Intakes of silages, hays and straws by ewes in mid pregnancy

1990 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Post Partum ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Ammonia Treatment ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTIn three experiments, seven grass silages, four grass hays and winter barley straw, with and without anhydrous ammonia treatment, were offered ad libitum to a total of 134 Finn Dorset ewes in weeks 11 to 15 of pregnancy and intakes were measured. The untreated straw diet was supplemented with 300 g fresh weight of concentrates per ewe. Number of foetuses carried did not affect intakes in mid pregnancy. Organic matter digestibilities measured in vivo in week 15, ranged from 0·39 to 0·69 for hays and 0·53 to 0·79 for silages. Generally, between weeks 11 to 15 of pregnancy, hay intakes showed either little change or slight increases whereas intakes of silages or straws showed little change or slight decreases. Forage intake was higher on the better quality hays and silages and ewes gained weight and body condition, compared with losses for the poorer diets. In late pregnancy, the ewes were offered grass silage ad libitum and rations of concentrates according to a rationing programme. There were no residual effects of the mid-pregnancy treatments on lamb birth weights but ewes offered the poorer diets in mid pregnancy still tended to be lighter and thinner post partum. Equations are presented to predict the intakes of hays and silages from food and animal factors.

The effect of ammonia treatment on the intake of straw and hay when offered with rations of concentrates to ewes in late pregnancy

1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher ◽  
V. C. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Ammonia Treatment ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Forage Intake

ABSTRACTFinnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes were offered 300, 600 or 900 g fresh weight per day of concentrates and forage ad libitum from day 105 of pregnancy until lambing. Spring barley straw (S) or hay (H) was offered either untreated (U) or following treatment with anhydrous ammonia in an oven (T). Organic matter digestibilities (in vitro) were 0·42, 0·58, 0·42 and 0·60 and nitrogen contents were 7·2, 18·6, 12·0 and 25·0 g/kg dry matter for US, TS, UH and TH respectively. Forage intake did not differ between ewes carrying two or more foetuses but the small number of ewes carrying one foetus ate more straw (6·8 v. 4·5 g organic matter (OM) per kg live weight) than ewes carrying two or more foetuses. Ammonia treatment increased intake; the increase was larger on straw (4·6 v. 100 g OM per kg live weight) than on hay (9·0 v. 10·7 g OM per kg live weight). Replacement rates of forage by concentrates were -0·21, +0·06, -0·48 and +0·08 kg forage per kg concentrates for treatments US, TS, UH and TH respectively; only the value for treatment UH differed significantly from zero. On most treatments forage intake decreased as pregnancy progressed and the declines were greater when treated forages were offered. Concentrate level had a large effect on most aspects of ewe performance. Ewes offered treated forage gained slightly more weight in pregnancy (138 v. 104 g/day), had a slightly smaller decrease in body condition score (-0·54 v. -0·68) between day 105 and lambing but did not have greater lamb birth weights than ewes on untreated forage.

Changes in nitrogen balance of dairy cows during the dry period and early lactation following different dry period diets

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 94-94
Author(s):  
J.M. Moorby ◽  
S. Miles ◽  
R.T. Evans ◽  
W.J. Fisher ◽  
D.W.R. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
High Protein ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Ad Libitum

Increases in yields of milk and milk protein have been observed from dairy cows offered a high protein supplement during the dry period (Van Saun, Idleman and Sniffen, 1993; Moorby, Dewhurst and Marsden, 1996). One possible mechanism for this is an accumulation of maternal body protein during late pregnancy and its later release during lactation. This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of diet on the potential of dairy cows to accumulate and release body nitrogen over the course of the dry period and the first 20 weeks of lactation.Twelve multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered one of three diets for 6 weeks prior to calving, with 4 animals per diet, in an continuous design experiment. Animals were offered ad libitum access to A) grass silage only (medium protein), B) a grass silage/barley straw mix (60:40 on a dry matter basis) (low protein), or C) grass silage plus 0.5 kg/d high protein maize gluten meal (high protein). After calving, all animals were offered a standard lactation diet based on ad libitum grass silage plus 10 kg/d concentrate to week 12 of lactation, with 7 kg/d thereafter. Animals were housed in individual stalls for 6 d N-balance procedures on three separate occasions in two groups of six animals: during the dry period (at approximately 3 to 4 weeks before calving), early-lactation (weeks 7 to 8 after calving) and mid-lactation (weeks 17 to 18).

