Herbage intake and performance of grazing ewes and of their lambs when weaned at 6, 8, 10 or 14 weeks of age

1981 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher ◽  
V. S. Shanmugalingam
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Body ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Body Components ◽  
And Performance

ABSTRACTTwin lambs grazing with their dams at herbage allowances of 30 or 60 gdry matter per kg live weight per day (low and high, respectively) were weaned at 6, 8, 10 or 14 weeks of age. After weaning, the lambs were given a herbage allowance of 160 g dry matter per kg live weight per day.Ewes on the low allowance ate less herbage, produced less milk and lost more weight than those on the high allowance. The lambs on the low allowance were lighter at weaning than those on the high allowance (137 v. 168, 16·2 v. 20·5, 17·9 v. 24·2 and 21·9 v. 30·4 kg at 6, 8, 10 and 14 weeks respectively).Lambs weaned from ewes on the low allowance grew more slowly than the unweaned lambs when removed at 6 weeks, but not when weaned at 8 and 10 weeks of age. Weaning lambs from ewes on the high allowance reduced their growth rates at all weaning ages, despite the weaned lambs being grazed at an allowance which would not limit their intake of herbage. The intake of herbage per unit live weight by weaned lambs reached its maximum at approximately 8 weeks of age. After weaning, intake was higher for lambs from ewes on the low allowance than for those on the high allowance (38 v. 33 g organic matter per kg live weight per day). Lambs slaughtered at 17 weeks of age were heavier from the high allowance than from the low allowance. However, after 17 weeks of age the remaining lambs from the low allowance grew more rapidly than those from the high allowance, and when slaughtered at 25 weeks of age had similar weights. Treatments had no effect on the weights of the body components or carcass dimensions independent of their effect on empty-body weights at slaughter.

Milk-fed calves: 5. The effect of a change in milk intake upon the herbage intake and performance of grazing calves

1979 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. L. P. Le Du ◽  
R. D. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Daily Weight Gain ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Milk Substitute ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Reconstituted Milk

SummaryThe effect of the amount of milk consumed upon the herbage intake and performance of calves at pasture, following a standard rearing period, was investigated using 50 Hereford × Friesian calves purchased at 10–12 days ofage. All calves were offered 6 kg reconstituted milk substitute for a 58 day period indoors and for a subsequent 31 days at pasture. Ten calves were then allocated to each of five milk treatments (0, 2, 4, 6, 10 kg/day) and grazed for a further 63 days. The calves were offered a daily herbage allowance of 60 g dry matter/kg live weight.Daily weight gain was increased by 59 g for each additional kilogramme of reconstituted milk consumed, and herbage intake per unit live weight decreased by 1–24 g/g milk organic matter consumed, equivalent to a reduction in metabolizable energy intake of 9 kJ. Clear effects of both age and diet upon the consumption of herbage were demonstrated. An explanation of the mechanisms governing intake of herbage in milk–fed calves is offered.

scholarly journals Intake and performance of confined bovine fed fresh or ensilaged sugar cane based diets and corn silage

2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1095-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Chamon de Castro Menezes ◽  
Sebastião de Campos Valadares Filho ◽  
Felipe Antunes Magalhães ◽  
Rilene Ferreira Diniz Valadares ◽  
Laura Franco Prados ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Calcium Oxide ◽  
Sugar Cane ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
The Body ◽  
Corn Silage ◽  
Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
And Performance

It was evaluated intake, total apparent digestibility, performance and feeding behavior of bovine fed diets constituted of corn silage, crushed sugar cane given fresh or crushed and given 72 hours after storage, ensilaged sugar cane with or without 1% of calcium oxide and concentrate at the proportion of 1% of the body weight. It was used 35 bovines, distributed in a random block design, with 5 treatments and 6 repetitions. The animals were housed in collective stalls with troughs individualized by electronic gates. The animals fed diet with corn silage presented greater intake of all nutrients and greater total digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber and total digestible nutrients, as well as greater weight gain and subcutaneous fat thickness. Animals fed diet with fresh sugar cane presented greater nutrient intake as well as better dry matter digestibility, ether extract and TDN content and a superior performance in relation to animals fed ensilaged sugar cane diets. Animals fed silage of sugar cane with calcium oxide presented greater digestibility of organic matter, NFC and content of TDN but they did not differ on performance in relation to the use of silage of sugar cane without calcium oxide. Intake and performance of animals did not change with or without storage of sugar cane. It was concluded that animals fed diets with corn silage present performances superior to the ones which are fed sugar cane based diets, and animals fed fresh sugar diet are superior to the animals fed diets with sugar cane silage.

