This study aimed to investigate the effects of compound probiotics (consisting of 10⁸ cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum, 10⁸ cfu/g of Pediococcus acidilactici, 10⁸ cfu/g of Pediococcus pentosaceus, 10⁷ cfu/g of and Bacillus subtilis) on growth performance, rumen fermentation, bacteria community, blood parameters, and health status of Holstein calves at the first 3 mo of age. Forty-eight newborn calves were randomly divided into the following 3 groups: control group (milk replacer with no compound probiotics), low compound probiotics group (milk replacer + 0.12 g of compound probiotics per head per day), and high compound probiotics group (HP; milk replacer + 1.2 g of compound probiotics per head per day). Starter pellets of the low compound probiotics and HP groups were coated with 0.05% compound probiotics. Milk replacer was provided from 2 to 63 d of age (6 L at 2-10 d, 8 L at 11-42 d, 6 L at 43-49 d, 4 L at 50-56 d, and 2 L at 57-63 d), and starter pellets were provided ad libitum from 7 to 90 d of age. Body weight and body size (d 1, 30, 60, and 90), blood (d 40 and 80), and rumen fluid (d 90) were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA procedure; fecal score was recorded daily and analyzed as repeated measures using the mixed model procedure. Results showed that diet supplemented with compound probiotics had no effects on the body weight, average daily gain, dry matter intake, and feed efficiency. At 90 d of age, diet supplemented with compound probiotics decreased the withers height. Immunity activities increased in the HP group, supported by the increased concentrations of serum total protein and immunoglobulins at 40 d of age, and by the increased activity of superoxide dismutase at 80 d of age. Diet supplemented with compound probiotics altered rumen fermentation, indicated by the decreased rumen acetic acid and propionic acid, and the increased butyric acid concentrations. Diet supplemented with compound probiotics improved the health status of calves, indicated by the decreased fecal score at 3 wk of age and the decreased medicine treatments. In summary, although diet supplemented with HP decreased the withers height, this level of probiotics is recommended to improve rumen development and health status of newborn Holstein calves.

Hybridization in bovines is practiced with the main aim of improving production performance, which may imply the microbial variations in the rumen from the parental breed cross to their progeny. Besides, the interactions of offspring breed with sex in terms of rumen bacteria are not clear. This study aims to evaluate the variations in rumen bacterial communities in different breeds and sexes, and the correlations among fattening performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation. Forty-two 19.2 ± 0.67-month-old beef cattle (390 ± 95 kg of initial body weight) comprising two genetic lines (Yiling and Angus × Yiling) and two sexes (heifers and steers) were raised under the same high-grain diet for 120 d. On the last two days, blood samples were collected from each animal via the jugular vein before morning feeding for analyzing serum biochemical parameters; rumen fluid samples were obtained via esophageal intubation 2 h after morning feeding for analyzing rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial communities. The results show that both breed and sex had a certain impact on fattening performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation. No differences in the diversity and structure of rumen bacterial communities were observed. Significant interactions (p < 0.05) of breed and sex were observed for Succinivibrionaceae UCG-002 and Prevotellaceae UCG-001. The relative abundances of the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Prevotellaceae UCG-003, and Succinivibrio were different (p < 0.05) between breeds. Heifers had a higher (p = 0.008) relative abundance of the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group than steers. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) of rumen bacteria with serum biochemical parameters, rumen pH, and rumen fermentation patterns. Additionally, only two genera, Prevotellaceae UCG-003 and Prevotellaceae UCG-001, had positive correlations with feed efficiency. In conclusion, serum biochemical parameters, rumen fermentation, and rumen bacterial communities are partly driven by the breed and sex of cattle fed a high-grain diet.

The aim of this study is to track the dynamic alterations in nutrient intake and digestion, rumen fermentation and plasma metabolic characteristics, and rumen bacterial community of Holstein finishing steers in response to three nutrient density diets as fattening phases advanced. A total of eighteen Holstein steers were randomly allocated into three nutrient density groups and steers in each group were fed under a three-phase fattening strategy, with nutrient density increased in each group when fattening phase advanced. Results showed that both fattening phase and dietary nutrient density significantly influenced the nutrient digestion, most of the rumen fermentation parameters, and part of bacteria at phylum and genus levels. Individually, dietary nutrient density affected the concentrations of plasma alanine aminotransferase and urea N, bacterial richness and evenness. All determined nutrient intake and plasma biochemical parameters, except for alanine aminotransferase and triglyceride, differed among fattening phases. Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between fiber intake and bacterial richness and evenness, rumen fermentation characteristics and certain bacteria. Moreover, Patescibacteria abundance was positively correlated with ambient temperature and plasma total protein. These results indicate that rumen fermentation and nutrient digestion were influenced by both dietary nutrient density and fattening phase, and these influences were regulated by certain rumen bacterial community and ruminal bacteria may be affected simultaneously by ambient temperature. This study may provide insights into diet optimization and potentially adaptive mechanism of rumen bacterial community in response to fattening phases and gradually climatic change.

This study investigated the effect of dietary crude protein (CP) supplementation on nutrient intake, nitrogen (N) utilisation, blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation and growth performance of young Holstein bulls. Twenty-one young bulls weighing 277±11.2 kg were equally divided into three groups and were offered diets formulated with low CP (LCP; 10.21% CP and 4.22% rumen degradable protein [RDP]), medium CP (MCP; 12.35% CP and 5.17% RDP) and high CP (HCP; 14.24% CP and 6.03% RDP). Yellow corn silage was used as a unique forage source and was mixed with concentrate. This mixed feed was given ad libitum to the young bulls included in the study. Results showed that CP intake, blood urea nitrogen, N intake, total N excretion and N balance increased linearly with an increase in dietary CP level (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in nutrient digestibility among the bulls receiving the different diets. Ruminal pH (p<0.05) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration (p<0.01) were significantly higher in the bulls receiving the MCP and HCP diets than in those receiving the LCP diet. The bulls receiving the HCP diet showed significantly higher ruminal bacterial protein level, propionate, acetate and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations than bulls receiving the LCP diet (p<0.05). Moreover, dietary CP level exerted a significant positive effect on the final body weight, average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio of the bulls (p<0.05). High dietary CP level is optimal for achieving maximum growth and high profitability without exerting a negative effect on the physiology of growing Holstein bulls.

The objective of this study was to explore whether collecting rumen samples of finishing steers at monthly intervals differed, and whether this difference or similarity varied with diets. For these purposes, 12 Chinese Holstein steers were equally divided into two groups. The dietary treatments were either standard energy and standard protein (C) or low energy and low protein (L). Rumen samples were obtained on day 30, day 60 and day 90 from both dietary treatments and were analyzed by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that monthly intervals had no effect on the richness and evenness of the rumen bacterial community in the two diets. However, taxonomic difference analysis (relative abundance >0.5%) revealed that the relative abundance of three phyla (Proteobacteria, Fibrobacteres and Cyanobacteria) and six genera (Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Fibrobacter, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-010 and Ruminobacter) were significantly different between monthly sampling intervals, and the difference was prominent between sampling in the first month and the subsequent two months. Moreover, the differences in abundances of phyla and genera between monthly sampling intervals were affected by diets. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed no significant differences between monthly sampling intervals in the C diet. However, ANOSIM results revealed that significant differences between the first month and second month and between the first month and third month were present in the L diet. These results indicated that temporal dynamics in rumen bacterial community composition did occur even after an adaptation period of three months. This study tracked the changes in rumen bacterial populations of finishing cattle after a shift in diet with the passage of time. This study may provide insight into bacterial adaptation time to dietary transition in finishing steers.