低蛋白、低钙磷日粮添加苯甲酸对生长肥猪生长性能及钙磷代谢的影响

文章旨在研究日粮降低粗蛋白质、钙和磷水平,同时添加苯甲酸对仔猪生长性能、钙磷代谢的影响。试验采用2×2多因素试验设计,选择平均体重接近12 kg的保育猪500头,分为4组,每组5个重复,每个重复25头猪。试验日粮共4个,即低水平日粮(低蛋白、低钙磷)组,高水平日粮组(高蛋白、高钙磷),低水平日粮+15 g/kg苯甲酸组,高水平日粮+15 g/kg苯甲酸组。低水平日粮组较高水平日粮组显著降低了仔猪的生长速度(P <0.05),使25 kg阶段仔猪的采食量显著降低了13%(P <0.05)。低水平日粮添加苯甲酸较较高水平日粮组显著降低了25和40 kg猪尿液pH(P <0.05)。低水平组显著降低了钙、磷摄入量及粪中钙磷含量(P <0.05)。日粮添加苯甲酸可以显著降低尿钙排泄量和提高尿磷排泄量(P <0.05)。低水平日粮显著提高了血清钙水平及碱性磷酸酶活性(P <0.05)。低水平日粮组显著降低了血清磷水平(P <0.05),而高水平日粮+苯甲酸组较高水平日粮组显著提高了血清碱性磷酸酶活力和血清磷水平(P <0.05)。日粮添加苯甲酸可以影响磷的消化率,提供仔猪生长早期血清碱性磷酸酶活力,对生长后期猪的骨矿化无显著影响。     

壳寡糖对肉仔鸡生长性能、屠宰性能、骨骼参数及钙磷代谢的影响

试验旨在研究壳寡糖对肉仔鸡生长性能、屠宰性能、骨骼参数及钙磷代谢的影响。选取1日龄快大型(AA)白羽肉仔鸡公雏90只,随机分为3组:基础饲粮组(对照组)、150 mg/kg壳寡糖组(处理1组)和300 mg/kg壳寡糖组(处理2组),分别于2l d和42 d屠宰取样进行指标测定。结果表明:①300 mg/kg壳寡糖添加量显著提高了1～42 d的体增重及前期(1～21 d)和全期(1～42 d)的耗料量(P<0.05);150 mg/kg壳寡糖组对各个阶段耗料量和体增重影响不显著(P>0.05)。②处理1组的腿肌率较对照组显著提高(P<0.05);半净膛率、全净膛率和胸肌率组间差异不显著(P>0.05)。③300 mg/kg壳寡糖显著提高了42 d肉仔鸡的胫骨长、股骨干重和股骨长,较对照组分别增加了6.079%(P<0.05)、29.790%(P<0.05)和7.598%(P<0.05)。④添加300 mg/kg壳寡糖显著增加了21 d肉仔鸡的血清P、胫骨钙(P<0.05),42 d参数组间差异均不显著(P>0.05)。由此可见:基础饲粮中添加300 mg/kg壳寡糖可以显著提高肉仔鸡生长性能、对骨骼发育和钙磷沉积代谢也有一定促进作用。     

Criteria to evaluate bone mineralization in cattle: I. Effect of dietary phosphorus on chemical, physical, and mechanical properties

Fourteen Angus heifers (210 +/- 6 kg initial BW) were allotted randomly to either a low P (LP: .12% P, DM basis) or an adequate P (AP: .20% P, DM basis) diet fed for 14 to 16 mo under drylot conditions on concrete floors to determine the influence of dietary P on chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of bone. Three weeks postpartum, after 14 to 16 mo on their diets, heifers were slaughtered and the right and left third metacarpals (McIII) were excised; soft tissue was removed and metacarpals were frozen in .9% saline. Metacarpals were subjected to a three-point flexure test using an Instron Testing Machine with a crossload speed of 50 mm/min to determine mechanical properties. Broken McIII were reassembled and a 2-cm section was removed at point of loading for determination of chemical and physical properties. Breaking load (BL) was greater (P less than .05) for McIII from the AP than for those from LP heifers (1,348 vs 1,179 kg). Breaking strength (BS) was greater (P less than .05) for AP than for LP heifers (202.5 vs 189.2 MPa). Animals receiving AP diets had greater (P less than .01) bone mineral content (12.6 vs 11.2 g/2-cm slice) and percentage of bone ash (68.0 vs 67.2%) than did LP animals. No differences (P greater than .10) were observed between treatment groups in Ca, P, or Mg percentage in bone ash. Circular, elliptical, radiographic, and planimeter area indices all were greater (P less than .05) in AP than in LP animals (1,048, 729, 1,069, and 570 vs 932, 660, 957, and 523 mm2, respectively). These data indicate that mechanical properties of bovine third metacarpals are sensitive to dietary P and reflect P status in the bovine. Mineral content of bone was highly correlated with its mechanical and physical properties.     

