Prediction of intake by cattle from degradation characteristics of roughages

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
G. W. Reid ◽  
M. Kay

ABSTRACTFive different straws consisting of two varieties of winter barley, two varieties of spring barley and one variety of winter wheat were chosen due to differences in degradation characteristics determined by using nylon bags incubated in the rumen of cattle and describing the straw using the equation: p = a + b (1 – e–ct). To increase variation in degradability, batches of the same straws were also treated with anhydrous ammonia in a sealed oven.The straws were subsequently offered ad libitum to groups of steers given a daily supplement of 1·5 kg concentrate and untreated straws were supplemented with urea. The dry-matter intake (DMI) of the straws varied from 3·4 to 5·7 kg/day, the digestible DMI from 1·4 to 3·5 kg/day and growth rate from 106 to 608 g/day.By using multiple regression of a, b, c from the exponential equations characterizing degradability of the straw, the correlation coefficients with DMI, digestible DMI and growth rate were 0·88, 0·96 and 0·95 respectively.

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (63) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
J Clark ◽  
JI Watts

Forty, Friesian x Jersey bull calves were fed diets comprising factorial combinations of milk, either whole (4.0 per cent fat) or skimmed (0.1 per cent fat) milk, fed at the rate of 4.5 kg day-1 until the calves were ten weeks old, with crushed barley at four levels from two to 18 weeks of age. The four levels of barley were 0, 25, 50 and 75 per cent of the dry matter intake of the calves. The calves had access to hay ad libitum throughout the experiment. The restricted quantities of skimmed milk fed to the calves did not support rapid gains in liveweight, even when supplemented with high levels of barley. The addition of barley to the diet of the calves reared on whole milk produced no response in terms of growth rate (0.54 kg day-1). However, the calves reared on skimmed milk had greater growth rates when their diet contained 25 per cent barley than with no barley, 0.36 kg day-1 and 0.28 kg day-1 respectively. Further additions of barley did not produce additional responses in growth rate.


1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (122) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
RW Hodge ◽  
B Bogdanovic ◽  
C Kat

Lactating Merino ewes with single lambs were offered iso-nitrogenous diets of oats + 1 5% urea, or oats + 30% lucerne chaff (W/W air dry) at intakes ranging from 12 to 20 g digestible dry matter/kg liveweight. day (g DDM/kg. d). Crossbred ewes with twin lambs were given similar rations at two levels of intake (two or three x maintenance). Multiple regression equations indicated that the Merino ewes given oats + lucerne chaff at 14 g DDM/kg. d maintained the growth of their lambs at the same rate (171 g/d) as ewes given oats + urea at 18 g DDM/kg.d (1 69 g/d). Similarly, crossbred ewes given 1.0 kg DDM/d of oats +lucerne chaff maintained the growth rate of their lambs at only 17 g/d less (P>0. 05) than lambs raised by ewes given 1 .4 kg DDM/d of oats + urea. These differences were associated with the Merino and crossbred ewes given oats + lucerne chaff losing more liveweight than ewes given oats + urea at the same level of digestible dry matter intake/d.


1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Shem ◽  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
A. E. Kimambo

AbstractAn experiment using twenty-five bulls aged between 1 and 1·5 years and weighing 117 to 209 kg was carried out to estimate voluntary dry-matter intake (DMI), digestible dry-matter intake (DDMI), dry-matter apparent digestibility (DMD) and growth rate when the bulls were given 18 foods available from smallholder dairy farms on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The animals were randomly allocated to five groups of five animals each. Foods were then randomly allocated to the five groups for four periods of 60 days each during which DMI was measured. A digestion trial was made at the completion of each measurement. Outflow rates of solids from the rumen were determined by giving the animals 200 g Cr-mordanted fibre of each food and grab faecal samples were obtained. Dry matter (DM) degradation characteristics of the foods were determined in sacco in the rumen of three Boran steers fed on guatemala grass and the water soluble fraction (A) was measured. DMI varied from 2·2 kg for banana pseudostem to 4·77 kg/day for urea-treated maize stover. DMD ranged from 549 for untreated maize stover to 767 g/kg DM for banana pseudostem and growth rate ranged from 72 for banana leaves to 275 glday for urea-treated maize stover. Potential degradability (defined by A + B) (where B is the insoluble fraction degradable with time) for the DM ranged from 617 g for banana leaves to 874 g/kg DM for banana pseudostem and the degradation rate (c) ranged from 0·0168 for banana leaves to 0·0440 per h for green maize stover. The separate use of degradation characteristics A, B and c in multiple regression to predict DMI, DDMI, and growth rates gave better results than when A + B or (A + B) + c were used. Multiple correlation coefficients between degradation characteristics and DMI, DDMI and group rate were r– 0·90, 0·93 and 0·93 respectively. The results indicate that DMI, DDMI and growth rates by cattle fed on crop residues and forages could be predicted well using the rumen degradation characteristics of the foods.


