The effect of dried grass and cereal-based concentrate on the voluntary intake of unwilted grass silage

1977 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. McIlmoyle ◽  
J. C. Murdoch

SUMMARYTwo 7 × 7 Latin square experiments were carried out with British Friesian steers (mean initial live weight 360 kg). In Experiment 1 the effects of different levels of dried grass or concentrate on the intake of silage dry matter (DM) were compared, and in Experiment 2 the effect of a supplement containing various proportions of dried grass: concentrate on the intake of silage DM was examined. In both experiments the digestibility of the ration and the rate of passage of digesta were measured.In Experiment 1, supplementation depressed intake of silage DM, the difference being significant (P<0·05) at 5·0 and 7·5 kg/day, but there were no significant differences in silage intake between supplements given at the same level. Intake of silage was also significantly lower (P<0·05) in Experiment 2 when a supplement was offered, but differences between supplements were not significant. Total DM intake was increased significantly (P<00·5) by supplementation in both experiments. Supplementation increased energy digestibility but decreased crude fibre digestibility. In Experiment 1 nitrogen digestibility was significantly lower (P<0·05) with dried grass than with concentrate supplementation, but in Experiment 2 supplementation increased the digestibility of nitrogen. In both experiments the mean retention time was shorter, the time for the highest rate of excretion of stained particles was lower, and the maximum rate of excretion higher for dried grass than for silage.

1970 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
S Barua ◽  
MJ Khan ◽  
AKFH Bhuiyan ◽  
MN Islam ◽  
SS Islam

The study was undertaken to investigate the effects of concentrate supplementation with different protein levels on intake, digestibility and growth performance of Red Chittagong (RC) heifers fed urea molasses straw (UMS) based diet. Twelve RC heifers having average live weight of 124.83±43.15 kg and aged between 8 to 14 months were selected for 90 days feeding trial. Animals were divided into four groups having three animals in each and were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a Randomized Block Design (RBD). The experimental diets were formulated using urea molasses straw (UMS), German grass (Echinochloa grousgalli) with or without concentrate mix (having different levels of protein). All the animals received UMS ad libitum and German grass at the rate of 20% of total DM intake. In addition to UMS and German grass of control diet T0, animals on diets T1, T2 and T3 were supplied with concentrate mixture at the rate of 10% of DM intake containing 15, 20 and 25% CP, respectively. Average daily DM intake was 2.65, 3.06, 2.62 and 2.86 kg/100 kg LW for diets T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively and the difference was non significant (P>0.05). The digestibility of DM, CP, EE, NFE and digestible nutrients (DCP, DEE and DNFE) for diets T1, T2 and T3 was significantly higher than those for diet T0. The daily average liveweight gain of RC heifers fed diets T0, T1, T2 and T3 were 100, 275, 333 and 291 g respectively (P<0.01). Concentrate mixture having 20% crude protein may be supplemented at the rate of 10% of DM intake per day for optimum growth of Red Chittagong heifers. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v37i1.9861 BJAS 2008; 37(1): 10-16


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Jackson ◽  
T. J. Forbes

SUMMARYHerbage from the same timothy/meadow fescue/white clover sward was ensiled at four different dry matter contents. The resulting silages had dry matter contents of 19·0, 27·3, 32·3 and 43·2%, the dry matter content increasing with the length of the wilting period. An experiment was carried out to determine the voluntary intake of the silages. Each silage was given to 7 animals individually, the mean live weight of these being 334 kg.Although the silages made from wilted herbage were lower in digestibility than that made from unwilted herbage, wilting increased dry matter intake and metabolizable energy (ME) intake. The mean daily intakes of digestible organic matter were 53·0, 58·1, 59·6 and 59·6 g/kgW0·73, for silages of increasing dry matter content. The corresponding ME intakes, expressed as a multiple of the ME requirement for maintenance, were 1·17, 1·29, 1·30 and 1·28. The percentage of acetic acid in the silage dry matter was significantly (r= −0·56) and linearly related to voluntary intake. The relationship between lactic acid concentration and voluntary intake was significantly curvilinear (r= 0·48).


1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gill ◽  
D. E. Beever ◽  
P. J. Buttery ◽  
P. England ◽  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
...  

