The catabolic activity of the ruminal microbial community of cattle enables the conversion of low-quality feedstuffs into meat and milk. The rate at which this conversion occurs is termed feed efficiency, which is of crucial importance given that feed expenses account for up to 70% of the cost of animal production. The present study assessed the relationship between cattle feed efficiency and the composition of their ruminal microbial communities during the feedlot finishing period. Angus steers (n = 65) were fed a feedlot finishing diet for 82 days and their growth performance metrics were evaluated. These included the dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), and residual feed intake (RFI). Steers were rank-ordered based upon their RFI, and the five lowest RFI (most efficient) and five highest RFI (least efficient) steers were selected for evaluations. Ruminal fluid samples were collected on days 0 and 82 of the finishing period. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) were quantified, and microbial DNA was extracted and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced. The results showed that the ADG was not different (p = 0.82) between efficiency groups during the 82-day feedlot period; however, the efficient steers had lower (p = 0.03) DMI and RFI (p = 0.003). Less-efficient (high RFI) steers developed higher (p = 0.01) ruminal Methanobrevibacter relative abundances (p = 0.01) and tended (p = 0.09) to have more Methanosphaera. In high-efficiency steers (low RFI), the relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae increased (p = 0.04) over the 82-day period. The molar proportions of VFA were not different between the two efficiency groups, but some changes in the concentration of specific VFA were observed over time. The results indicated that the ruminal microbial populations of the less-efficient steers contained a greater relative abundance of methanogens compared to the high-efficiency steers during the feedlot phase, likely resulting in more energetic waste in the form or methane and less dietary energy being harvested by the less-efficient animals.
Keywords: Methanobrevibacter; beef cattle; feed efficiency; methane; microbiota.