This study evaluated the effect of feeding ergot contaminated grain continuously or intermittently through backgrounding (BG) and finishing (FN) in a mash or pelleted supplement on the growth performance, health and welfare parameters, and carcass characteristics of feedlot beef steers. Sixty black Angus steers (300 ±29.4 kg BW) were used in a complete randomized 238-d study. Steers were stratified by weight and randomly assigned to 4 different diets (15 steers/treatment) and individually housed. Treatments included: 1) control (CON; no added EA), 2) continuous ergot mash (CEM; fed continuously at 2 mg total EA/kg of DM), 3) intermittent ergot mash (IEM; fed at 2 mg total EA/kg of DM, during the first week of each 21-d period and CON for the remaining 2 weeks, this feeding pattern was repeated in each period), and 4) intermittent ergot pellet (IEP; fed at 2 mg of total EA/kg of DM as a pellet during the first week of each 21-d period and CON for the remaining 2 weeks as described for IEM). Steers were fed barley-based BG diets containing 40% concentrate:60% silage (DM basis) for 84 d (four 21-d periods), transitioned over 28 d (no ergot fed) to a FN diet (90% concentrate:10% silage DM basis) and fed for 126 d (six 21-d periods) before slaughter. In the BG phase, steer DMI (P < 0.01, 7.45 vs. 8.05 kg/d) and ADG (P < 0.01) were reduced for all EA diets compared to CON. The CEM fed steers had lower ADG (P < 0.01, 0.735 vs. 0.980 kg) and shrunk final BW (P < 0.01, 350 vs. 366 kg) than CON. CEM had lower Gain:Feed (P < 0.07, 0.130 vs. 0.142) than CON. In the FN phase, steer DMI (P < 0.01, 9.95 vs. 11.05 kg/d) and ADG (P = 0.04) was also decreased for all EA fed steers compared to CON. Total shrunk BW gain (P = 0.03, 202.5 vs. 225.2 kg), final BW (P = 0.03, 617.9 vs. 662.2 kg), and carcass weight (P = 0.06) decreased for all EA fed steers compared to CON. The percentage of AAA carcasses decreased for all EA fed steers (P < 0.01, 46.7 vs. 93.3%) compared to CON. EA fed steers had increased rectal temperatures (P < 0.01, 39.8 vs. 39.4 °C) compared to CON. Pelleting ergot contaminated grain did not reduce the impact of ergot alkaloids on any of the measured parameters during BG or FN. Continuously or intermittently feeding ergot contaminated diets (2 mg total EA /kg of DM) significantly reduced intake, growth performance, and carcass weight, with minimal impact on blood parameters in feedlot steers. Pelleting was not an effective method of reducing ergot toxicity.

中文翻译：

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连续或间歇饲喂麦角污染谷物的糊状或颗粒状对饲养场肉牛性能和健康的影响

本研究评估了通过在糊状或颗粒状补充剂中连续或间歇饲喂受麦角污染的谷物对饲养场肉牛的生长性能、健康和福利参数以及胴体特征的影响。在一项完整的随机 238 天研究中使用了 60 头黑色安格斯公牛（体重 300 ±29.4 千克）。公牛按体重分层，随机分配到 4 种不同的饮食中（15 头公牛/处理）并单独圈养。处理包括：1) 对照（CON；不添加 EA），2) 连续麦角醪（CEM；以 2 mg 总 EA/kg DM 连续饲喂），3) 间歇性麦角醪（IEM；以 2 mg 总 EA/kg 饲喂） kg DM，在每个 21 天周期的第一周和剩余 2 周的 CON 中，每个周期重复此饲喂模式），以及 4）间歇性麦角颗粒（IEP；以 2 mg 总 EA/kg 饲喂在每个 21 天周期的第一周将 DM 作为颗粒，并在剩余 2 周内将 CON 用作 IEM）。公牛饲喂含有 40% 浓缩物：60% 青贮饲料（DM 基础）的大麦 BG 日粮，持续 84 天（四个 21 天周期），在 28 天（不饲喂麦角）期间过渡到 FN 日粮​​（90% 浓缩物：10 % 青贮饲料 DM 基础）并在屠宰前饲喂 126 天（六个 21 天周期）。在 BG 阶段，与 CON 相比，所有 EA 日粮的转向 DMI（P < 0.01，7.45 vs. 8.05 kg/d）和 ADG（P < 0.01）均降低。与CON相比，CEM饲喂的公牛具有较低的ADG（P＜0.01，0.735对0.980kg）和缩小的最终体重（P＜0.01，350对366kg）。CEM 的增益：饲料（P < 0.07，0.130 vs. 0.142）比 CON 低。在 FN 阶段，与 CON 相比，所有 EA 饲喂的阉牛的阉割 DMI（P < 0.01，9.95 vs. 11.05 kg/d）和 ADG（P = 0.04）也有所降低。与 CON 相比，所有 EA 喂养的公牛的总体重增加（P = 0.03、202.5 对比 225.2 千克）、最终体重（P = 0.03、617.9 对比 662.2 千克）和胴体重量（P = 0.06）均有所下降。与 CON 相比，所有 EA 喂养的公牛的 AAA 胴体百分比均下降（P < 0.01，46.7 比 93.3%）。与 CON 相比，EA 喂养的阉牛的直肠温度升高（P < 0.01，39.8 与 39.4 °C）。将麦角污染的谷物制粒并不能减少麦角生物碱对 BG 或 FN 期间任何测量参数的影响。连续或间歇饲喂麦角污染日粮（2 毫克总 EA/千克干物质）会显着降低采食量、生长性能和胴体重量，而对饲养场公牛的血液参数影响极小。制粒并不是降低麦角毒性的有效方法。