Effect of unwilted and wilted silages and hay, supplemented with different amounts of concentrate, on live-weight gain of calves

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Bartholomew ◽  
W. McLauchlan ◽  
D. M. B. Chestnutt
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Daily Gain ◽  
Different Levels

ABSTRACTThree experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of different forage types on the performance of male British Friesian calves up to 6 months of age. Unwilted and wilted silages were compared in all experiments, and in experiment 1 hay was also compared with the two silages. All the forages were compared at different levels of concentrate supplementation ranging, in different experiments, from none to ad libitum.Calves fed wilted silage consumed 490, 90 and 200g/kg more forage dry matter respectively than those fed unwilted silage in the three experiments but this extra intake was generally not reflected in an increased rate of gain. Hay which was of lower digestibility than silage gave significantly lower live-weight gain. Quantities of silage consumed at an early age were small, with a mean daily intake over the first five weeks of 0·13 kg dry matter. Concentrate reduced silage dry-matter intake by 0·49 kg/kg concentrate dry matter consumed. Estimated mean concentrate intake required to achieve a daily gain of 0·75 kg in 1- to 6-month-old calves with silage offered ad libitum was 0·83 kg dry matter.

Effects of supplementing maize and grass silages with barley, and maize silage with urea or ammonia, on the intake and performance of fattening bulls

1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Aston ◽  
J. C. Tayler
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Carcass Quality ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACT1. Experiment 1. Six treatment groups of one British Friesian and four South Devon × British Friesian bulls, initially 432 kg mean live weight and aged 491 days, were offered individually maize or grass silage ad libitum plus 0, 5 or 10g barley dry matter per kg live weight daily for 80 days. The silages had similar digestible dry matter and estimated metabolizable energy contents but the grass silage contained more ammonia and acetic, propionic and butyric acids. Mean values for groups receiving respectively maize and grass silage diets were for dry-matter intake 17·7, 20·3, 20·4 and 13·0, 16·6, 18·7 g/kg live weight and for live-weight gain 1·00, 1·32, 1·46 and 0·65, 0·98, 1·22kg/day. Significantly more maize than grass silage dry matter was eaten when the silages were given alone and dry-matter intakes, live-weight and carcass gains were greater for maize silage diets. Dry-matter intake, live-weight and carcass gains, efficiency of feed use and carcass quality significantly improved when barley was given.2. Experiment 2. Six groups of five British Friesian bulls, initially 418 kg mean live weight and aged 474 days, were offered individually maize silage ad libitum with either urea or one of two quantities of aqueous ammonia mixed in at the time of feeding, plus 0 or 5 g barley dry matter per kg live weight daily for 90 days. The urea and ammonia-treated silages contained 125, 124 and 148 g crude protein per kg dry matter respectively, with pH values of 3·8, 3·9 and 4·3, and when given alone or with barley mean daily intakes (g dry matter per kg live weight) were 17·1, 18·6 for urea-treated silage diets, and 17·8, 18·8 and 16·9, 19·1 respectively for ammoniatreated silage diets. Live-weight gains were 0·69, 0·94, 0·63, 1·09, 0·64 and 1·07 kg/day. Ammonia treatment had no effect on intake or live-weight gain. Live-weight and carcass gains and carcass quality improved when barley was given.3. The maize silage offered in Experiment 1 contained similar metabolizable energy but more starch than that in Experiment 2 and was used more efficiently for live-weight gain.

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.

Beef production from silage 3. The effect of supplements of hay and dried grass on the performance of beef cattle

1983 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
R. M. Tetlow ◽  
B. G. Gibbs ◽  
Margaret Gill
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACT1. The primary growth of perennial ryegrass was cut between 7 and 9 June and ensiled with formic acid at 2·5 1/t. The regrowth was cut on 24 July; part was dried at high temperature (dried grass), the remainder was left to dry in the field (hay). The dried grass (DG) and part of the hay were ground and pelleted, the hay being pelleted alone (PH) or with the addition of formaldehyde at 20 g/kg crude protein (PHF). The remainder of the hay was offered in the chopped form (CH). The four supplements (CH, PH, PHF, DG) were offered at two levels, 6·5 (L) and 130 (H) g dry matter per kg live weight to 54 British Friesian steers (initial live weight, 110 kg) receiving the silage ad libitum.2. The silage had a high pH and a high proportion of the total nitrogen was in the form of ammonia, indicating poor fermentation. The solubility of nitrogen in the supplements was highest (262 g/kg total nitrogen) in CH, progressively less in PH and PHF and lowest (122 g/kg total nitrogen) in DG.3. Total dry-matter intake was highest with DG at the higher level of inclusion. Dry-matter intake was significantly higher for PH and PHF than for CH (P < 0·001). However, intake of digestible energy did not differ between hays. Live-weight gain was increased from a low level of 0·24 kg/day (silage alone) by all supplements, but this effect was greater with DG than with the hays (P < 0·001). Level of supplementation increased live-weight gain from 0·54 to 0·74 kg/day.4. Supplements of dried grass gave higher live-weight gains than did hay made from the same sward. However, the results indicate that supplementation of badly preserved silage with grass hay of good quality can produce acceptable levels of performance of up to 0·70 kg/day in 4-month-old steers. Processing of the hay had little effect on animal performance.

