| dc.description.abstract | Understanding the potential of hempseed cake to be used as a livestock feedstuff is important for both industrial hemp and beef producers. Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of hempseed cake (HEMP) on growth performance, feeding behavior, plasma metabolite concentrations across time, and carcass characteristics when fed in finishing diets to heifers in comparison to dried corn distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS). Experiment 2 investigated the effects of HEMP on diet ruminal fermentation parameters, total tract digestibility, nutrient flow, and nitrogen balance in finishing steers in comparison to DDGS and a control (CON) diet containing no byproduct. Experiment 3 explored the effects of hempseed cake on immune parameters in response to an endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) challenge in finishing steers in comparison to DDGS and CON. In experiment 1, the HEMP diet reduced heifer growth performance and hot carcass weight while not influencing dry matter intake, feeding behavior, or other carcass characteristics. Plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) was greater for heifers fed the HEMP diet, and glucose and total amino acid concentrations were not influence by treatment. In experiment 2, ruminal ammonia and total VFA concentrations were greatest for steers fed the HEMP diet. Furthermore, organic matter (OM) intake tended to be greater, OM total tract apparent digestibility was reduced, and N digestibility was greatest for steers fed the HEMP diet, and site of digestion was influenced by treatment. Nitrogen retention was greatest in steers fed the HEMP diet, suggesting treatment influence on N metabolism. In experiment 3, there was a treatment by hour interaction for PUN, and plasma glucose and NEFA were not influenced by treatment. Plasma IL-1α, IL-36RA, and TNF-α were lowest in steers fed the HEMP diet, and all other cytokines and total amino acid plasma concentrations were not influenced by treatment. Hempseed cake negatively influences growth performance in large part because of reduced total tract apparent OM digestibility, while N total tract apparent digestibility and N retention are improved and immune response is influenced, so further understanding of these outcomes is needed to explore implications of feeding hempseed cake to finishing cattle. | en_US |