Effect of duration of wilting on the conservation of silage and on gains in body components by steers

1989 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Charmley ◽  
C. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Formic Acid ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Lower Proportion ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Similar Extent ◽  
Digestible Energy ◽  
Fresh Material ◽  
Body Components

ABSTRACTFour silages were prepared from a sward of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Melle). Two were ensiled directly either without (UWN) or with formic acid at 31 1/t fresh material (UWA). The remaining herbage was left undisturbed in the swath for 43 h (WL) or was spread and harvested after 19 h (WS). The dry matter (DM) concentrations at harvest for the unwilted herbage were 229 (UWN) and 238 g DM per kg (UWA) and wilting increased DM concentration to a similar extent for both treatments (WS, 339 v. WL, 346 g DM per kg).Forty British Friesian steers initially 3·5 months of age and 105 kg live weight were used for the trial. Eight steers were allocated to an initial slaughter group and the remainder were offered the four silages at a restricted level to give 940 kJ digestible energy per kg M0·75. These animals were slaughtered after 112 days to estimate the incremental increases in the components of the body.Loss of DM in the field by respiration increased from 22·2 to 40·6 g/kg DM cut with increased length of wilting. In silo losses were greater with unwilted (UWN, 222, UWA 183 g/kg DM ensiled) than with wilted silage (WS, 133 WL, 122 g/kg DM ensiled). All silages were well preserved. Wilting was more effective than formic acid in reducing total fermentation acids but a lower proportion of these acids was in the form of lactic acid.Live-weight gain was lower for the steers given the control (UWN) silage (398 g/day) than for those given silages UWA (463 g/day), WS (476 g/day) and WL (470 g/day). However, a lower proportion of the gain by steers given UWN was in the form of gut contents so that gains in fat, protein and energy were not significantly affected by treatment. In conclusion, when steers were given similar amounts of digestible energy and unwilted silage was well preserved, neither the use of formic acid nor wilting influenced gains in protein and energy. Further, the duration of wilting, in the absence of any differences in DM content, had no effect on animal performance.

The intake and performance of cattle grazing irrigated pastures. 2. Effect of pasture length on growth of steers

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (64) ◽  
pp. 477
Author(s):  
DW Hennessy
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
High Moisture ◽  
Moisture Contents ◽  
South Wales ◽  
And Performance

The organic matter intakes (OMI) and liveweight of twenty-four weaner steers grazing either short or long irrigated annual pastures were compared during May to November in 1964 and 1965 at Leeton, New South Wales. The OMI were estimated from determinations of faeces organic matter output using chromic oxide dilution, and of digestibility estimated from a faeces nitrogen-digestibility relationship for pen-fed cattle. Weaners that grazed the short or long pasture did not differ significantly in final liveweights (356 v.361 kg respectively, 1964; 357 v.361 kg, 1965) or OMI (4.99 v.5.42 kg day-1, 1964; 5.78 v.6.06 kg day-1, 1965) although available dry matter was less (P < 0.05) in short than in long pastures in both years. The OMI were commensurate with the 0.6 kg mean daily liveweight gains of weaners, which however were smaller than other reported growth rates, and an unsatisfactory production from the costly pastures. The reasons for the small liveweight gains are unknown but it is suggested that high moisture contents (85 per cent) of pastures restricted intake, or that high clover contents (58 per cent) caused bloating and rumen distension which thereby restricted intake.

The effect of herbage allowance on herbage intake and performance of ewes and their twin lambs grazing perennial ryegrass

1978 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Weight Change ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Linear Effect ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Lamb Growth ◽  
Positive Effect

SUMMARYThe effect of herbage allowance on the intake and performance of Scottish Half bred ewes with twin lambs was investigated over the first 16 weeks of lactation. Herbage allowances were defined as g herbage D.M./kg live weight (LW)/day, and were maintained by provision of fresh areas of ungrazed sward each day.Herbage allowances in the range 25–120 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on an area of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. S. 23). Parturition was synchronized and ewes and lambs were turned out to pasture 1 day after lambing.Measurements were made of the herbage intake, live-weight change and milk yield of ewes, of lamb growth rates and of the herbage intake of lambs from 10 weeks of age.Herbage allowance had a significant linear effect on intakes of grass by ewes and lambs. The highest intakes by the ewes were achieved during the second week, and were in the range 23–43 g OM/kg LW/day. Intakes declined, as lactation proceeded, to 19–29 g OM/kg LW/day at week 12. Intakes of lambs were similar in weeks 10 and 12 and were in the range 17–24 g OM/kg LW/day. Allowance had a significant effect on live-weight change of the ewes after the first month and upon final body condition.There was no effect of allowance on milk yield until week 6. Mean milk yields were 2·3 kg/day at day 14, 1·0–1·5 kg/day at day 42 and 0·7–1·1 kg/day at day 84. There was a positive effect of allowance on growth rates of the lambs after the first month. Mean overall growth rates to 84 days of age were 175–243 g/day.

