The feed intake of grazing cattle III. The influence of level of milk yield

1965 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. W. Jones ◽  
R. M. Drake-Brockman ◽  
W. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Mean

SUMMARY1. The feed intakes of 18 Ayrshire cows continuously grazing a timothy-meadow fescue-white clover sward were estimated by the chromic oxide-faecal nitrogen method for two 6-weekly periods, one in 1960 and one in 1961. The cows consisted of (1) 6 lactating cows, 6–7 months post partum (Low yield), (2) 6 lactating cows, 2 months post partum (High yield) and (3) 6 dry cows; their live-weights, milk yields and milk composition were recorded.2. The mean organic matter digestibility of the herbage consumed in the two experiments was 78·2 and 76·2%. The mean digestible organic matter intakes (DOMI) were 23·3, 24·7 and 17·6 Ib./day for low yield, high yield and dry cows respectively.3. The mean daily fat-corrected milk (FCM) yields of the low and high yield cows were 29·1 and 34·3 lb. in the first experiment, and 26·8 and 42·8 lb. in the second. The mean live-weights of the lactating groups were 1036 lb. and 1106 lb. in the two experiments and did not differ between yield levels.4. DOMI was partitioned between maintenance, live-weight gain and FCM yield by regression analysis. Significant partial regression coefficients of DOMI on FCM varying between 0·221 and 0·272 were obtained. It was concluded that milk production accounted for about 0·24 lb. DOMI per lb. FCM.5. The results are discussed with particular regard to other estimates of the effect of milk production on the DOMI of the grazing cow and to the estimation of the maintenance requirement for DOM by the grazing animal.

The effect of wilting of herbage on silage composition and its feeding value for milk production

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Significant Depression ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Block Experiment

ABSTRACTA randomized block experiment was used to assess the effects of wilting of herbage prior to ensiling. Three silages, each a composite of three harvests taken over the season, were prepared by ensiling herbage as unwilted, medium-wilted or high-wilted material with mean dry-matter contents in the resulting silages of 192, 254 and 455g/kg respectively. The silages were ensiled in bunker silos using the same harvesting machinery and with formic acid applied at the rate of 2 81/t of herbage. The silages were offered to 81 January- and February-calving cows from the 8th day post partum until going to pasture on 27 April, with a mean period on treatmen t of 92 days. In addition, all animals received a fixed concentrate allowance of 7·6 kg/day. Wilting increased silage dry-matter intake, the mean intakes being 9·2, 9·4 and 10·0kg/day for the unwilted, medium-wilted and high-wilted material respectively, but resulted in a significant depression in milk yield, with the yields obtained during the final 14 days on treatment being 23·6, 21 -8 and 21·5kg/day respectively. Milk composition, live weight, body condition, total ration digestibility and nitrogen-balance data are also presented.

The voluntary intake by cattle of four silages differing in dry matter content

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Jackson ◽  
T. J. Forbes
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Daily Intakes

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).

Systems of concentrate allocation for dairy cattle 1. A comparison of three patterns of allocation for autumn-calving cows and heifers offered grass silage ad libitum

