Performance, ruminal and serum characteristics of steers fed lasalocid on pasture

Seventy-two growing steers were used in a 126-d study to determine the influence of varying levels of lasalocid on performance, ruminal and serum characteristics of animals grazing pasture. Treatments consisted of: 1) control; 2) 200 mg lasalocid/d and 3) 300 mg lasalocid/d. Each treatment was replicated three times and each replicate of eight steers was maintained on 3.0 ha of pasture. Pastures consisted of a mixture of tall fescue, orchard grass and ladino clover. In addition to pasture, each replicate of steers was group fed ground corn at a rate of .91 kg X head-1 X d-1 with the lasalocid incorporated into the grain. Average daily gains were .50, .60 and .57 kg, respectively, for steers on the control, and for the 200 and 300 mg lasalocid treatments, which differed (P less than .05) from controls. Ruminal acetate (mol/100 mol) was lower (P less than .05) in steers fed lasalocid at 28 d, but similar for all treatments at 56 and 112 d. Molar proportion of propionate was higher (P less than .05) and butyrate and valerate were lower (P less than .10) in rumen fluid of steers receiving 200 or 300 mg/d of lasalocid. Plasma glucose concentrations were similar for controls and steers receiving 200 mg lasalocid/d, but higher (P less than .05) in steers fed 300 mg lasalocid/d. Serum Mg concentrations were lower (P less than .01) in steers receiving lasalocid. Potassium concentrations in serum were slightly lower (P less than .01) in animals fed lasalocid at 112 d, but not at 28 or 56 d.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)