Comparative feeding value of hulless vs covered barley for feedlot cattle

One hundred twenty medium-frame crossbred steers (364 kg) were used in a 106-d feedlot trial to compare the feeding value of Condor, a hulless barley (HB), with Leduc, a conventional covered barley (CB). Dietary treatments consisted of a finishing diet containing 77% grain (DM basis) as 1) steam-flaked corn (SFC); 2) dry-rolled HB (DRB-H); 3) steam-flaked HB (SFB-H); 4) dry-rolled CB (DRB-C); and 5) steam-flaked CB (SFB-C). Feed intake was lower (8.6%, P < .01) for HB than for CB. Diet NE was greater for HB than for CB (P < .01) and for SFB than for DRB (P < .01). Incidence of liver abscess was greater for DRB than for SFB (239%, P < .05) and for HB than for CB (167%, P < .10). Diet NE were greater (P < .10) for SFC than for barley treatments. Treatment effects on characteristics of digestion were evaluated using five Holstein steers (202 kg) with cannulas in the rumen and proximal duodenum. There were barley variety x grain processing interactions on ruminal digestion of OM (P < .10), ADF (P < .05), and starch (P < .05). Ruminal OM digestion increased (9.0%) with steam flaking HB and decreased slightly (1.9%) with steam flaking CB. Ruminal digestion of starch was enhanced more dramatically (21.5 vs 8.4%, respectively) with steam flaking HB than with CB. Steam flaking decreased ruminal ADF digestion of HB only slightly (6.2%), whereas with CB the decrease was more dramatic (54.3%). Ruminal degradable N was greater (P < .10) for CB than for HB and for DRB than for SFB (19.8%, P < .05). Estimates of ruminal degradable N in DRB-H, SFB-H, DRB-C, and SFB-C were 69.7, 53.9, 78.5, and 65.0%, respectively. Postruminal digestion of OM (P < .01), starch (P < .05), and N (P < .10) were greater for HB than for CB. Steam flaking barley increased (P < .01) postruminal N digestibility. Total tract digestibility of OM (P < .01), ADF (P < .05), starch (P < .01), and energy (P < .01) were greater for HB than for CB. Digestibility of ADF in barley hulls was only 6.4%. Steam flaking increased (P < .01) total tract digestibility of starch. Ruminal digestibility of OM and feed N was lower (P < .01) for SFC than for barley diets. Ruminal pH was lower (P < .10) for HB than for CB and for SFB than for DRB (P < .01). Ruminal propionate was higher (24.1%, P < .01), and methane was lower (17.9%, P < .01) for HB than for CB.