1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Taylor ◽  
J. D. Leaver
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Fixed Rate ◽  
Flat Rate ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTHigh quality grass silage (10·5 MJ metabolizable energy per kg dry matter (DM)) was offered ad libitum to three groups of autumn-calving dairy cattle, each group containing eight cows and eight heifers. In a 20-week period commencing at week 3 post partum each group received, on average, 1260 kg fresh weight of a concentrate containing 180 g crude protein per kg. Animals in treatment F each received a flat-rate of 9 kg concentrates per day throughout. In treatment D, a declining rate of 11, 10, 9, 8 and 7 kg/day was given in successive 4-week periods. Animals in treatment Y were each offered a fixed rate of concentrates (range 7 to 12 kg/day) based on their milk yield at 2 weeks post partum with a mean intake of 9 kg/day for the group. For treatments F, D and Y respectively, the mean daily milk yields were, 26·2, 26·7 and 26·9 kg for cows, and 19·5, 19·1 and 18·8 kg for heifers; mean live-weight gains were, 0·28, 0·30 and 0·22 kg/day for cows, and 0·41, 0·54 and 0·38 kg/day for heifers; and intakes of silage were, 10·1, 10·6 and 10·7 kg DM per day for cows, and 7·8, 7·7 and 7·3 kg DM per day for heifers. The differences between treatments were not significant but there were significant differences between cows and heifers. No significant differences were found between treatments in milk composition although heifers produced milk with significantly higher milk protein concentration (P < 0·05) and significantly greater milk lactose concentration (P < 0·01) than did cows. During the residual period (4 weeks indoors and 16 weeks grazing) all animals were treated as a single group and there were no significant differences in performance. The 305-day milk yields were not significantly different between treatments and averaged 6587 kg for cows, and 5124 kg for heifers.

Estimates of the energy required for maintenance by adult sheep 1. Housed sheep

1963 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Langlands ◽  
J. L. Corbett ◽  
I. McDonald ◽  
J. D. Pullar
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Functional Relationship ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Heat Emission ◽  
Daily Weight Gain ◽  
Direct Calorimetry ◽  
Adult Sheep ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Mean

SUMMARYEight adult ewes were fasted for 114 hr. During the last 48 hr. the heat emission of each sheep was measured by direct calorimetry and was found to be 35·2 kcal./kg.0·87/24 hr., that is, 973 kcal./24 hr. for a sheep of 45·4 kg. (100 lb.) live-weight. From this value it is estimated that the 100 lb. sheep would require daily 0·79 lb. digestible organic matter (DOM) from pasture herbage for maintenance.In a second experiment, 49 adult sheep were kept indoors and fed on fresh herbage for a period of 72 days. Measurements were made of the mean daily DOM intake (D), mean live-weight (W) and mean daily weight gain (G) of each sheep. The regression of D on Wk and G, and the underlying or functional relationship between D, Wk and G were both estimated for k = 0·73 and k = 1·0. From the underlying relationships, the preferred equations, the maintenance requirement of a 100 lb. sheep was estimated to be 0·82 lb. DOM daily. This value and those calculated for other live-weights are approximately two-thirds of the corresponding values given in ‘Rations for Livestock’ (Evans, 1960).

Effects of substitution of barley with citrus pulp on diet digestibility and intake and production of lactating ewes offered mixed diets based on ammonia-treated barley straw

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Castrillo ◽  
A. Barrios-Urdaneta ◽  
M. Fondevila ◽  
J. Balcells ◽  
J. A. Guada
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Microbial Protein ◽  
Citrus Pulp ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Lamb Growth

AbstractTwenty-eight lactating ewes (mean 48 (s.e. 0·37) kg live weight) were used from days 12 to 52 after lambing to evaluate the effects on digestibility and production performance of replacing barley grain with citrus pulp in diets based on ammonia-treated barley straw. Concentrates included 0·82 to 0·83 of different barley to citrus pulp proportions: 100: 0 (T1); 66: 33 (T2); 33: 66 (T3) and 0: 100 (T4), 0·115 of soya-bean meal, and urea to make diets isonitrogenous. Ewes were adapted to a common diet for 11 days after lambing, and then were given 850 g/day of each experimental concentrate together with 850 g/day of chopped barley straw for 14 days and milk production and lamb growth were recorded. During the following 14 days ewes received the same amount of concentrate but the straw was offered ad libitum and straw intake was recorded as well as milk production and lamb growth. After completing both periods, four ewes per treatment were used for total collections of faeces and urine. Apparent digestibility of organic matter and neutral-detergent fibre increased linearly (P < 0·05) with increasing levels of citrus pulp although no differences were found in the digestible organic matter content of dry matter of diets because of differences in ash content. Urinary excretion of allantoin and purine derivatives per unit of digestible organic matter intake tended to decrease with increasing inclusion of citrus pulp (proportionately by 0·15), suggesting a decrease in microbial protein synthesis, though this effect was not significant (P > 0·05). Faecal excretion of purine bases also decreased (P < 0·05) as citrus pulp inclusion increased. No treatment effect (P > 0·05) on ewe live weight, milk composition or serum glucose and 3–OH butyrate was observed when a 1: 1 straw to concentrate ratio was given, but milk production and lamb daily gain decreased linearly (P < 0·05) with increased proportions of citrus pulp in the concentrate. Similar responses were detected when straw was given ad libitum and differences among treatments in terms of straw intake were not identified. It is concluded that a lower microbial protein flow might explain in part the reduction in milk production observed when barley was replaced with citrus pulp.

