The performance of lactating ewes offered diets containing different proportions of fresh perennial ryegrass and white clover

1983 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Restricted Feeding ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTSix ewes with twin lambs were allocated to each of six restricted feeding treatments with 10, 0·8, 0·6, 0·4, 0·2 or 0 of the diet as perennial ryegrass and the remainder as white clover, and to two treatments with either perennial ryegrass or white clover offered alone ad libitum. Fresh herbage was offered and measurements were made over 8 weeks, with the exception of the ad libitum clover treatment which was terminated after 5 weeks. All lambs were allowed access to clover from 14 days of age. Digestibilities of the herbages were measured during four periods in the experiment.Increasing the proportion of clover in the diet significantly increased the intake of nitrogen by the ewes and the growth rate of their lambs, but had no effect on the live-weight changes of ewes on the restricted treatments. When there was no restriction of intake, ewes ate slightly more clover than ryegrass and lost less weight, but mean daily live-weight gains of their lambs over the first 5 weeks did not differ significantly (0·30 and 0·34 kg for ryegrass and clover, respectively).When ryegrass and clover were eaten alone or together their organic matter digestibilities (OMD) did not change, although OMD declined with increasing level of intake.Initial body condition of the ewes had a significant effect on the decline of ewe live weight and body condition during lactation, and on lamb live-weight gain

The performance of weaned lambs offered diets containing different proportions of fresh perennial ryegrass and white clover

1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Daily Allowance ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Matter Energy

ABSTRACTSix weaned lambs were allocated to each of eight restricted feeding treatments with 1·00, 0·85, 0·71, 0·57, 0·43, 0·29, 0·15 or 0 of the diet as perennial ryegrass and the remainder as white clover, and to one ad libitum treatment with perennial ryegrass offered alone. A further six lambs were offered white clover ad libitum starting on day 15. Lambs on the restricted treatments received the same daily allowance of dry matter relative to live weight, adjusted at weekly intervals to allow the greatest possible intake without any rejection of herbage. Fresh cut herbage was offered daily and measurements were made over 69 days. Twelve additional lambs were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment, and all lambs on restricted treatments were slaughtered at the end.Increasing the proportion of clover in the diet increased the intake of nitrogen, empty-body-weight gain, carcass weight gain and nitrogen retention. When herbage was offered ad libitum, lambs ate significantly more clover than ryegrass and gained weight faster.The weight of gut contents decreased as the proportion of clover in the diet increased. The digestibility of the organic matter, energy and nitrogen of the mixed diets simply reflected the digestibilities of the two herbages and their proportions in the mixture.

Mixed grazing of cattle and sheep versus cattle only in an intensive grassland system

1981 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Dickson ◽  
J. Frame ◽  
D. P. Arnot
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Annual Total ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

ABSTRACTDuring the period 1974-77 six blocks of a perennial ryegrass/white clover sward were each divided into two for rotational paddock-grazing and silage cutting in alternate years. For each use an annual total of 360 kg nitrogen per ha was applied. Six livestock treatments of cattle only or cattle and sheep were grazed on the blocks. The stocking rates per ha and combinations of cattle (yearling steers) and sheep (ewes nursing twin lambs) respectively were low, 7·5 + 0; medium, 10 + 0, 7·5 + 5, and 5+10; and high, 7·5 + 10 and 5 + 15.The annual quantities of herbage organic matter accumulated (6·6 to 7·2 t/ha) and consumed (5·6 to 6·7 t/ha) did not differ markedly according to grazing treatment during an individual year, nor was there an effect on organic matter accumulation in subsequent conservation years (11·3 to 12·0 t/ha). Between-year effects were significant. As judged by persistence of sown species there was no evidence of sward deterioration over the 4 years.Total live-weight gain per ha increased with increasing stocking rate but with a decreasing increment. The ranges were 106 to 1·42 t/ha within treatments, 102 to 1/45 t/ha within years and 0·97 to 1·8t/ha within treatments × years. Individual gains of cattle (0·67 to 0·88 kg/day) and lambs (0·20 to 0·27 kg/day), and the proportion of lambs ready for slaughter (0·53 to 0·97), were lowest at the highest stocking rate. Mixed grazing compared with cattle-only led to improved cattle gains and improved total gains per ha. The benefits of mixed grazing for a species tended to increase as the proportion of that species in the mix decreased.