Effect of dietary phosphorus on finishing steer performance, bone status, and carcass maturity.

Yearling crossbred steers (n = 60; 386 kg) were individually fed in a completely randomized experimental design to determine their P requirement. Treatments were in a factorial arrangement with two levels of Ca (.35 or .70% of DM) and five concentrations of P (.14, .19, .24, .29, or .34% of DM). The finishing diet consisted of 34.5% dry-rolled corn, 22.5% brewers grits, 22.5% corn bran, 7.5% ground corncobs, 5% molasses, 3% fat, and 5% supplement. Supplemental P was provided as monosodium phosphate and Ca as limestone. Ash content was determined on the first phalanx bone from the lower front legs following slaughter, and rib bone breaking strength was determined with an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Carcass maturity and shear force were also evaluated on wholesale rib cuts. Because no interactions between Ca and P levels were detected, only main effects are presented. Daily gain, DMI, and feed efficiency were not affected by dietary P concentration or P intake. Bone ash (g or g/100 kg BW) and rib bone breaking strength were also unaffected by dietary P. Feeding .7% Ca decreased (P<.06) ADG and efficiency compared with feeding .35% Ca. Neither dietary Ca nor P had a significant effect on tenderness (shear force), skeletal maturity, or overall maturity. These results indicate that the P requirement for finishing yearlings is .14% of diet DM or less and that supplementing P above levels supplied by basal ingredients in many grain-based finishing diets is not necessary.     

Effect of dietary calcium and phosphorus level sequences on performance, structural soundness and bone characteristics of growing-finishing swine

The effects of feeding various dietary Ca:P level sequences on gain and feed efficiency, leg structural soundness and bone indices of growing-finishing swine were evaluated as an incomplete 3 X 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a split-plot design. A total of 664 pigs were fed one of three total dietary Ca:P levels (.52:.40, .65:.50, .80:.60%) from 19-kg to 56-kg body weights followed by one of three Ca:P levels (.45:.32, .52:.40, .65:.50%) to market weight. The .80:.60% and .65:.50% Ca:P mineral sequence was not evaluated. Diets were formulated to 14.5% crude protein using a corn-soybean meal mixture with proportions of dicalcium phosphate and limestone altered to attain the desired dietary Ca:P levels. Maximum gains occurred at the .65:.50% and .52:.40% Ca:P level during the grower (P less than .01) and finisher (P less than .01) periods, respectively. No grower X finisher phase pig gain or feed intake interaction resulted, providing evidence of no carry-over response on these measurements from the grower to the finisher period. Serum P concentration increased and plateaued at the same dietary Ca:P level, as did rate of gain at both 56-kg and 95-kg body weights. Leg soundness subjectively evaluated at 56-kg and 95-kg body weights revealed no effect of dietary Ca:P level on soundness scores at 56 kg, but at 95-kg body weight, the interaction between grower and finisher diets was significant. Percentage bone ash of the humerus, shaft thickness and bending moment of the femur increased as dietary Ca:P level increased at both 56-kg and 95-kg body weights.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of dietary calcium, phosphorus, calcium: phosphorus ratio and vitamin K on performance, bone strength and blood clotting status of pigs

