There was a trend (P = 0.06) for treatment effect for a greater body weight on the 0.5RPC, and a treatment effect for dry matter intake (P = 0.05). Treatment × day interactions were observed for average daily gain (ADG, P =0.04), suggesting a different response to treatments during the different sampling periods. There was a treatment effect for blood glucose concentration (P = 0.03), having the 0RPC the greatest concentration. Treatment × day interactions were found for plasma insulin concentration (P = 0.01). The results suggest that the response to RPC supplementation depends in part on environment. The use of 0.5 kg/d of RPC tends to improve overall body weight; however, the response to RPC on ADG and plasma insulin concentration depend on the time of sampling.