A note on the progressive carcass-weight changes of fattening store lambs

1973 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Rutter
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Ad Libitum

SUMMARYTwo experiments involving the sequential slaughter of intensively fattened store lambs were each carried out over a period of 12 weeks. In the first experiment the lambs were offered a concentrate diet ad libitum. In the second experiment they were offered swede turnips ad libitum with a limited amount of concentrates.In each experiment, similar groups of lambs were slaughtered at equal intervals in order to measure progressive changes in live weight, carcass weight and dry-matter intake. Carcass-weight gain as a proportion of live-weight gain was found to be 74% in the first experiment and 86% in the second experiment.

Pre-pubertal mammogenesis in the sheep 3. The effects of restricted feeding or daily administration of bovine growth hormone and bromocriptine on mammary growth and morphology

1986 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. D. Johnsson ◽  
I. C. Hart ◽  
A. Turvey
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Restricted Feeding ◽  
Fat Pad ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Parenchymal Tissue ◽  
Mammary Fat Pad ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Plasma Gh

ABSTRACTIn crossbred female lambs reared on a concentrate diet between 8 and 20 weeks of age, a restriction in food intake to 40 g/kg body weight per day decreased live-weight gain (155 g/day) compared with that in control lambs fed ad libitum (284 g/day) and significantly reduced final live weight and the size of the mammary fat pad (P < 0·001). However, restricted lambs at 20 weeks had more total parenchymal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA; 54·7 v. 47·5 mg) occupying a greater mass of mammary fat pad (17·0 v. 13·2 g) than control lambs (P > 0·10). Restricted feeding had little effect on mean plasma growth hormone (GH) concentrations at 12 and 18 weeks of age, but decreased plasma insulin and prolactin concentrations.In lambs fed ad libitum, daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of 0·1 mg bovine pituitary GH per kg live weight between 8 and 20 weeks of age significantly increased daily live-weight gain (347 g/day; P < 0·001) and also increased total mammary parenchymal DNA (71·2 mg; P < 0·10) and the mass of fat pad occupied by parenchymal tissue (20·6 g; P < 0·05), compared with the control treatment. Daily s.c. injection of bromocriptine (1 mg/day) had no effect on either body or mammary growth, but tended to reduce the effects of bovine GH when given in combination. Secretory activity was observed in the parenchymal tissue of the eight lambs receiving bovine GH alone, and also in five control lambs and three lambs receiving bromocriptine alone. Three lambs that had attained puberty by 20 weeks of age had the poorest mammary development of their respective treatment groups.Mammary gland development at 20 weeks of age was significantly correlated across treatment means with plasma GH concentrations estimated at 18 weeks of age (r = 0·95; P < 0·05), but no correlations of similar magnitude were found between individuals within treatments at 20 weeks. Strongest correlations were found among 8-week-old lambs, where mammary parenchymal DNA was positively correlated with mean plasma GH (r = 0·62) and the GH:insulin ratio (r = 0·79) and negatively correlated with the prolactin:GH ratio (r = -0·65).

The effects of method of processing on the intake and digestibility by lambs of dried perennial rye-grass and tall fescue

1974 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Tetlow ◽  
R. J. Wilkins
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Live Weight Gain

SUMMARYCobs and pellets which differed in particle size (modulus of fineness, MF) were prepared from dried perennial ryegrass and tall fescue and given to sheep. The MF values of the feeds were 2·45,1·09,0·81 and 0·74 for perennial ryegrass and 2·28,0·84,0·67 and 0·57 for tall fescue. Organic matter digestibility was similar for the two grass species when measured in vivo, but when measured in vitro values for perennial ryegrass were about 3 units higher than those for tall fescue. Voluntary intake and live-weight gain were higher for sheep given tall fescue, the difference in live-weight gain being just significant at P < 0·05. The response to change in particle size was similar for the two grass species. Intake was lowest and digestibility highest for the feeds with the highest MF, but differences between the three finely-ground forms of each species were not significant. There was a tendency for the intake of digestible organic matter to be lower for the feeds with lowest MF than for those with intermediate values for MF. The rate of passage of undigested particles was slower for cobs with the highest MF than for the other feeds, which did not differ significantly one from another.