The direct and residual effects of giving fish meal to dairy cows receiving differing levels of concentrate supplementation in addition to grass silage

1990 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Gordon ◽  
J. C. Small
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Period ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter

ABSTRACTSeventy-eight British Friesian type cows, mean calving date 13 January, were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design experiment to examine the direct and residual responses to replacing 0·8 kg/day of a concentrate containing 184 g/kg crude protein with an equal quantity of fish meal when using three levels of total supplement feeding (0·8, 4·0 and 7·2 kg/day). In addition, all animals had access ad libitum to a high-quality grass silage (in vivo digestible organic matter 750 g/kg dry matter) during the treatment period. Treatments were applied from day 8 post partum until 22 April, when all animals went to pasture, giving a mean treatment period of 91 days. At pasture the animals were rotationally grazed as three groups, based on the three levels of total supplement offered during the treatment period, at the same stocking rate. The effects of treatments in terms of direct effects during the treatment periods, residual effects at pasture and also total lactation were assessed. Also during the treatment period the effects on rumen volatile fatty acid contents and blood composition were monitored. In addition, total diet digestibility and food utilization studies were carried out on six animals per treatment.Level of supplementation significantly influenced milk output during both the treatment and full lactation periods with the total lactation responses being 2·0 and 1·0 kg milk per kg additional supplement between the food levels of 0·8 to 4·0 and 4·0 to 7·2 kg/day respectively. Level of supplementation also significantly influenced milk fat concentration during the treatment, residual and full lactation periods and milk protein concentration during the treatment period only.The replacement of 0·8 kg conventional concentrate by 0·8 kg fish meal significantly increased milk yield during the final 21 days on treatment (mean yield per day 20·6 and 21·9 (s.e. 0·44) kg for without and with fish meal treatments respectively) but there were no significant residual or total lactation effects. From the data it was calculated that at low levels of supplementation 0·8 kg fish meal could be used to replace 1·9 kg conventional concentrate but at more moderate levels of nutrition any substitution would be much lower and uneconomic.

The effect of level and type of concentrate and type of conserved forage on dry matter intake and milk production of lactating dairy cows

1988 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Phipps ◽  
R. F. Weller ◽  
R. J. Elliott ◽  
J. D. Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Soyabean Meal ◽  
Ad Libitum

SummaryBetween weeks 3 and 16 of lactation 191 British Friesians received a basal ration ad libitum of either grass silage (GS), grass and maize silage (GS/MS) blended in a ratio of 1:2 or grass silage and 4% NaOH-treated barley straw (GS/TS) blended in a 4:1 ratio. The grass silage, which was not well preserved, had an estimated metabolizable energy (ME) content of 9–9 MJ/kg D.M., while corresponding values for the GS/MS and GS/TS mixtures were 106 and 9–5 MJ/kg D.M., respectively. A conventional concentrate (CC) based on barley and soyabean meal was fed at three levels (9, 6 and 3 kg fresh weight/day). Although the 9 kg level was only used in conjunction with GS, the two lower levels were fed with all three forage types. Concentrate composition was also varied at the 6 and 3 kg levels by replacing, in each case, 2 kg CC with a special concentrate (SC) which, in addition to barley, wheat and soyabean meal contained, on an air-dry basis, 25 % fishmeal and 25 % protected fat in the form of Megalac