1969 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 516-525
Author(s):  
Michel Chenost ◽  
Francois Geoffroy ◽  
Pierre Bousquet ◽  
Michel Candau

The possibility of using green or ensiled bananas was studied with goats green-fed a tropical grass (Digitaria decumbens). Bananas increased both dry matter intake and digestible organic matter intake. Offered ad libitum bananas represented 50 to 70% of the diet of lactating or young growing goats without reducing milk production or growth rate. Provided the nitrogen level of the diet was balanced it was possible to reduce concentrate by 300 to 450 g/day/animal. It was also possible to fatten young goats with a complete diet composed of banana, cereal, bagasse, and urea simultaneously ensiled. Further study is needed to determine whether these types of diets are effective for cattle.


1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. G. Jenkins ◽  
C. L. Ferrell

ABSTRACTPost-weaning growth, dry-matter intake, carcass characteristics, chemical composition of the 9th to 11th rib section and food conversion efficiency were evaluated for Simmental bulls (15) and heifers (18) and Hereford bulls (17) and heifers (14) from approx. 240 days of age to 470 days of age. Within each breed × sex sub-class, animals were assigned to one of three energy intake levels: (1) ad libitum, (2) 795 kJ metabolizable energy (ME) per kg0·75 per day and (3) 544 kj ME per kg0·75 per day.Simmentals tended to exhibit higher post-weaning growth rate and consumed more dry matter than Herefords. At ad libitum intakes, efficiency estimates (gain/food) were greater initially but decreased more rapidly for Herefords than for Simmentals. No differences were observed in efficiency estimates between Herefords and Simmentals fed at 795 kJ ME per kg0·75 per day and both breeds fed at this level improved in efficiency as time on test increased.Bulls tended to have greater growth rate, and consume more dry matter than heifers. At ad libitum food intake, bulls were more efficient than heifers and the decrease in efficiency of the two sexes was parallel. Heifers fed at 795 kJ ME per kg0·75 per day had a constant efficiency throughout the test while bulls improved in efficiency.


1998 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Yalçin ◽  
A. Şehu ◽  
A. G. Önol

AbstractThe dry-matter (DM) intake and growth rate in male lambs were predicted from rumen degradability characteristics, rumen DM losses at different times, neutral- or acid-detergent fibre (NDF or ADF) contents and DM apparent digestibility of roughages. Four different straws consisting of wheat, barley, oat and rice were each offered ad libitum to 24 Merino male lambs with 200 glday concentrate for 4 weeks to determine DM intake and growth rate. Apparent digestibilities of the straws were measured with three Merino male sheep. Measurements were made during the last 10 days of each 20-day period. The degradation characteristics of the straws were measured by incubating samples in nylon bags for 8, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h in the rumens of three Merino male sheep fitted with rumen cannulae. The exponential model p = a + b(l - er^) was fitted to the data. Potential degradabilities of DM (defined as a + b) and apparent digestibilities of DM ranged from 530 to 679 and 440 to 560 g/kg, respectively. The mean DM intake of the straws varied from 543 to 745 glday, the digestible DM intake from 236 to 417 glday and growth rate from 17 to 95 glday. Using the degradation characteristics A, B and c in a multiple regression analysis, the correlation coefficients with DM intake and growth rate were 0·79 and 0·70, respectively. NDF and ADF were related to DM intake (i = 0·65; r = 0·64) and growth rate (r = 0·55; r = 0·56). The correlation coefficient between DM apparent digestibility and DM intake was 0·76. It is concluded that the rumen degradation characteristics have potential for predicting intake of straws and growth rate in sheep.