Intensive beef production 13. Replacement of concentrates with root crops

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kay ◽  
A. Macdearmid ◽  
R. Massie
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Root Crops ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Matter Basis

SUMMARY1. Two growth trials and a digestibility trial were carried out with a total of 84 British Friesian steers to investigate the substitution of root crops for a part of the concentrates in an all-concentrate diet. In Trial 1 six experimental diets were offered ad libitum and contained, on a dry-matter basis, (1) 100% concentrates, (2) 34%, (3) 66%, (4) 87% sliced swedes and (5) 66%, (6) 87% whole potatoes. In Trial 2, five diets were offered ad libitum and contained (1) 100% concentrates or (2) 34%, (3) 50%, (4) 66%, (5) 100% swedes.2. In both the growth trials when the steers weighed less than 350 kg live weight, daily dry-matter intake was lower for steers offered the highest proportion of swedes than for steers offered concentrates. Substitution of potatoes for concentrates resulted in a higher daily dry-matter intake and daily live-weight gain than did substitution of swedes.3. In Trials 1 and 2 rate of live-weight gain and in Trial 2 carcass gain were similar for steers on treatments 1 and 2. In Trial 2 liveweight gain declined from 1-05 to 0-87 kg/day and carcass gain declined from 0-62 to 0-51 kg/day between steers on treatments 1 and 5. 4. The replacement of concentrates with swedes or potatoes did not affect the overall digestibility of dry matter.

A note on red clover silage for cattle finishing

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Day ◽  
R. D. Harkess ◽  
D. M. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTTrials were carried out over two winters to compare red clover and grass silage for cattle finishing.The silages were mixed to give rations containing 0,25,50,75 or 100% red clover dry-matter and were offered ad libitum to individually fed British Friesian-type steers. Significant differences in dry-matter intake occurred but the effect of silage type on animal performance was not significant. Barley supplementation had a significant effect on both total dry-matter intake and daily live-weight gain.

An evaluation of red clover silage for beef production

1982 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
W. A. McIlmoyle
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTTwo experiments have been conducted to compare wilted, formic acid-treated red clover and unwilted, formic acid-treated grass silages for beef production, and to examine the effects of digestibility of red clover and level of concentrate supplementation on food intake and animal performance.In experiment 1, 12 groups of four British Friesian steers (initial live weight 229 kg) were given red clover silages of high and low dry-matter digestibility (0·70 and 0·60 respectively) and grass silage (0·71) ad libitum for a period of 11 weeks. Silage dry-matter intake and live-weight gain for the steers given red clover of high digestibility, red clover of low digestibility and grass silages were 7·75, 0·89; 6·91, 0·69; and 5·59, 0·59 kg/day respectively.In experiment 2, 12 groups of four British Friesian steers (initial live weight 332 kg) were given red clover silage with a dry-matter digestibility of 0·63 and grass silage with a value of 0·76 ad libitum, either unsupplemented or supplemented, with 2 kg/day of fortified barley per head for a period of 19 weeks. Silage dry-matter intake, live-weight gain and carcass gain were 8·52, 0·63, 0·32 and 6·98, 0·78, 0·43 kg/day for the unsupplemented and supplemented red clover silage treatments, and 6·82, 0·59, 0·31 and 5·75, 0·75, 0·44 kg/day for the unsupplemented and supplemented grass silage treatments respectively. The performance of the cattle offered red clover silage was similar to that of cattle offered grass silage of 0·12 higher digestibility, largely as the result of higher dry matter intakes achieved on red clover silage.

Effect of animal size on the response in the performance of beef cattle to an improvement in silage quality

1982 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
W. A. McIlmoyle
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Silage Quality ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Animal Size

ABSTRACTTwo experiments have been carried out to examine the interaction between animal size and the response in animal performance to an increase in the digestibility of grass silage. In experiment 1, grass silages harvested during July and August after regrowth intervals of 43 and 85 days were offered ad libitum both unsupplemented and supplemented with 2 kg of concentrates per head per day to British Friesian steers of (±s.e.) 170±1·9, 300±2·9 and 420±3·6 kg initial live weight. Earlier cutting did not affect silage dry-matter intake or live-weight gain but increased carcass gain by 0·12kg/day (P<0·01).In experiment 2, early-cut grass silage, made from two regrowths of perennial ryegrass, which were harvested during July and August after regrowth intervals of 43 and 48 days, and late-cut silage, made from a single regrowth, which was harvested in August after a regrowth interval of 90 days, were offered ad libitum to 84 Hereford-cross steers of (±s.e.) 170±3·4, 300±4·4 and 420±5|·2kg initial live weight. Earlier cutting increased silage dry-matter intake by 340 g/kg, live-weight gain by 0·23 kg/day and carcass gain by 0·18 kg/day (P<0·001). It i s concluded that increasing the digestibility of grass silage by cutting grass at an earlier stage of growth is likely to produce a substantial increase in the daily carcass gain of beef cattle and that the response to higher digestibility is as great with mature cattle as with young, growing animals.