SummaryThe effect of oestradiol-17β on the response to fishmeal supplementation of grass silage was studied in young growing cattle. Voluntary intake and live-weight gain were recorded over 63 days with 36 British Friesian male castrates (initial live weight (LW) 119 kg) offered silage alone (C) or with 50 (FM1), 100 (FM2), or 150 (FM3) g fishmeal/kg silage dry matter. Twelve calves were allocated to each of treatments C and FM3 and six to treatments FM1 and FM2. Half of the calves on each treatment were ear-implanted with oestradiol-17β (Compudose 365) at the start of the experiment. The calves on treatments C and FM3 were slaughtered after 75 days and chemical analysis conducted on half of each carcass. The silage had an organic-matter digestibility in vivo of 0·794 and was well-fermented, with a pH of 3·7. Intake averaged 24·2±0·42 g D.M./kg LW over all the treatments and live-weight gain was 0·77 kg/day on the silage alone. There was a significant (P < 0·05) interaction between fishmeal and oestradiol-17β, such that response to the hormone was observed only in the presence of fishmeal at 100 or 150 g/kg silage D.M. A similar interaction was apparent between fishmeal at 150 g/kg silage D.M. and oestradiol-17β in the final weights of empty body and carcass. This level of fishmeal also increased protein gain from 96 to 147 g/day and this was further increased to 179 g/day in the implanted animals receiving fishmeal. However, the overall effect of oestradiol-17β on protein gain was not significant. Gross efficiency of energy utilization was significantly (P < 0·01) increased by fishmeal supplementation suggesting an improved balance of nutrients compared with the silage alone diet.


1961 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Castle ◽  
A. D. Drysdale ◽  
R. Waite

SummarySince grassland conservation crops are normally bulky fibrous feeds and often limit the appetite and nutrient intake of dairy cows, a feeding trial was made in which a basal ration of hay and grass silage was compared with similar rations containing roots. Three rations were compared in a 12–week winter feeding trial using twelve Ayrshire cows. Ration A consisted of 8 lb of hay and 65 lb of grass silage daily, whilst rations B and C contained 30 and 60 lb of fodder-beet, respectively, in addition. With all three rations concentrates were given at 3½ lb per 10 lb of milk. The total weights of dry matter consumed per day were 29·1, 32·5 and 35·4 lb, respectively, for rations A, B and C and were significantly different. For every 1 lb of additional fodder-beet dry matter eaten the decline in the amount of basal feeds consumed was 0·45 lb. The largest effect was on the silage which fell from 10·8 lb of silage dry matter per day for ration A to 8·8 lb for ration B and 6·8 lb for ration C.The weight of starch equivalent (S.E.) given per day increased significantly from 18·1 lb for treatment A to 22·2 lb for treatment C, whilst at the same time the total weight of crude fibre and lignin eaten decreased significantly in the rations containing fodder-beet.The mean daily milk yields for rations A, B and C were 37·4, 39·2 and 38·5 lb, respectively, with a response of 0·9 lb milk per 1 lb of extra S.E. given between rations A and B but no further response between rations B and C. The fat percentages of the milk were not significantly different for the three rations whereas the solidsnot-fat (S.N.F.) varied significantly from 8·58% for ration A to 8·77% for ration C— a response of 0·05% S.N.F. for each additional 1 lb of S.E. The change in the S.N.F. was mainly in the protein fraction of the milk. The cows were significantly heavier when on ration C than when on ration A.The effect of feeding roots on the appetite of the cow and on the resulting milk quality, and the problems of growing roots on intensively managed grassland farms are briefly discussed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sanderson ◽  
C. Thomas ◽  
A. B. McAllan

