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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374488
Research Project: Assessment of Genotypic and Phenotypic Factors for Foodborne Pathogen Transmission and Development of Intervention Strategies

Location: Meat Safety and Quality

Title: Effects of a moderate and aggressive implant strategy on the rumen microbial community in steers

Author
item HENNIGER, MADISON - University Of Tennessee
item Wells, James - Jim
item Hales Paxton, Kristin
item Lindholm-Perry, Amanda
item Freetly, Harvey
item Kuehn, Larry
item SCHNEIDER, LIESEL - University Of Tennessee
item MCLEAN, KYLE - University Of Tennessee
item CLEMMONS, BROOKE - University Of Tennessee
item MYER, PHIL - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/26/2020
Publication Date: 11/30/2020
Citation: Henniger, M.T., Wells, J.E., Hales, K.E., Lindholm-Perry, A.K., Freetly, H.C., Kuehn, L.A., Schneider, L.G., McLean, K.J., Clemmons, B.A., Myer, P.R. 2020. Effects of a moderate and aggressive implant strategy on the rumen microbial community in steers. Journal of Animal Science. 98(Supplement 4):269. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa278.484.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa278.484

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effects of growth-promoting implant strategies have been well-defined in research for their ability to impact growth performance in beef cattle. Production-relevant microbial communities in the rumen have also been associated with growth traits. However, the role of implant strategies on the rumen microbiome is not understood. The objective was to determine if varying doses of implant hormones cause gain-associated microbial community shifts within the rumen. To assess this relationship, a completely randomized design was used and 336 fall-born steers from the germplasm evaluation population between 450-470 days of age at the U.S. Meat Animal Center (Clay Center, NE) were divided into two treatment groups: 1) a moderate implant strategy of Revalor-IS (80 mg trenbolone acetate, 16 mg estradiol) followed by Revalor-S (120 mg trenbolone acetate, 24 mg estradiol) and 2) an aggressive implant strategy of Revalor-IS by Revalor-200 (200 mg trenbolone acetate, 20 mg estradiol). Steers were fed the same diet (57.0% dry-rolled corn, 30% wet distiller’s grains with solubles, 8.0% alfalfa hay, 4.25% supplement, and 0.75% urea on a DM basis). Body weights (BW) were collected once per month with an initial BW of 439.8 ± 43.1 kg. After implants were administered for 84 days, rumen content was collected via orogastric tubing. Samples were sequenced targeting V1-V3 16S rRNA gene regions for bacteria, V3-V4 for archaea, and partial 18S rRNA gene of protozoa. Sequences were processed in R utilizing Phyloseq and analyzed with DESeq2 to test differential abundances. Production data between implant strategies were analyzed using a mixed model ANOVA (SASv9.4, Cary, NC). Alpha- and beta-diversity between strategies did not differ for bacteria, archaea, or protozoa (P > 0.05). Average daily gain was different (P = 0.01; 1.72 vs 1.66 ± 0.02 kg, aggressive vs moderate, respectively); however, large microbial community shifts were not associated implant strategy.