The effects of mineral-block components when offered to ewes in late pregnancy on colostrum yield and immunoglobulin G absorption in their lambs

2004 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Boland ◽  
P. O. Brophy ◽  
J. J. Callan ◽  
P. J. Quinn ◽  
P. Nowakowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunoglobulin G ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Absorption Efficiency ◽  
Current Experiment ◽  
Stomach Tube ◽  
Lower Serum ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Impaired Ability ◽  
Ad Libitum

AbstractNinety twin-bearing ewes were given food individually and allocated to five (no. = 18) treatments in order to determine the effects of supplementing their diet in late pregnancy with mineral-block components on colostrum production, lamb serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration and colostral IgG absorption. Ewes were offered grass silage ad libitum, supplemented with 400 to 500 g per ewe per day of concentrates from day 99 of gestation, in addition to receiving one of the following supplements: C, (control) no supplement; B, mineral block; ML, liquid molasses; MN, granular minerals; ML + MN, liquid molasses and granular minerals. The experiment commenced on day 99 of gestation. Ewes were milked at lh, 10 h and 18 h post lambing and all lambs were fed measured quantities of colostrum, proportionate to birth weight, via stomach tube. Treatment had no effect (P > 0-05) on colostrum yield at lh, 10 h or 18 h post partum or on total colostrum yield to 18 h post partum. Ewes offered molasses (ML) or molasses plus minerals (ML + MN) had a lower colostral IgG concentration at lh post lambing than the control ewes (C) (P < 0-05). Ewes offered molasses (ML) also had a lower colostral IgG concentration than the control (C) at 10 h post partum (P < 0-05). Treatment had no effect on total IgG yield to 18 h post partum. When ewes were supplemented with minerals in any combination, with or without molasses (B, MN, ML + MN) it resulted in lambs having an impaired ability to absorb colostral IgG. Lambs from treatments B, MN and ML + MN had significantly poorer efficiency of colostral IgG absorption than lambs born to control ewes (C) or molasses (ML) supplemented ewes (P < 0-001). This in turn resulted in the progeny of mineral supplemented ewes (B, MN or ML + MN) having lower serum IgG concentration at 24 h post partum than either the control (C) or the molasses treatments (ML) (P < 0-001). When ewes were supplemented with molasses only (ML) lamb serum IgG content at 24 h was lower than in lambs born to control (C) ewes (P < 0-05) but this was as a result of a lower intake of colostral IgG (P < 0-05) and not a result of reduced IgG absorption efficiency. In conclusion, the data show that when ewe mineral intake is high in late pregnancy, as was the case in the current experiment, lamb serum IgG concentration and colostral IgG absorption efficiency are reduced. Further work is required to determine which component of the mineral formulation is responsible for this reduced IgG absorption efficiency and the mechanism through which this impaired efficiency operates.

scholarly journals Effect of increasing digestible undegraded protein supply to dairy cows in late gestation on the yield and composition of milk during the subsequent lactation

1996 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Moorby ◽  
R. J. Dewhurst ◽  
S. Marsden
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Protein Supplement ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
Protein Pool ◽  
Ad Libitum

AbstractEffects of feeding a protein supplement to dairy cows during the dry period on performance during the following lactation were investigated in two experiments. Holstein-Friesian cows were paired towards the end of lactation, and, after drying off, one of each pair received a typical dry cow management regime of ad libitum grass silage (experiment 1), or a mix of grass silage and distillers' grains or pressed beet pulp (experiment 2). The other cows were offered restricted access to the same basal diet, together with ad libitum access to barley straw and 0·5 kg/day high protein maize gluten meal. During the following lactation, animals from both groups were treated without reference to dry period treatment, and were offered equal access to the same lactation diet. Data were analysed by analysis of variance of experiment means and by parallel curve analysis using sample means. In experiment 1, milk yields were similar (27·2 v. 27·9 (s.e.d. 2·12) kg/day for control and supplemented animals respectively) but milk protein yields, and hence concentrations, were significantly higher (P < 0·001) from supplemented animals (28·9 v. 31·8 (s.e.d. 0·58) g/kg). In experiment 2, milk yields were significantly higher (P < 0·001) from supplemented animals (mean 33·3 v. 35·4 (s.e.d. 1·66) kg/day; however, milk protein yields were also significantly increased (P < 0·001) and the change in milk protein concentration was small. No difference in dry-matter intake was recorded in a subset of animals during early lactation in experiment 2. It is hypothesized that the maternal labile body protein pool was maintained or replenished during the dry period by the provision of the protein supplement, and that this had a significant effect on subsequent lactation performance.