Three factorial experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of various Ca:P ratios (1:1, 2:1 and 3:1) in diets having deficient (.3%), adequate (.6%) and excess (.9%) levels of dietary P on rate and efficiency of gain and bone strength of 192 pigs from 18 to 40 kg BW. A corn-soybean meal diet fortified with minerals and vitamins (but not vitamin K) was fed. Levels of Ca and P were achieved by adjusting the amounts of dicalcium phosphate and ground limestone in the diet. The corn was free of detectable mycotoxins. A hemorrhagic condition occurred in Exp. 1 in pigs fed the higher dietary Ca levels; all eight of the pigs fed 2.7% dietary Ca died of internal hemorrhage within the initial 28 d of the experiment. Vitamin K (5 mg menadione [as menadione dimethylpyrimidinole bisulfite]/kg) was added to half of the diets of the remaining animals and the experiment was continued for an additional 14 d. Prothrombin and whole blood clotting times were increased (P less than .01) in pigs fed high Ca without vitamin K but were normal in pigs fed high Ca with added vitamin K. Similar trends in clotting times occurred in a second experiment. A third experiment was conducted to determine whether the addition of vitamin K could reverse the hemorrhagic condition induced by feeding high dietary Ca for 28 d. As in the other two experiments, clotting times were increased (P less than .01) in pigs fed high Ca and no vitamin K. Addition of vitamin K after 28 d resulted in a return to basal prothrombin values by d 50. In regard to the original objectives, increasing the Ca:P ratio from 1:1 to 2:1 or 3:1 tended to reduce rate and efficiency of gain at all levels of P. Increasing the Ca:P ratio to 2:1 resulted in increased bone strength only when P was at or above the dietary requirement.     

Effects of dietary calcium and phosphorus on mineral retention,growth, feed efficiency and walking ability in growing turkeys

1. Large White male turkeys from a heavy commercial male-line were fed on 16 diets containing 4 concentrations of calcium (6, 10, 14 and 18 g/kg) and available phosphorus (3, 5, 7, 9 g/kg) in a 4 x 4 factorial experiment with three replicates (pens). Turkeys were weighed and food intakes recorded from 4 to 7, 8 to 10 and 11 to 13 weeks of age. 2. The diets containing 6 g/kg calcium and 5, 7 or 9 g/kg available phosphorus concentrations were associated with lower body weighs at 10 and 13 weeks of age. 3. Fewer than 6% of the turkeys had an abnormal gait at 13 weeks of age. 4. The optimum dietary concentrations were 10 g/kg of calcium and 3 g/kg of available phosphorus. It was concluded that these concentrations should be fed at least to 13 weeks of age. 5. Retentions of dietary calcium and phosphorus averaged 300 g/kg of intake. 6. Utilisation of dietary phytate ranged from 5 to 11 g/kg and it is recommended that organic phosphorus should be ignored in the formulation of diets for growing turkeys unless they are supplemented with a phytase enzyme.     

日粮纤维水平对猪生长性能、养分消化和磷代谢的影响

文章旨在探讨日粮添加不同水平的纤维素对猪生长性能、养分表观消化率和磷损失的影响.试验将平均初始体重为(48.68±0.29)kg的320头生长猪随机分为4组(T1～T4),每组4个重复,每个重复20头.各组饲喂不同纤维素水平的无磷日粮,纤维素水平分别为0、30、60和90?g/kg,试验共开展21?d.结果:不同纤维日...     

Low-phytic acid barley improves calcium and phosphorus utilization and growth performance in growing pigs

Thirty-five crossbred barrows averaging 13.5 kg starting BW were used in a 35-d experiment to compare the availability of P and the nutritional value of two near-isogenic progeny of the barley cultivar 'Harrington'. Low-phytic acid barley (LPB, 0.35% total P, 0.14% phytic acid P) was homozygous for the low-phytic acid 1-1 allele, and the normal barley (NB, 0.35% total P, 0.24% phytic acid P) was homozygous for the normal allele of that gene. Pigs were fed individually twice daily in metabolism pens. Barley was the only source of phytate in semipurified diets, 1 to 3. Diet 1 contained 75% NB, 0.14% estimated available P (aP), and 0.50% Ca. Diet 2 contained 75% LPB, 0.22% aP, and 0.50% Ca. No inorganic P (iP) was added to Diets 1 and 2 in order to measure the animal response to the different concentrations of aP in these cultivars. Diet 3 was NB Diet 1 supplemented with iP to equal the concentration of aP in LPB Diet 2. Practical barley-soybean meal (SBM)-type diets, NB Diet 4 and LPB Diet 5, were formulated to meet all minimum nutrient requirements, and contained 0.30% aP and 0.65% Ca. For the semipurified diets, pigs fed LPB Diet 2 had higher (P < or = 0.05) bone ash weight, bone breaking strength, P absorption and retention, and Ca absorption and retention compared with pigs fed NB Diet 1, with a trend (P = 0.10) for pigs fed LPB Diet 2 to have a higher ADG and gain:feed ratio than pigs fed NB Diet 1. However, pigs fed LPB Diet 2 or NB Diet 3 were not different (P > or = 0.3) in growth performance, fresh bone weight, fat-free dry bone weight, bone ash, bone breaking strength, or N utilization. This indicates that LPB and NB were equal in nutritional value after supplementation of NB with iP to equal the estimated aP in LPB. For the practical barley-SBM diets, there were no differences (P > or = 0.4) between pigs fed NB Diet 4 or LPB Diet 5 for growth performance, fresh bone weight, bone breaking strength, the percentages of P and Ca utilization, or N, DE, and ME utilization. The use of LPB in pig diets reduced P excretion in swine waste by 55% and 16% in our semipurified and practical diets, respectively, compared with NB. Using our in vitro procedure designed to mimic the digestive system of the pig, the availability of P for pigs was estimated at 52% for LPB and 32% for NB.     