The energy requirements of sheep for maintenance and gain. I. Pen fed sheep

1962 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. E. Coop
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Energy Requirements ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Rye Grass ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Final Estimate ◽  
The Mean

Four experiments have been conducted with sheep, housed and fed in pens, to determine the maintenance and live-weight gain requirements of sheep under such conditions.1. Fifteen Corriedale sheep of initial live weight 115 lb. were fed at maintenance for 13 weeks. Daily DOM (digestible organic matter) requirement for maintenance was 0·92 ± 0·07 lb.2. Twelve Romney ewes of mean live weight 106 lb. over the period were fed for 5 months, six on submaintenance and six on super-maintenance levels. Daily DOM requirement for maintenance was 0·99 ± 0·05 lb., and requirement for gain 2·29 ± 0·20 lb. DOM per lb. gain or loss.3. Thirteen Romney ewes of mean live weight 110 lb. over the period were fed at sub- and supermaintenance levels for 8 weeks yielding the result: daily DOM intake for maintenance 1·04 ± 0·13 lb. and for gain 2·25 ± 0·24 lb. DOM per lb. gain.4. Twenty-four Romney ewes of initial live weight 107 lb. were randomized into five groups and fed fresh grass, dried grass, sheep pellets, lucerne hay and rye-grass straw for 11 weeks at slightly below maintenance. There were no significant differences between groups and the mean estimate of maintenance was 1·00 ± 0·11 lb. DOM per day.Converting these estimates to those of a 100 lb. sheep using the ¾ power of live weight, and then taking the mean gives the final estimate for maintenance of a 100 lb. sheep 0·92 lb. DOM, 0·96 TDN or 0·89 lb. SE.

The effects of grazing intensity on herbage consumption and animal production: III. Dairy cows grazed at two intensities on clean or contaminated pasture

1969 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. D. Greenhalgh ◽  
G. W. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
The Other ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Carbohydrate Contents

SUMMARYOn three occasions in May—July one half of a ryegrass pasture was grazed intensively by cattle and the other was mown. In August and September these areas, designated fouled (F) and clean (C) respectively, were each strip-grazed by two groups of five cows. One group on each area had a herbage allowance of 11·4 kg dry matter per cow per day (C11 and F11) and the other 20·4 kg (C20 and F20).Before the August-September grazing the fouled area had 2·8% of its surface covered by faeces. After this grazing 23 % of the F n area and 34 % of the F20 area were classified as having been rejected by the cows. However, the upper parts of the sward on these rejected areas were in fact grazed. There were only small differences in N and soluble-carbohydrate contents between the herbages offered and rejected.Organic-matter digestibility (%) and intake (kg/cow per day) for the four groups were: C11, 73·0 and 10·5; C20, 74·9 and 11·7; F11 , 74·4 and 9·6; F20, 77·0 and 10·6. The C11 cows consumed all the herbage allowed to them, but the F11 rejected 13%. Digestible organic matter intake was affected more by grazing intensity than by fouling; this was the case also for milk yield, milk composition and the live-weight change of the cows.