AbstractSeventy-two, 4-month-old, British Friesian steers were used to investigate the effects of feeding a supplement of fish meal on the voluntary intake and live-weight gain by young growing cattle given a well preserved ryegrass silage. The silage was offered either alone or mixed with 50,100 or 150 g fish meal per kg silage dry matter (DM) and the diets were offered either ad libitum or intakes were restricted to 16, 19 or 22 g dietary DM per kg live weight (LW). Intakes were recorded daily, LW weekly and in vivo apparent digestibility over one 7-day period during the 132-day trial.For animals fed ad libitum, the absolute intake of dietary DM increased linearly with an increase in the level of fish-meal supplementation such that intake when the highest level of fish meal was given was significantly higher (P < 0·01) than when silage was given alone. However, DM intake per unit LW (approx. 24 g DM per kg LW) was not affected significantly (P > 0·05).Inclusion of fish meal in the diet did not affect the apparent digestibility of dietary DM, organic matter, acid-detergent or neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) although there was a trend for slightly higher (P > 0·05) gross energy apparent digestibility when fish meal was given. Increasing the level of feeding reduced NDF digestibility. The coefficients measured at the 22 g and ad libitum levels of intake were lower (P < 0·01 and P < 0·05 respectively) than that measured at the 16 g DM per kg LW level.Animals given silage alone to appetite achieved LW gains of 0·6 kg/day. LW gains increased linearly with increasing level of feeding (P < 0·001) and increasing level offish-meal supplementation (P < 0·001).


1990 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seija Jaakkola

Two experiments were carried out to study the effects of cell wall degrading enzymes as silage additive. A primary growth of timothy was cut with a mower and picked up with a precision-chop forage harvester in Exp. I (early cut), and harvested as direct-cut with a precision-chop harvester in Exp. II (late cut). The additive treatments were in Exp. I: 1) unwilted formic acid (FA) applied as AIV II (4.5 l/t), 2) wilted untreated, 3) wilted FA (4 l/t), 4) wilted enzyme A (glucose oxidase (GO) + hemicellulase (HC) 150 ml/t + cellulase (C) 200 ml/t), 5) wilted enzyme B (HC 150 ml/t + C 200 ml/t); and in Exp. II: 1) untreated, 2) FA (4 l/t), 3) E200 (C 200 ml/t + GO), 4) E400 (C 400 ml/t + GO), 5) E800 (C 800 ml/t + GO). The rate of application of GO was 50 000 IU/t. The silages were ensiled in pilot scale silos (3 m3) and the voluntary intake and digestibility in sheep were determined in two experiments designed as a 5 x 5 Latin square. The use of enzymes decreased the fibre content of silages, mainly the cellulose fraction, as compared with FA and untreated silages. Enzyme silages were well preserved with a low pH (3.93—4.15), moderate ammonia N (72—119 g/kg total N) and no butyric acid. As compared with untreated silages (mean pH 4.6, ammonia N 131) the preservation was improved. The FA silages were also well preserved (pH 4.0, ammonia N 57) with more restricted fermentation than enzyme silages. FA and especially higher levels of enzymes increased the amount of effluent. In Exp. I, the digestibilities of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude fibre were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the silage treatment. In Exp. II, the digestibility of DM and OM decreased linearly (P


1986 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Aitchison ◽  
M. Gill ◽  
M. S. Dhanoa ◽  
D. F. Osbourn

1. The characteristics of digestion, passage and rumen fill of three hays: early- and late-cut perennial ryegrass (Loliurn perenne cv. Endura) and white clover hay (Trifolium repens cv. Blanca and Pronitro) were studied using six rumen-cannulated sheep fed at a restricted level of intake (18 g dry matter (DM)/kg live weight (LW) per d), in a two 3 x 3 Latin square design.2. Voluntary intake of the same diets was measured using a further six non-cannulated sheep in a similar design.3. Rate of digestion of the three hays was measured using dacron bags and the rates of digestion of DM and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) for clover hay were significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 respectively) faster than those for the two grass hays whose rates did not differ. Rates of passage, determined using chromium-mordanted hay, did not differ between treatments.4. Rumen pool sizes of DM, organic matter and fibre were generally greatest for the late-cut grass hay and lowest for the clover hay, while voluntary intake was highest (P < 0.001) for the clover hay (36.6 g DM/kg LW per d) and lowest for the late-cut grass hay (24.7 g/kg LW per d).5. The net rate of removal of indigestible fibre from the rumen appeared to vary within the day, with maximal disappearance occurring during eating, followed by a lag phase between 5 and 10 h after feeding, with a second increase in rate between 10 and 24 h post-feeding.