Intake and Production Responses by Holstein-Friesian Cows to the Level and Pattern of Crude Protein Supplied in a Fixed Concentrate Diet given with Grass Silage ad Libitum

1994 ◽  
Vol 1994 ◽  
pp. 129-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Aston ◽  
W.J. Fisher ◽  
A.B. McAllan
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Total N ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Extra Energy ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Milk Solids ◽  
Friesian Cows

Recent trials with cows fed grass silage have shown significant increases in intake and in yields of milk and milk solids when the crude protein (CP) concentration in a supplementary concentrate was raised. Giving additional CP in the concentrate was a more effective strategy for improving yields of milk and milk protein than giving extra energy (Aston et al 1992). The objective of this trial was to examine the influence of changes to the amount and pattern of distribution of CP supplied in a fixed concentrate ration given with grass silage ad libitum.Fifty-five Holstein-Friesian cows in their second and subsequent lactations were given a standard diet for two weeks from calving and then were used in a continuous feeding trial from weeks 4 to 21. The cows received 5 kg of fresh concentrate daily containing 156 (LP), 245 (MP) or 338 (HP) g CP per kg dry matter (DM), MP comprised equal amounts of LP and HP. Concentrate carbohydrate sources were cereals and digestible fibre and CP was increased by a mixture of 3:1 soya:fish meals. Grass silage contained 253 g toluene DM/kg, 162 g CP/kg DM, D value in vivo 0.723, pH 3.7, fermentation acids 135 g/kg DM of which 0.85 was lactic acid and NH3-N 91 g/kg total N.

Effect of reproductive state and concentrate supplementation on liquid and particulate turnover in the rumen of ewes given ammonia treated straw

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 1579 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Perez ◽  
J Gasa ◽  
C Castrillo ◽  
JA Guada
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Energy Status ◽  
Reproductive State ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Breeding Status

Rates of passage of liquid and particulate markers (Co-EDTA, Cr mordanted fibres and Yb) were measured in ewes at late pregnancy, lactation and non-breeding status. Animals were given ammonia treated barley straw ad libitum supplemented daily with 250 and 550 (pregnancy), 550 and 850 (lactation) and 250, 550 and 850 (non-breeding) g of concentrate. The effect of the reproductive state was analysed only on ewes fed on 550 g of concentrate. Lactating ewes showed a higher voluntary straw intake (970 g/day) than pregnant or non-breeding ewes (720 and 790 g/day respectively), but there were not significant differences in the OM digestibility (OMD) among reproductive states. Increasing concentrate supplementation promoted significant decreases in the voluntary intake of straw, associated with an enhanced OMD ( P < 0.05). Fractional outflow rates (FOR/h) were higher in pregnant and non-breeding than in lactating ewes, although differences were only significant ( P < 0.01) for Chromium derived values. Ewes given 250 g of concentrate showed lower ( P < 0.05) FOR than those given 550 and 850 g/day. Results support the idea that in ruminants fed on low quality roughages, voluntary dry matter intake is mainly restricted by rumen capacity, although the energy status of the animals might influence the extent of this restriction.