A note on the use of kale as a replacement for cereal-based concentrates for milk production

1976 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
F. J. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Weight Change ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Block Experiment

SUMMARYTwenty-four lactating cows were used in a 6-week randomized block experiment to assess the effect of replacing 2·4 kg of cereal-based concentrate dry matter by either 2·6 or 3·2 kg of kale dry matter for cows with ad libitum access to grass silage. Milk yield, milk composition and live-weight change were not affected by the inclusion of kale. Silage dry-matter intake was significantly lower on the kale treatments than with concentrate, being 8·51, 7·89 and 7·95 kg per day for the concentrate, low-kale and high-kale supplements respectively. Energy digestibilities were 68·1, 74·4 and 76·4% and nitrogen digestibilities 67·1, 74·9 and 78·8% for the three treatments respectively.

The effect of level of feeding on the digestibility of diets for sheep and cattle

1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Leaver ◽  
R. C. Campling ◽  
W. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Crude Fibre ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Organic Matter Digestibility ◽  
Linear Decline ◽  
Male Sheep

SUMMARY1. In the first experiment, the digestibility of diets containing ratios of 1:1 and 1:4 hay to concentrates was determined at five levels of feeding in castrated male sheep. With diet 1.1, increasing the daily dry matter intake from 600 to 1400 g resulted in a linear decline in organic matter digestibility from 74·4 to 68·6%. The same increase in level of feeding led to a curvilinear decline in the organic matter digestibility of diet 1.4 from 83·0 to 75·9%.2. In a similar way the crude fibre digestibility of the diets declined as food intake increased. Also the increase in level of feeding caused a decrease in the mean retention time of stained hay in the alimentary tract.3. In a second experiment the digestibility of long dried grass offered ad libitum to eight dry and eight lactating cows was measured and compared with the digestibility of similar dried grass offered at maintenance level and ad libitum to eight castrated male sheep.4. On a metabolic live-weight basis (kg W0·73), the lactating cows ate 34% more organic matter than the dry cows and the mean voluntary intake of sheep was only 54% of the intake of dry cows.5. The organic matter digestibility for the dry cows was 1·9 units higher than that of the lactating cows and at ad libitum intake the organic matter digestibility for the sheep was 5·6 and 3·7 units lower than that of the dry and lactating cows respectively. The results are discussed in relation to the validity of extrapolating results obtained with sheep to cattle, and with non·lactating to lactating animals.

The effect of silage type on the performance of lactating cows and the response to, high levels of protein in the supplement

1980 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Protein Content ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
High Protein ◽  
Plasma Urea ◽  
Protein Supplements ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
Standard Rate ◽  
The Mean

ABSTRACTA change-over design experiment, comprising four periods each of 4 weeks' duration, was used to evaluate three silage types each fed with two levels of protein in the supplement in a 3×2 factorial arrangement. The three silages were high digestibility unwilted (A), high digestibility wilted (B) and low digestibility unwilted (C). The supplements had crude protein contents of 152 and 240 g/kg dry matter, and were offered at a standard rate of 10 kg undried weight daily. The mean silage intakes were 9·3, 9·5 and 8·6 ±0·19 kg dry matter/day for A, B and C respectively, but protein content of the supplement had no significant effect on the intake of silage. Milk yield was significantly affected by both silage type and protein content of the supplement, with the mean yields being 23·6, 23·9 and 22·0 ± 0·49 kg/day for A, B and C respectively, and 22·4 and 24·0 ±0·40 kg/day for the medium and high protein supplements respectively. Although there was no significant interaction between silage type and protein content of the supplement, the greatest response to increased protein was obtained with B. Neither silage type nor protein content ofthe supplement affected animal live weight or milk composition (other than fat content, which was significantly affected by silage type). Blood plasma urea levels were 281 and 405 ± 28·0 mg/1 for the medium and high protein supplements respectively.Total ration digestibility and nitrogen balances were carried out on three animals per treatment. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and nitrogen was significantly affected by both silage type and level of protein in the supplement. The output of nitrogen in the urine was also significantly affected by both these factors.

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