Dry-matter intake and live-weight gain of cattle and sheep offered different grass varieties with and without clover

1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Miles ◽  
R. J. K. Walters ◽  
E. M. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
Feeding Trials ◽  
Animal Feeding

SUMMARYA series of animal feeding trials was designed to determine differences between grasses in dry-matter intake and animal live-weight gain, with a view to indicating better selection criteria for improving the feeding value of herbage.Wide differences were demonstrated in feed intake and live-weight gain between single-variety grass feeds at similar levels of digestibility.S.37 cocksfoot gave consistently good and S.51 timothy, consistently poor responses.Supplementation of grass feeds with red clover frequently resulted in marked improvement in feed intake and animal performance.

The effect of cow genetic index and grass-based feeding system on the performance of spring-calving Holstein-Friesian cows in second lactation

1999 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 141-146
Author(s):  
P. Dillon ◽  
F. Buckley ◽  
S. Snijders ◽  
S. Crosse
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Feeding System ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Genetic Index ◽  
Feeding Systems

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate the effect of both cow genetic index (CGI) and feeding system on the performance of second lactation Holstein-Friesian dairy cows on grass-based feeding systems. There was no interaction between CGI and feeding system for any of the parameters measured. Cows of high genetic index (HGI) produced significantly higher yields of milk (P < 0.001), fat (P < 0.001) protein (P < 0.0001) and lactose (P < 0.001) than medium genetic index cows (MGI). CGI had no effect on the concentration of milk constituents. Averaged across four intake measurements the HGI cows had significantly (P < 0.001) higher grass dry-matter intake (GDMI) and total dry-matter intake (TDMI). Live weight was similar for both genotypes during lactation. The HGI cows had significantly (P < 0.05) higher live-weight loss in the first 10 weeks of lactation, significantly lower live-weight gain from week 10 to the end of lactation and higher (P < 0.05) live-weight gain during the dry period. Condition score was significantly lower with the HGI (P < 0.001) at all stages of lactation. There was a higher proportion (P < 0.05) of the HGI cows non-pregnant at the end of the 13-week breeding season. Feeding system had a significant effect on the yield of milk (P < 0.001), fat (P < 0.001), protein (P < 0.001) and lactose (P < 0.001). Feeding system B produced significantly higher (P < 0.05) milk yield and yield of constituents (when compared with feeding systems A and C). Over the period when feeding systems were being applied, feeding system C had significantly higher (P < 0.05) milk protein concentration. Feeding system had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on both GDMI and TDMI. Feeding system had no effect on live weight, condition score or fertility performance.

The effects of quantity and distribution of milk substitute on the performance of artificially reared lambs to forty-eight days of age

1973 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Penning ◽  
K. M. Cottrell ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Environmental Temperature ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Total Milk ◽  
Milk Substitute ◽  
Daily Allowance ◽  
Daily Gain

SUMMARYTwenty-seven groups of Finnish Landrace × Dorset Horn lambs, each of two males and two females, were offered daily quantities of 180, 248 or 343 g milk substitute dry matter (DM) for 21, 29 or 40 days. The environmental temperature was 18°C during the first 21 days of rearing, and concentrate pellets and clean water were always available. From 22 to 48 days of age the lambs were offered 150 g of hay per week.For lambs offered 180 g milk substitute DM, increasing the number of days before weaning increased the daily live-weight gain over the 47-day experimental period. For daily allowances of 248 and 343 g of milk substitute, greater gains were effected only by delaying weaning from 21 to 29 days.Increasing the daily allowance of milk substitute DM had little effect on the daily gain of lambs weaned after 21 days but increased gain by lambs weaned at 29 days. For lambs weaned after 40 days growth rate was increased only by the first increment of milk substitute DM. Intake of solid food began when the lambs were 3 weeks old and total intake of concentrates was inversely related to total quantity of milk substitute DM consumed and in general was less when weaning was later.The overall efficiency of conversion of total DM consumed to live weight was positively related to total milk substitute DM consumed and tended to be greatest when weaning was later. A daily allowance of 180 g milk substitute DM for 21 days gave the lowest food cost per unit of live-weight gain.The incidence of navel sucking is discussed.

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