Sodium hydroxide treatment of barley straw; effect of volume and concentration of solution on digestibility and intake by sheep

1975 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. N. Jayasuriya ◽  
Emyr Owen
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Hydroxide ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Naoh Solution ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Subsequent Neutralization ◽  
Male Sheep ◽  
Sodium Hydroxide Treatment

SUMMARY1. Four experiments have been carried out to determine the effect of treatment of spring-sown barley straw (var. Deba Abed) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution and subsequent neutralization with hydrochloric acid (HCl) on its digestibility and intake by sheep.2. In Experiment 1, chopped straw was mixed with 4·5 or 9·0 g NaOH in 200 or 800 ml water/100 g, straw, and after 24 hr neutralized with HCl and left for a further 24 hr before being offered to castrated male sheep (wethers) in a maintenance diet containing 35% concentrates. Organic-matter digestibility of straw significantly increased, by 8 and 11 percentage units respectively, after treatment with 200 ml solution containing 4·5 and 9·0 g NaOH. Volume of solution did not affect digestibility.3. In Experiment 2, straw treated as in Experiment 1 was given ad libitum. The highest intake was for straw treated with 200 ml solution containing 4·5 g NaOH/100 g straw, treatment with 9·0 g NaOH giving a significantly lower intake but higher than that of untreated straw.4. In Experiment 3, the in vitro digestibility of milled straw, treated as in Experiments 1 and 4, increased with increasing volumes of solution up to 120 ml/100 g straw, but the response to successive increments of NaOH declined progressively.5. In Experiment 4 chopped straw was mixed with 4·5, 6·75 or 9·0 g NaOH in 30, 60 or 120 ml water/100 g straw and offered as in Experiment 1. Treatments significantly increased straw digestibility, by 8 to 16 percentage units. Increasing the volume of water from 30 to 60 ml significantly improved digestibility, by 5 percentage units at the two lower levels of NaOH. The response to an increase in the level of NaOH was less, and inconsistent. In vitro and in vivo digestibilities were significantly correlated, but it is concluded that the in vitro technique used overestimates the digestibility of treated straw.

Formaldehyde as a silage additive. II. The chemical composition and nutritive value of lucerne hay, lucerne silage, and formaldehyde and formic acid-treated lucerne silages

1973 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 939 ◽  
Author(s):  
SC Valentine ◽  
DC Brown
Keyword(s):  
Formic Acid ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Ad Libitum Intake

Formaldehyde-treated silage, formic acid-treated silage, formaldehyde-formic acid-treated silage, untreated silage, and lucerne hay were made from a lucerne sward and offered to Merino wethers. The formaldehyde was applied at a rate of 0.9 % of the weight of the dry matter and formic acid at 0.5 % of the fresh weight of the lucerne. Formaldehyde-treated silage and formaldehyde-formic acid-treated silage had significantly lower concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and total and individual organic acids than untreated silage. Formic acid-treated silage had a similar degree of fermentation to untreated silage, but more acetic acid and less lactic acid were produced than in untreated silage. However, when formic acid was applied in combination with formaldehyde, the ensiling fermentation was inhibited more than when formaldehyde was applied alone. There was some apparent protection of protein by the formaldehyde treatment. Treatment with formic acid significantly increased the in vivo digestibility of both nitrogen and dry matter, but did not increase ad libitum intake or wool growth by sheep offered this silage. Compared to untreated silage, treatment with formaldehyde significantly reduced the in vivo digestibility of nitrogen, produced a non-significant increase in intake, and significantly increased wool growth. The treatment of lucerne with both formaldehyde and formic acid significantly increased in vivo digestibility of dry matter, ad libitum intake, and wool growth compared with untreated silage. The treatment of lucerne with a mixture of formaldehyde (0.9% of the dry matter) and formic acid (0.5% of the fresh weight) was a suitable method of controlling the ensiling fermentation in order to increase the ad libitum intake of lucerne silage by sheep and their subsequent wool production. However, the intake and wool production of sheep offered such silage was still significantly less than that of sheep offered lucerne hay.

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