The effect of herbage allowance on herbage intake and performance of lambs grazing perennial ryegrass and red clover swards

1976 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Asymptotic Curves ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Relationship

SummaryThe effect of daily herbage allowance on herbage intakes and growth rates lambs grazing perennial ryegrass and red clover was investigated in two experiments. Herbage allowances defined as g herbage D.M./kg live weight (LW)/day were controlled by varying the areas of plots grazed for 2 days by groups of six lambs.In the first experiment five herbage allowances in the range 20–120 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on two areas of a perennial ryegrass (cv. S. 23) sward that received nitrogen fertilizer applications of 39 or 78 kg N/ha/28 days. In the second experiment five herbage allowances in the range 30–160 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on perennial ryegrass (cv. S. 23) and red clover (cv. Hungaropoly) swards.Asymptotic curves were fitted to describe the relationship between herbage allowance and daily intake of herbage. In Expt 1 nitrogen fertilizer rates did not affect the yield of herbage or animal performance. In Expt 2 intakes were higher on the clover sward than on the ryegrass sward at the higher herbage allowances.The asymptotic curves to describe the relationship between herbage allowance and growth rate of lambs differed widely between periods. Growth rate of the lambs increased linearly with increase in digestible organic matter intake. Live-weight gain per unit of digestible organic matter intake was higher on the red clover than on the ryegrass.The conclusion is drawn that if the herbage present to ground level is not more than three times the daily intake of the animals, intake of herbage of the animals may bo restricted.

A note on the growth and food consumption of crossbred lambs of five sire breeds

1983 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Woolliams ◽  
G. Wiener
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Food Conversion ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTLambs, 8 weeks of age, the offspring of sires of the Scottish Blackface, East Friesland, Finnish Landrace, Suffolk and Texel breeds mated to Scottish Blackface females as a common maternal breed were fed ad libitum on a concentrate containing barley and fish meal for 14 weeks. Live weight and food intake were measured at intervals of 2 weeks.Live-weight gain varied between sire breeds, Suffolk crosses having the greatest growth rate and the Blackface lambs the least, but there were no significant differences in their food conversion ratios. Food intakes were compared with those predicted by two methods. When the only criteria for prediction were live weight and the metabolizability of the diet the prediction was poor, whereas very accurate agreement was found when the criteria for prediction included consideration of the changes in energy efficiency with food intake and with maturity.

The energy requirements of sheep for maintenance and gain. II. Grazing sheep

1962 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. E. Coop ◽  
M. K. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Energy Cost ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Rye Grass ◽  
Faecal Nitrogen ◽  
Grazing Sheep

The intake of grazing sheep in terms of digestible organic matter, DOM, has been measured by faecal index methods, employing chromic oxide to measure faecal output and faecal nitrogen for digestibility of pasture. A regression equation for the prediction of digestibility from faecal nitrogen (organic matter basis) was developed from several series of digestibility trials with pasture, the equation beingdigestibility of organic matter = 30·84 + Four trials to measure maintenance and gain were conducted, as follows:(i) Thirty-eight sheep, comprising twelve wethers of mean weight 112 lb., thirteen small or thin Romney ewes of mean live weight 110 lb. and thirteen large or fat Romney ewes of mean live weight 166 lb. were grazed all together for 17 weeks on a rye-grass-white clover sward at an intensity such that live weight was just maintained. Corrections to intake were made for small live-weight changes.Daily DOM intake (lb.) for maintenance = 0·062 maintenance for a 100 lb. sheep becomes 1·48 ± 0·08 lb. DOM/day.(ii) Thirty-six weaned Romney ewe lambs of mean initial live weight 56 lb. were grazed for 8 weeks on a rye-grass-white clover pasture and allowed to gain in weight. Regression of intake on gain gave the equationdaily DOM intake (56 lb. lamb) = 0·93 (±0·07) + 0·90 gwhere g = gain in lb./day. Combining this lamb data with that of the previous trial yields the equationDOM intake (lb.) for maintenance = 0·052 (iii) Forty ewes, comprising eight Southdowns, twelve Romneys, eight Border Leicesters and twelve Border-Romney crossbreds were grazed together on short pasture (rye-grass-white clover) for 12 weeks. The ewes were of widely differing live weight and the mean gains or losses of the groups over the period varied from + 1·5 to −4·5 lb.Daily DOM intake (lb.) for maintenance = 0·061 which for a 100 lb. sheep becomes 1·63 ± 0·13 lb. DOM.(iv) Seven Romney ewes were grazed in high and eight ewes in low intake groups for 8 weeks. Regression of intake on gain gave the equationdaily DOM intake (130 lb. ewe) = 1·58 (±0·06) + 1·98 g.For a 100 lb. sheep this becomes 1·36 (± 0·06) lb. DOM/day for maintenance.The three estimates of maintenance of a grazing sheep of 100 lb. live weight 1·48, 1·63 and 1·36 lb. DOM/day are greatly in excess of the estimate of 0·92 lb. DOM/day for pen-fed sheep. It is believed that this difference is outside experimental error and represents a true increase in energy cost due to grazing. It is suggested that the cause of this derives from the energy costs of walking and harvesting the pasture together with climatic factors wind, cold and rain. The exponent of live weight agrees well with the estimates of other workers based on pen-fed animals. The energy cost of gain is less than that of pen-fed sheep and it is suggested that this is due to the maintenance cost decreasing with increasing availability of pasture and with increasing gain.