1972 ◽  
Vol 12 (54) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Minson

The digestibility and voluntary intake of Chloris gayana, Digitaria decumbens, Panicimum maximum var tricboglume, Paspalm dilatatum, Pennisetm Clanhtinum, and Setaria splendih were measured with sheep in metabolism pens. All grasses were grown under the same conditions and cut at the same time. Each grass was cut after growing for 28, 70, and 98 days in the summer and then again (except for P. dilatatum) after 42, 70, and 105 days in the following autumn. Four successive 28-day regrowths of each grass (two cuts only for P. dilatatum) were also harvested during the summer. All 55 cuts were artificially dried and fed at the same time, each cut being fed to eight sheep. Differences in dry matter and organic matter digestibility between grass species were relatively small with a maximum mean difference of six digestibility units between S. splendida and P. clandestinzrm. For the 28-day regrowths S. splendida was 5.1 digestibility units higher but with the more mature regrowths the difference was 6.8 digestibility units. The mean voluntary intake of dry matter of S. splendida and P. clandestinum was 9 and 11 per cent lower than that of D. decmbens (P<0.01) with the largest differences in voluntary intake between grasses occurring at the mature stages of growth. Large differences were found between grass species in both the slope and intercept of regressions relating voluntary intake to dry matter digestibility.


1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Walker

ABSTRACTIn two experiments 480 and 360 pigs were housed in groups of 10 and given diets containing different proportions of cassava between 35 and 87 kg live weight. The cassava contained 672, 34, 57 and 39 g/kg air dry matter of starch, crude fibre, total ash and insoluble ash respectively. The diets in the first experiment contained 0, 238, 475 or 713 kg cassava per t. In the second experiment the different levels of dietary cassava (0, 150, 300 or 450 kg cassava per t) were combined in a factorial design with different levels of tallow (0, 50 or 100 kg tallow per t). The pigs were given quantities of food calculated to give isoenergy intakes on the assumption that air-dry cassava contained 14·2 MJ digestible energy (DE) per kg. The feeding scale increased with time to give a maximum daily allowance of DE of 31·8 MJ per pig. Relative to each MJ of DE the calculated levels of lysine and of methionine plus cystine in the diets were 0·64 g and 0·39 g respectively.In both experiments, increasing levels of cassava resulted in significant reductions in growth rate but had no effect on the conversion of food to live weight or on carcass weight. In both experiments, the diets with the highest inclusions of cassava produced pigs with the thickest backfat. The effect was not significant in the second experiment but in the first experiment the differences were significant between diets with the highest and intermediate levels of cassava. There was a significant interaction between cassava and tallow on growth rate with the depression due to high levels of cassava being reduced when 100 kg tallow per t was included in the diet.The results of these growth experiments suggested that cassava of the type used here was of similar value to barley on an energy basis when used in diets based on barley and soya bean meals.


1974 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Fitzgerald ◽  
M. Kay

SUMMARYA latin square design with three periods of 3 weeks was used to measure the dry-matter intake, live-weight gain and water intake of 12 British Friesian calves offered an all-concentrate diet ad libitumin wet form. The diets contained 30% (B), 20% (C) or 15% (D) dry matter. A further six calves were given the same diet in dry form (A) throughout the experimental period. Digestibility and nitrogen balance were measured on four calves on each treatment at the end of the experimental period. In addition, two Ayrshire calves, each fitted with a permanent abomasal cannula, were used to study the site of digestion of the feed when given in dry or wet form.The mean dry-matter intakes of the calves given the dry and wet feeds were 75·5 and 80·8 g/kg W0·75 per day respectively and mean daily live-weight gains were 849 g for the calves on both types of feed. The mean dry-matter intakes of the calves given the wet diets were 80·9 (B), 81·2 (C) and 75·5 (D) g/kg W0·75 per day, and the live-weight gains (g/day) were 857 (B), 879 (C) and 812 (D). None of these differences were significant. The intake of water by the calves was significantly increased by reducing the dry-matter content of the diet. The form or dry-matter content of the diet offered had no effect on the digestibility of dry matter (76·1%), organic matter (77·9%), energy (75·8%) or crude protein (75·8%) or on nitrogen retention (32·5% of N intake).The rumen was the main site of digestion for all Tour diets and an average of only 7% of dietary starch passed undigested through the abomasum.


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