Effects of dietary boron and phytase supplementation on growth performance and mineral profile of broiler chickens fed on diets adequate or deficient in calcium and phosphorus

1. Two experiments were designed to determine the effect of dietary boron (B) in broiler chickens. In Experiment 1, a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the effect of dietary calcium (Ca) and available phosphorus (aP) (adequate or deficient) and supplemental B (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg diet). In Experiment 2, B, at 20 mg/kg, and phytase (PHY) (500 FTU/kg diet) were incorporated into a basal diet deficient in Ca and aP, either alone or in combination.

2. The parameters that were measured were growth performance indices, serum biochemical activity as well as ash and mineral (i.e. Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn) content of tibia, breast muscle and liver.

3. Results indicated that both supplemental B and dietary Ca and aP had marginal effects on performance indices of chickens grown for 42 d.

4. There were positive correlations (linear effect) between B concentrations of serum, bone, breast muscle and liver and the amount of B consumed.

5. Serum T₃ and T₄ activities increased linearly with higher B supplementation.

6. Increasing supplemental B had significant implications on breast muscle and liver mineral composition. Lowering dietary Ca and aP level increased Cu content in liver and both Fe and Zn retention in breast muscle. Tibia ash content and mineral composition did not respond to dietary modifications with either Ca–aP or B.

7. The results also suggested that dietary contents of Ca and aP do not affect the response to B regarding tissue mineral profile. Dietary combination with B and PHY did not create a synergism with regard to growth performance and bioavailability of the minerals.     

不同钙磷水平日粮对钙磷在猪体内代谢的影响

钙和磷对猪来说是2种极其重要的矿物质,具有非常重要的生理功能.钙和磷在日粮中的含量不同会对自身的代谢产生相当大的影响,为进一步了解日粮不同钙、磷水平对钙磷在猪体内代谢的影响,作者将从对钙、磷的吸收,血清中钙、磷的浓度,钙、磷在体内的存留,尿中钙、磷排出量和粪中钙、磷排出量这5个方面的影响来阐述.     

Effects of dietary metabolisable energy, calcium and phosphorus on bone mineralisation, leg weakness and performance of broiler chickens

1. Performance, gait score (GS), tibial dyschondroplasia (TD), and tibia bone mineralisation and breaking strength were determined in 2880 male and female Ross 208 broilers fed on diets with two different concentrations of dietary metabolisable energy (ME) (11.00 or 12.00 MJ/kg) and 4 different concentrations of available phosphorus (aP) adjusted for dietary ME content (4.0, 4.5, 5.0 or 5.5 g/kg aP in starter and 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 or 5.0 g/kg aP in finisher diets containing 12.00 MJ/kg). 2. Tibia ash, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents in broilers given diets with low ME (11.00 MJ/kg) were greater than those of broilers given diets with higher ME (12.00 MJ/kg). Tibia ash, Ca and P contents increased curvilinearly with increasing dietary aP content. The dietary aP level had no effect on GS. 3. Dietary concentration of ME or aP had no effect on tibia breaking strength. 4. Walking ability, as measured by GS, was negatively correlated with the body weight (BW) of tested birds at 23 and 35 d of age, but the dietary ME content or aP level had no significant effect on GS at 35 d of age. 5. The results indicated that bone mineral content had no clear correlation with the walking ability of broilers.     

