Feed intake of grazing cattle. IV. A study with milk cows of the influence of pasture restriction combined with supplementary feeding on production per animal and per acre

1966 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Holmes ◽  
J. G. W. Jones ◽  
C. Adeline

The possibility that restriction of pasture and controlled supplementation of the diet of milking cows with concentrates might improve the efficiency of utilisation of grazing was examined in a double reversal grazing experiment with 9 Ayrshire cows per treatment which extended over 4 months.Cows received either pasture alone allocated daily by electric fence (treatment B), or half the pasture area plus one-third of their expected DOM intake offered as concentrates (treatment A).In the first two periods, treatment A resulted in closer defoliation of the pasture.Over the whole experiment there was no significant difference in yield of fat-corrected milk between treatments, although treatment A depressed butterfat percentage and raised milk yield significantly. Treatments did not influence live-weight gain significantly and toth groups gained over the season.Feed intake estimated by chromic oxide-faecal index methods was similar for both treatments except in period 1. Intake estimates by clipping methods or by faecal index methods were in close agreement in period 1 for treatment B and in reasonable agreement in periods 2 and 3.The results are discussed particularly with a view to the possibilities of replacing some grazing with barley or other concentrated feeds. On the available evidence this is economically feasible only where very profitable uses of the grassland saved are possible.

1960 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Holmes ◽  
H. El Sayed Osman

1. Eight Ayrshire milk cows were grazed for four 3-week periods from July to October 1957 in a balanced sequence on two strip-grazed and two free-grazed paddocks, each of two acres. Feed intake and digestibility were estimated by the chromic-oxide faecal-nitrogen method.2. There was no significant difference in average feed digestibility between the treatments. Free grazing cows ate 30·4 lb. dry matter per day and strip grazing cows 28·9 lb. The difference was just significant (p<0·05). There was no significant difference in milk yield, live-weight or live-weight gain per cow.3. Total feed output per acre was 11% greater on strip grazing when measured by utilised starch equivalent but only 1 % greater when measured by estimated feed consumption. The data suggest that strip-grazed cattle needed less energy for grazing.4. The results are discussed with reference to their accuracy, their implications on grazing management and their correspondence with estimates of food requirements based on indoor feeding standards.


1967 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Holmes ◽  
M. K. Curran

This paper reports the second of two experiments which examined the possibility of improving pasture utilisation by restricting grazing and giving cows a supplement of concentrates. Two treatments (A and B) were continuously imposed, each on a group of 10 adult Ayrshire cows, for about 4 months. Cows received either pasture alone allocated daily by electric fence (B), or half this area of pasture plus 3 Ib. cubed concentrates per 10 lb. milk (A).Herbage intakes were estimated by grass cutting techniques and also by faecal index methods, and animal performance was recorded. Over the whole experiment the two treatments gave similar levels of production per animal. Significant differences in milk yield and live-weight gain were detected only in periods 1 and 4, respectively, when the intended restriction was not completely achieved. While production per acre of grass was doubled by treatment a about 4,000 lb. grain was considered necessary to replace one acre of grazing.The results are discussed in relation to the previous experiment. They suggest that the method of replacing half the normal grazing with barley or other concentrated feeds could be usefully employed to alleviate pasture shortage in parts of the grazing season and might therefore facilitate the maintenance of a high stocking rate.


2008 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Diken ◽  
F. Ugur ◽  
C. Tolu ◽  
M. Dosay Akbulut

