Beefing up starch digestion

Abstract

Any improvements in starch digestion in cattle would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the feedlot industry. There are numerous factors that are likely to vary between animals that may affect both the efficiency and site of starch digestion. The benefits of starch digestion in the small intestine, as opposed to in the rumen, include a higher energetic efficiency, and a reduced risk of acidosis provided that high levels of starch do not reach the hindgut. Recent research has identified genetic differences between similar cattle in their ability to digest starch. The evidence is provided by differences between progeny groups of steers in the level of fermentation occurring in the hindgut. We have also found between-animal differences in total tract starch digestibility that are consistent across diets.