生长獭兔日粮中添加菊花对其生长性能、肉质性状和经济效益的影响

为了研究中草药菊花在生长獭兔上的应用效果,选取体重相似、身体健康的40日龄獭兔56只,随机分为4组,分别饲喂基础日粮、基础日粮+1%菊花、基础日粮+2%菊花和基础日粮+3%菊花。试验结束时分别对其生长性能、肉质性状和经济效益进行了分析。结果表明:生长獭兔中添加菊花各试验组平均日增重,分别比对照组提高15.8%、31.8%、24.4%,差异显著(P<0.05);平均采食量分别比对照组提高16.62%、20.3%、16.21%,差异显著(P<0.05)菊花有改善肉质颜色的作用,对肌肉pH值、嫩度亦有改善的趋势,但差异不显著(P>0.05);饲料中添加菊花能够显著提高经济效益。结论:菊花营养价值丰富兼有药物功效,可作为生长獭兔的良好添加物,结合生长性能、肉质性状和经济效益多方面因素,本研究认为2%添加水平最为适宜。     

Effect of human growth hormone-releasing factor on bone and mineral metabolism in growing pigs

Little information is available on the effects of growth hormone (GH) and growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF and GHRH) treatment on bone metabolism in pigs. Thus, tibial bending moments and ash contents were studied in 12, 6-wk-old pigs weighing 13 +/- .2 kg. Six pigs (GRF group) were injected s.c. twice daily with 75 micrograms GRF (hGRF [1-29] NH2)/kg BW for 52 d and six remained untreated (control group, C). Average daily gain was slightly (5%; P less than .10) increased in treated pigs. At slaughter, plasma measurements related to calcium homeostasis, such as concentrations of Ca, inorganic P, and vitamin D metabolites (25-OH and 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3), were not changed by GRF injection. At slaughter, plasma GH levels were 3.3 times greater in treated (11.3 +/- 3 ng/ml) than in untreated pigs (3.4 +/- .5 ng/ml, P less than .02), whereas those of insulin-like growth factor I were increased by approximately 38%. No difference was observed between the two groups at slaughter in tibial weight, density, bending moment, ash relative to bone volume (29 +/- 1 vs 30 +/- 2 g/100 cm3, GRF vs C), total ash content, or ash relative to dry matter in cortical or medullary bone. Our GRF treatment did not affect bone and mineral metabolism in young, growing pigs.     

Influence of dietary calcium and phosphorus on metabolism and production in laying hens

1. The effects of different dietary concentrations of calcium (24 to 56.9 g/kg) and phosphorus (4.5 to 14.2 g/kg) on production and some aspects of metabolism were studied in laying hens.

2. Treatments did not affect egg numbers, food consumption, conversion efficiency of food to egg, bodyweight gain or mortality.

3. Increasing dietary calcium (Ca) significantly increased plasma Ca and inorganic phosphorus (P), breaking strength at the radius and egg specific gravity and significantly decreased plasma alkaline phosphatase and egg weight.

4. Increasing dietary phosphorus increased plasma P and decreased egg specific gravity significantly.

5. Plasma Ca, P and alkaline phosphatase and radius breaking strength were suitable indices of the Ca status of the hens.     

Effects of dietary calcium, available phosphorus and vitamin D on growth rate, food utilisation, plasma and bone constituents and calcium and phosphorus retention of commercial broiler strains

1. The effects of different dietary concentrations of calcium (Ca), available phosphorus (AP) and vitamin D (D) on 5- to 16-day growth performance, and aspects of calcium and phosphorus (P) metabolism of chickens from three commercial strains were studied in two experiments. 2. Increasing dietary Ca reduced weight gain, tibia Ca and P content and increased plasma total Ca, Ca consumption and excretion, whilst dietary Ca at 32 g/kg increased tibia Ca:P ratio, plasma ionized calcium and reduced plasma P, tibia ash, P excretion, excreta moisture and Ca retention. 3. Increasing dietary AP reduced plasma total and ionized Ca and excreta moisture and increased P consumption and excretion, plasma P and tibia ash. 4. The addition of vitamin D increased plasma total and ionized Ca, tibia Ca:P ratio and reduced plasma sodium and P concentrations. 5. Strains differed in their tibia contents of Ca and Ca:P ratios, in response to Ca, AP and vitamin D diets whilst they differed in Ca excretion and excreta moisture caused by feeding either dietary Ca or AP. 6. It was concluded that dietary Ca, AP, vitamin D and strain of broiler chickens influenced the metabolism of Ca and P and that, as a consequence, the tolerance to high dietary Ca. A lean strain of chickens tolerated high dietary calcium better than its fat counterparts.     