Abstract. This study was carried out with single-born Saanen kids raised at Uvecik Research and Training Centre of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. In the study, the kids were raised according to two suckling program. In the first program, the kids suckled full-udder of their dams for 30 min at 08.00 and 18.00. In the second program, the right lob of the udder of the kid’s dams was milked by hand, and then the kids were allowed to suckle their dams for 30 min at 08.00 and 18.00. The kids in the both groups were weaned at 5 weeks of the study. The live weights of the kids of the first and second program were 10963.0±274.4 and 10384.9±285.1 g (P>0.05) at 5 weeks of the study and 17932.9±676.3 and 17482.7±702.8 g (P>0.05) at 12 weeks of the study, respectively. The height at withers and heart girth of the kids of the first and second program were 51.7±0.9 and 51.1±0.9 cm (P>0.05), and 61.1±0.8 and 58.5±0.8 cm (P≤0.05) at 12 weeks of the study, respectively. The live weight increase between 1-5 and 1-12 weeks of the kids of the first and second program were determined as 192.0±9.5 and 178.6±9.9 g (P>0.05), and 160.2±8.4 and 157.0±8.7 g (P>0.05), respectively. No significant difference was found between the programs in terms of roughage intake (P>0.05), concentrate feed intake (P>0.05), water intake (P>0.05), rumination (P>0.05) behaviors. In conclusion, the growth performance and behaviors of kids which were raised according to two suckling program were found similar.


1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Forbes

SUMMARYVoluntary hay intake and milk yield were measured in 11 singlesuckling and 4 twin-suckling ewes for the first seven weeks of lactation. There was no significant difference between the intakes of the two classes of ewe and milk yield differed only in the seventh week. Variations in milk yield and live-weight change were significantly associated with variations in voluntary intake. Lamb weight gain was correlated with milk yield and voluntary intake of the dam.


1965 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Holmes ◽  
J. G. W. Jones ◽  
R. M. Drake-Brockman ◽  
N. White

SUMMARY1. For 4 weeks before calving in December or January a group of 7 Ayrshire cows each received daily 6 lb. hay and silage to appetite, whilst a second group of 9 received the same roughages and 6–10 lb. concentrates. After calving, cows from both of the pre-calving treatments were placed in each of two post-calving groups of 8 cows. A High treatment received approximately 8 lb./day more concentrates at the same milk yield than the Low treatment. Both groups continued to receive 6 lb. hay/cow/day and silage to appetite. The cows were allowed to graze by day from 21 February and by day and night from 13 April. Hay, at 5 lb./cow/day and reducing rates of concentrates were offered until 8 May.2. Individual feed intakes were estimated from faecal output and digestibility. Direct measures of the intakes of different treatment groups on indoor feeding agreed fairly closely with the mean individual estimates.3. The digestible organic matter intake (DOMI) of 1,300 lb. cows in the last stages of pregnancy was increased from 10 up to 14–16 lb./day by giving 8–10 lb./day concentrates. Immediately after calving, the increases in DOMI compared with pre-calving levels were about 2.5 lb./day for cows which received concentrates before calving and 8.5 lb./day for cows which received no concentrates before calving.4. When all cows had calved and were in full milk production there were no significant differences in DOMI, milk yield or rate of live-weight gain attributable to pre-calving treatment. Mean DOMI on the High and Low post-calving treatments were 23.8 and 19.4 lb./day, mean fat-corrected milk yields 44.5 and 38.8 lb./day and mean rates of live-weight gain 05 and nil lb./day, respectively.5. DOMI increased by 0.7 and 4.9 lb./day for High and Low post-calving treatments when cows were turned out to night as well as day grazing, and milk yields increased by 1.0 and 2.2 lb./day respectively.6. Regression equations relating animal production and feed intake, and substitution rates of concentrate usage were calculated. Faecal output and DOMI were closely related to milk yield. When additional concentrates were given the resulting increase in total DOMI was greater when the bulk feed was of low digestibility than when it was of high digestibility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 93-98
Author(s):  
A. M. Umar