Errors associated with expressing pasture intake as dry rather than organic matter at high stocking intensities

1972 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-103
Author(s):  
P. B. O'Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Faecal Output ◽  
Permanent Pasture ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Matter Basis

SUMMARYFollowing both a low and high plane of winter feeding two groups of 18 bullocks each were stocked at 2·5 (low), 4·3 (medium) and 6·2 (high) bullocks per hectare. The Hereford × Shorthorn bullocks averaging 350 kg live weight were rotationally grazed on ten plots, seven of which contained a H.I. white clover mixture and the remaining three contained permanent pasture. Pasture digestibility and intake were determined for 16 weekly periods between early April and late September. In vitro digestibility was determined on samples obtained by means of two rumen-fistulated bullocks. A gelatin capsule containing 10 g of chromic oxide was administered daily to each bullock to estimate faecal output. Digestibility, faecal output and intake were expressed on both a dry and organic-matter basis. Increasing the stocking rate resulted in a corresponding decrease in organic matter (OM) percentage of the faeces but the magnitude of the differences varied throughout the growing season. The average decline (all 16 periods) was linear, the OM percentage of faeces being 80·9, 76·8 and 72·6 for low, medium and high stocking rates, respectively. Faecal ash content of rectal samples and those taken from the pasture differed significantly only in a few instances, indicating that pasture faecal contamination may not be serious if careful sampling is practised. Higher ash intakes at high stocking intensities are reflected in herbage intake errors when results are expressed as dry matter instead of organic matter.

Protein utilization and performance of early-weaned lambs

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
P. J. Davies ◽  
I. A. Dickson ◽  
A. B. Humphries ◽  
W. Rutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Performance

SUMMARY1. Groups of 12 male and 12 female lambs, early weaned and individually fed, were used at six centres in Great Britain to determine the effect of dietary protein concentration on growth rate and feed utilization from weaning to 37 kg live weight. Three diets varying in the proportion of rolled barley to white-fish meal were used to give 13·5, 16·0 or 18·5% crude protein in the dry matter. The diets were pelleted and offered ad libitum.2. The male lambs showed significantly poorer growth rates and feed conversions on the low-protein than on the other diets. Results for the females were more variable so that although the mean values showed similar trends these were not statistically significant.3. Female lambs had about 19% lower growth rates than male lambs. The mean food conversion (kg dry matter/kg gain) with the diet containing 16% crude protein was 2·67 for the males and 3·30 for the female lambs. Food utilization differed significantly between centres, the centres using lambs of Finn Dorset breeding having lower growth rates and poorer food utilization than Suffolk crosses.

Milk-fed calves:4. The effect of herbage allowance and milk intake upon herbage intake and performance of grazing calves

1978 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Baker ◽  
J. M. Barker
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Intake ◽  
Milk Consumption ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Milk Substitute ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Reconstituted Milk ◽  
Milk Treatment

SUMMARYThe effect of herbage allowance and milk intake upon herbage intake and performance was investigated using 48 Hereford × Friesian calves purchased at 10–12 days of age and reared on reconstituted milk substitute. Groups of 24 calves were fed low (L) or high (H) daily quantities of milk normally associated with 240-day lactation yields of 1000 or 2000 kg. Six calves on each milk treatment were allocated to four daily herbage allowances during the grazing season. These were 20, 40, 60 or 80 g/kg herbage dry matter/kg live weight.There was no effect of herbage allowance before day 95; thereafter both herbage intake and live-weight gain of the L20 and H20 groups were depressed. The effect was greatest for the L calves. Additional milk consumption reduced herbage intake at all herbage allowances. Milk intake influenced the extent to which calves were buffered from the effects of a low herbage allowance.