内蒙古牧区察哈尔羔羊饲粮钙磷适宜水平研究

本试验采用4个不同钙磷水平的饲粮饲喂断奶后察哈尔羔羊,研究钙磷对断奶羔羊生长、钙磷营养消化代谢和排放量、骨骼的影响。选取70日龄健康、体重(16.27±3.33) kg断奶察哈尔羔羊120只(公母各半),随机分成4个组,每组30个重复,每个重复1只羊,分别饲喂4种饲粮,其钙磷含量分别为:Ⅰ组,0.49%、0.28%;Ⅱ组,0.55%、0.32%;Ⅲ组,0.64%、0.47%;Ⅳ组,0.87%、0.70%。饲养试验期65 d,其后,每组选6只羔羊(公母各半),全收粪法进行消化代谢试验。试验结果:1)饲粮钙磷水平对断奶羔羊平均日增重、体尺、干物质采食量和饲粮转化率影响皆不显著(P>0.05);2)血清钙含量Ⅳ组显著高于其他3组,血清碱性磷酸酶Ⅰ组显著高于其他3组(P<0.05);3)Ⅰ组钙表观消化率显著高于其他3组(P<0.05),随饲粮钙磷水平升高羔羊钙磷排放量增加(P<0.05);4)Ⅳ组胫骨灰分含量显著高于Ⅰ组(P<0.05),Ⅰ组跖骨灰分含量显著低于Ⅲ、Ⅳ组(P<0.05),胫骨磷含量Ⅳ组显著高于其他3组(P<0.05);5)冬春季节改变羔羊饲喂模式增加了内蒙古地区草原生态系统中钙磷的输入。综上所述,饲粮钙磷水平升高降低了断奶羔羊的钙表观消化率,显著增加了钙磷的排放量,提高了羔羊骨骼钙磷沉积。在本试验条件下,饲粮钙磷含量分别为0.49%、0.28%,内蒙古地区冬春季断奶羔羊即可获得较好的生长性能。     

Effect of dietary boron on immune function in growing beef steers*

Thirty‐six Angus and Angus × Simmental cross steers (initial BW 269.5 ± 22.3 kg) were used to determine the effects of dietary boron (B) on performance and immune function. Steers were fed on one of the three dietary treatments: (i) control (no supplemental B; 7.2 mg B/kg DM), (ii) 5 mg supplemental B/kg DM and (iii) 50 mg supplemental B/kg DM, from sodium borate for 78 days. Supplementation of dietary B had no effect on body weight (BW) gain, feed intake or gain:feed during the study. Jugular blood samples were collected prior to feeding on days 28, 63 and 77 for plasma‐B analysis. Supplementation of dietary B increased (p < 0.001) plasma B‐concentration in a dose‐responsive manner. Furthermore, plasma B‐concentration was correlated (p < 0.001; R² = 0. 95) to daily B‐intake (mg B/day). Jugular blood was also collected, from an equal number of steers from each treatment, on day 42 or 44 for determination of in vitro production of interferon‐γ and tumour necrosis factor‐α from isolated monocytes and assessment of lymphocyte proliferation. Dietary B did not affect T‐ or B‐lymphocyte proliferation or in vitro cytokine production from monocytes. On day 49 of the study, the humoral immune response was assessed by i.m. injection of a 25% pig red blood cell (PRBC) solution for determination of anti‐PRBC IgG and IgM titre responses. Boron‐supplemented steers had greater (p = 0.035) anti‐PRBC IgG titres than controls on day 7 but not on day 14 or 21 post‐injection. Anti‐PRBC IgM titres did not differ throughout the sampling period. Results from this study indicate that supplemental B had minimal effects on immune function and did not affect performance of growing steers.