Energy is an important component of diets without which animals will not grow. Thus, a study was conducted to investigate the effect of low dietary energy on growth performance of broiler chicken at finisher stage. Two hundred and twenty five Zartech strain day old chicks were raised intensively for four weeks in a completely randomized design. The birds were grouped into three treatments of 75 birds and sub-divided into three replications of 25 birds. Three experimental diets of three energy levels (2,400; 2,600 and 2,800 ME Kcal/Kg designated A, B and C, respectively) with 20% crude protein were formulated and fed to the broiler chickens to assess feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ration and feed cost gain ration. The data were subjected to one way analysis of variance and means were separated using least significant difference. Results showed that feed intake decreased as the energy value of the feed increased. There was significant (p<0.05) difference in total feed intake between the treatments. No significant (p>0.05) difference was recorded in terms of initial live weight, final live weight, feed conversion ratio, feed conversion efficiency, feed cost and cost/gain. Feed cost showed progressive increase as the energy level of the diet increased. Lowest cost/gain ratio was reported from diet C. It was concluded that feed intake decreased as the energy value of the feed increased. It is therefore, recommended that broiler chickens should be fed with diet containing 2 800 ME Kcal/Kg as it provides the least feed conversion ratio.


1961 ◽  
Vol 3 (03) ◽  
pp. 251-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Holmes ◽  
J. G. W. Jones ◽  
R. M. Drake-Brockman

1. Two experiments each with 3 dry cows, 3 heifers and 3 calves were carried out in 1959 and 1960 under uniform continuous grazing conditions on a ryegrass-white clover sward to measure individual feed intake by the chromic oxide-faecal nitrogen method.2. Estimates of digestibility were high (70–82% in organic matter) and there was evidence that calves selected a diet of higher digestibility than cows.3. Mean daily estimates of organic matter intake were for cows (1300 lb. live-weight) 23·5 lb., for heifers (790 lb. live-weight) 20·8 lb. and for calves (450 lb. live-weight) 14·3 lb. Corresponding digestible organic matter intakes were 17·4, 15·3 and 11·0 lb.4. Relationships between digestible organic matter intake and liveweight were calculated and the merits of the exponents 0·62 and 0·73 of liveweight discussed.5. The results were compared with accepted cow equivalent standards and, regardless of the exponent chosen, agreed with the system which adopts higher values for young grazing cattle.


1982 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. W. Moir ◽  
J. P. Ebersohn ◽  
J. Evans

SUMMARYGrowing beef cattle grazed six pasture types (all-grass or grass-legume mixtures) for 4 months on each. Live weight (mean of ten animals) and dietary energy concentration were measured at 2- or 3-weekly intervals. Values for feed intake estimated by back-calculating from feeding standards were on average 2·5% higher (range, 10% less to 12 % higher) than intake values estimated directly from dietary energy concentration and live weight. In contrast to this level of agreement of means, differences between methods within pastures were so large as to suggest the presence of overriding effects on predictors of voluntary intake. It was concluded that until these overriding effects are explained, there are no means of validating measured intakes in grazing cattle, or of accurately predicting the amount of beef produced from pasture.


2001 ◽  
Vol 1 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 215-220
Author(s):  
A. Gillighan ◽  
S.J. Judd ◽  
R. Eyres

The efficacy of ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membranes was assessed for the concentration of actual waterworks sludges using crossflow tubular membranes operated at constant trans-membrane pressure. The MF membrane gave higher initial fluxes than the UF membrane but after 10 min of filtration the flux value and its decline tended to be very similar for both membranes operating under the same conditions. All membranes gave permeate product water of &lt;0.2 NTU and &lt;100ppb coagulant at all times. For both membranes mechanical cleaning, with sponge balls, was at least as effective as acid chemical cleaning, indicating that no significant permanent internal fouling occurred for these membrane materials. Hydraulic resistance data indicated a significant difference in the dynamic layer resistance between the two membranes. Whilst the UF membrane had a hydraulic resistance 3.7 times that of the MF membrane, the dynamic layer formed on the UF membrane during operation displayed a maximum hydraulic resistance almost nine times lower than that of the MF membrane operating under the same conditions. Correlation of cake resistance R versus feed solids concentration C for all the data generated for t&gt;0 demonstrated reasonable agreement with the expression R∝ca where a=0.37 in the current study. This trend has been recorded in previous reported studies, a varying between 0.33 and 0.62 depending on sludge dewaterability.


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