Effects of diet calcium: phosporus ratio and metabolizable energy content on development of osteochondrosis, foot bending and performance in blue foxes

2005 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. T. Korhonen ◽  
M. Happo ◽  
T. Rekilä ◽  
J. Valaja ◽  
I. Pölönen
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Alopex Lagopus ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Calcium And Phosphorus ◽  
And Performance

AbstractAbstract The study evaluates the effects of two dietary Ca: P ratios (1·5: 1v. 2·5: 1) and metabolizable energy (ME) contents (17·3 MJ/kg dry matter (DM)v. 19·2 MJ/kg DM) on the development of osteochondrosis, foot bending and performance in juvenile male blue foxes (Alopex lagopus). Four experimental groups (no. = 10 per group) were formed : (1) low energy, lagopus). low Ca: P (LELC); (2) normal energy, low Ca: P (NELC); (3) low energy, normal Ca: P (LENC); and (4) normal energy, normal Ca: P (NENC). The experiment started at weaning in mid July and finished in early October. From mid August onwards, animals on the normal energy diets (NELC, NENC) grew significantly faster (P< 0·001) than animals on the low energy diets (LELC, LENC). The final body weights of the normal energy groups were 1·5 kg higher than those of the low energy groups (P< 0·001). The dietary Ca: P ratio did not affect live-weight gain. Foot bending increased significantly from summer to autumn (P< 0·001). Changes in foot bending between initial and final evaluations showed that bending was significantly greater (P< 0·05) in animals on normal energy (NELC, NENC) than on low energy diets (LELC, LENC). Significant differences were not found in the mean degree of damage in foot and cartilage between the groups. Ulna breaking strength was significantly higher (P< 0·05) in normal energy (NELC, NENC) than in low energy (LELC, LENC) animals. Ulna calcium and phosphorus concentrations of the normal Ca: P (LENC, NENC) groups were significantly higher (P< 0·001,P< 0·05) than those of the lower Ca: P (LELC, NELC) groups. The bone (ulna) calcium and phosphorus concentrations tended to be higher in the normal energy (NELC, NENC) than in the low energy (LELC, LENC) groups (calciumP= 0·07; phosphorusP= 0·06). The bone Ca: P ratio was higher (P< 0·001) in the normal (LENC, NENC) than in the low Ca: P diet (LELC, NELC) animals. The carcass weights of normal energy animals (NELC, NENC) were significantly higher (P< 0·001) than those of low energy (LELC, LENC) animals. The fat : dry matter ratio was higher (P< 0·05) in normal (NELC, NENC) than in low energy (LELC, LENC) carcasses. We conclude that the Ca: P ratio of the diet has no effect on the development of osteochondrosis or bending of the foot. The higher body weight caused by normal as opposed to low metabolizable energy content seems, however, to increase the incidence of foot bending.

scholarly journals Genetic Association Analysis for Relative Growths of Body Compositions and Metabolic Traits to Body Weights in Broilers

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 469
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Hengyu Zhang ◽  
Yunfeng Zhao ◽  
Xiaojing Zhou ◽  
Jie Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allometric Scaling ◽  
Mapping Method ◽  
The Body ◽  
Random Regression ◽  
Broiler Meat ◽  
Metabolic Traits ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Scaling Models ◽  
Body Components ◽  
Body Compositions

In animal breeding, body components and metabolic traits always fall behind body weights in genetic improvement, which leads to the decline in standards and qualities of animal products. Phenotypically, the relative growth of multiple body components and metabolic traits relative to body weights are characterized by using joint allometric scaling models, and then random regression models (RRMs) are constructed to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for relative grwoth allometries of body compositions and metabolic traits in chicken. Referred to as real joint allometric scaling models, statistical utility of the so-called LASSO-RRM mapping method is given a demonstration by computer simulation analysis. Using the F2 population by crossing broiler × Fayoumi, we formulated optimal joint allometric scaling models of fat, shank weight (shank-w) and liver as well as thyroxine (T4) and glucose (GLC) to body weights. For body compositions, a total of 9 QTLs, including 4 additive and 5 dominant QTLs, were detected to control the allometric scalings of fat, shank-w, and liver to body weights; while a total of 10 QTLs of which 6 were dominant, were mapped to govern the allometries of T4 and GLC to body weights. We characterized relative growths of body compositions and metabolic traits to body weights in broilers with joint allometric scaling models and detected QTLs for the allometry scalings of the relative growths by using RRMs. The identified QTLs, including their highly linked genetic markers, could be used to order relative growths of the body components or metabolic traits to body weights in marker-assisted breeding programs for improving the standard and quality of broiler meat products.

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