Ergot infested sorghum for swine and sorghum silage for sheep

Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal grain in the world after wheat, rice, maize, and barley. Incidence of molds and mycotoxins in commercial animal feed mills, if it exists, is a very serious problem. The first study was conducted to investigate the impact of three levels of sorghum infected with ergot alkaloids on the reproductive performance of swine. Eighteen sows were placed on one of three treatments containing 0 ppm, 12 ppm and 24 ppm ergot alkaloids. With the exception of the control treatment, the same sows were used during the first and second parities. There were six sows per treatment group.

Results indicated that combined gain of 28 d old nursing pigs was higher (P < 0.05) for the 24 ppm ergot alkaloids treatment than for 12 ppm. During the first parity, interval to estrus was less (P < 0.05) for the 24 ppm ergot alkaloids treatments than for 12 ppm. Variables that were affected by the level of ergot alkaloids during the second parity were weight of live pigs bom and lactation feed intake. The number of live pigs bom was higher {P < 0.05) for 24 ppm and 12 ppm than for 0 ppm ergot alkaloids. Additionally, lactation feed intake was higher (P < 0.05) for 0 ppm than for 12 ppm. Gain at day 28 was the only variable affected by the treatments, when results were combined for parity one and parity two. Gain at day-28 was higher {P < 0.05) for 0 ppm and 24 ppm ergot alkaloids than for 12 ppm. Overall, variables that were affected by the infestation of grain sorghum by the ergot alkaloids were pig gain to day-28; lactation feed intake and interval to next estrus.

The second project investigated the performance of 24 wether lambs fed corn, brown midrib-100, fame and Cow Vittles II silages. Silage is a palatable high-yielding source of nutrients for ruminants. In this study, silages supplemented were either cottonseed meal, coated cottonseed or uncoated cottonseed. Sorghum silages compared to com silage increased (P < 0.01) intakes of magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese. Intakes of dry matter, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, potassium, sulfur, manganese and iron were higher (P < 0.01) for brown midrib- 100 than for the mean of fame and Cow Vittles II. Additionally, intakes of copper, manganese and iron were higher (P < 0.01) for fame than for Cow Vittles.