Effect of breed, sex, type of cereal and supplementary hay upon the performance of beef cattle given high-concentrate diets

1967 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Owen ◽  
G. M. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Vitamin Supplement ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Sex Type ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Friesian Cattle

1. In a 2×3×3 factorial experiment a total of seventy-two female or castrated pure Friesian, Charolais × Friesian and Welsh Black × Friesian cattle were fed individually and ad libitum on three diets from 200 lb to slaughter at 800 or 900 lb, depending on sex. The diets were ground barley (87%) and protein-mineral-vitamin supplement (13%) given with or without 1 lb of hay per animal daily, or ground maize (87%) and supplement (13%) given with 1 lb of hay daily.2. The three breed-types differed significantly in growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. Gaining at 2·66 lb/day and converting 4·56 lb of meal into 1 lb live-weight gain, the Charolais crosses grew 7·7 % faster than pure Friesians and consumed 14·1% less meal per unit gain. Welsh Black crosses made 9·3% less rapid gains and required 7·7 % more meal per unit gain than pure Friesians. The disparity between the three breedtypes increased with increasing liveweight.

Effect of supplementary feeding and herbage mass on the intake and performance of grazing ewes in early lactation

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Milne ◽  
T. J. Maxwell ◽  
W. Souter
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Matter Digestibility ◽  
And Performance

ABSTRACT1. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of a cereal-based supplement and herbage mass on the intake and performance by Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface ewes nursing twin lambs in early lactation.2. In one experiment 16 ewes, individually penned, were given one of four amounts of supplement (0, 320, 640 and 960 g organic matter per ewe per day) and offered ad libitum freshly-cut perennial ryegrass herbage (organic-matter digestibility 82%). Intake of herbage and total organic matter digestibility declined linearly with increasing intake of supplement (0·84 g organic matter of herbage per g organic matter of supplement and 0·50 percentage units per 100 g organic matter of supplement respectively).3. In the second experiment three amounts of supplement (0, 480 and 960 g organic matter per ewe per day) were offered individually to groups of seven ewes grazing a perennial ryegrass sward of high digestibility, maintained at herbage masses of either 500 or 750 kg organic matter per ha. A further group of seven unsupplemented ewes were grazed on the same sward maintained at 1500 kg organic matter per ha. Intakes of herbage and digestible organic matter by ewes, and lamb live-weight gain, were all significantly greater and ewe live-weight loss significantly less at herbage masses of 750 and 1500 tha n at 500 kg organic matter per ha (P <0·05). The mean decline in herbage intake was 0·93g organic matter per g organic matter supplement consumed. Amount of supplement had no significant effect on lamb live-weight gain at either weight of herbage nor on ewe live-weight loss at the 750 kg organic matter per ha herbage mass. At 500 kg organic matter per ha herbage mass, intake of digestible organic matter was significantly greater and ewe live-weight loss was significantly less for 960 than for 0 and 480 g organic matter per day amounts of supplement (P <0·05).

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