1983 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Smith ◽  
J. W. Siviter ◽  
W. H. Broster

SUMMARYSpring barley straw treated with NaOH, either chopped and ensiled or ground and pelleted, was compared with long untreated straw and hay, in mixed diets of compound and forage fed to yearling dairy heifers. Protein allowance and source were varied by the inclusion of either fishmeal, soya-bean meal or urea in the diet.Growth rate was improved in two out of three trials by chopped ensiled straw treated with NaOH, compared with long untreated straw, and equalled that supported by hay. Dry-matter intake and digestibility were also improved, although rumen NH3-N concentrations were low. With ground pelleted straw treated with NaOH the effects were less decisive: growth rate was increased once and reduced once compared with long untreated straw, but dry-matter intake was substantially increased. Digestibility remained similar to that of long untreated straw, and was unchanged by rate of feeding. NaOH treatment resulted in small changes in molar proportions of VFA. Digestibility of hay fell when concentrates were added to the diet.Fishmeal increased growth rate with all forms of straw and hay and was more efficient in this respect than either soya-bean meal or urea.


1998 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Ferri ◽  
V. V. Jouve ◽  
N. P. Stritzler ◽  
H. J. Petruzzi

AbstractThe voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of kleingrass (Panicum coloratum cv. Verde) were measured in seven periods, comprising one full year. The forage was offered twice a day ad libitum to seven rams, fitted with faeces collection bags; each experimental period was composed of 8 days for adaptation and 8 days for collection of data. The dry-matter (DM) intake (DMI) varied from 36·1 to 64·9 glkg M075, the digestible dry-matter intake (DDMI), from 17·4 to 41·9 glkg M0·75 and the in vivo dry matter apparent digestibility (DMD), from 0·471 to 0·667.Daily samples of offered forage were taken and pooled subsamples from each of the seven periods were incubated in nylon bags in the rumen of three Hereford steers. The data were fitted to the exponential equation: p = a + b (1-e-ct) to estimate p (the proportionate loss of DM at time t of incubation); effective degradability (ED) and lag time (L) were also estimated.The parameters obtained in situ were related to the in vivo results by simple and multiple regression. The correlation coefficients of the rate of degradation (c) and ED with DMI, DDMI and DMD were, respectively, 096 and 0·97; 0·97 and 0·96; 0·86 and 0·88. By including a, b, c and L into a multiple regression analysis, the coefficients of determination (R2) were: DMI: 0·99; DDMI: 0·99 and DMD: 0·91. Within the conditions of this study, the parameters obtained in situ were reasonable estimators of voluntary intake and apparent digestibility.


1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 897-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. VEIRA ◽  
M. IVAN ◽  
G. BUTLER ◽  
J. G. PROULX

Following weaning at 6–7 mo of age, 36 beef steers were used to determine production responses when grass silage was supplemented with barley or fishmeal. The silage was made from direct-cut, formic- acid-treated grass harvested from a mixed sward and had a high nitrogen content but poor fermentation characteristics. The silage was fed ad libitum for 98 days either alone or supplemented with 500 g fishmeal or 500 g barley per day. Both fishmeal and barley increased total dry matter intake (P < 0.01) by an amount equivalent to the quantity of supplement offered but had no effect on silage intake (P > 0.05). Steers fed the fishmeal grew substantially faster than either the barley (0.53 kg/day) or unsupplemented (0.54 kg/day) groups (P < 0.01). Fishmeal supplementation resulted in a large reduction (35%) in the amount of feed required per kilogram of gain. Key words: Cattle, grass silage, fishmeal, growth


Author(s):  
M. Kay ◽  
G. W. Reid ◽  
E. R. Orskov

Results from a previous experiment with growing steers showed that straw from varieties of winter and spring barley or winter wheat supported different intakes and rates of gain. It was possible to identify those cereal straws most suitable for inclusion in low cost diets for beef cattle. The object of this work was to assess whether complete diets containing a minimum of 35% “good” straw could sustain a high rate of gain in finishing cattle. The trial used 45 Hereford cross steers that weighed 360 kg at the start. There were three types of straw examined; straw from the spring barley variety Corgi, untreated (UC) and ammonia treated (AC) together with ammonia treated winter wheat (AW) cv. Longbow;. Each straw type was included in a complete diet containing either 0.35 (L), 0.45 (M) or 0.55 (H) straw. Ammonia treatment was carried out in an oven with 0.03 anhydrous ammonia for 24 hours. The straw was processed through a tub grinder and the chopped material was transferred to a mixer wagon for diet preparation. All the diets contained fishmeal and urea and equal proportions of rolled barley and molassed sugar beet pulp substituted for the straw. The complete diets were offered ad libitum and the steers were weighed fortnightly until they were estimated to provide carcasses in MLC fat class 4L. Digestibility data for each diet was derived in a subsidary trial using cattle fed ad libitum. The digestibility coefficients for D11 were 0.67 UC; 0.68 AW; 0.69 AC and 0.66 H; 0.68 M; 0.70 L (S.E.D. ± 0.66).


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