A note on the maintenance requirement of adult conditions

1966 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martyn H. Butterworth
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Maintenance Requirement ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Male Sheep

The maintenance requirement for digestible organic matter of adult sheep has been derived by Wood and Capstick (1926) and more recently by Lang-lands, Corbett, McDonald and Pullar (1963) by means of regression analysis of data for feed intake, live-weight and live-weight gain.As data from digestibility trials carried out both in Trinidad and Venezuela were available, similar equations were derived for adult male sheep under tropical conditions. Groups of six adult male sheep were housed individually and total collections of faeces and urine were made for periods of 10 days after preliminary periods of 7 or 10 days. The quantity of forage offered was generally that which the individual sheep would eat without leaving a large residue. The results obtained in these trials and a more detailed description of the methods used have been described elsewhere (Butterworth, 1963; 1965). In all, 178 sets of data were used. Each set for an individual animal consisted of daily intake of digestible organic matter (D), the mean (W) of initial and final body weights, and daily change in weight (G) all in lb. Values of D and G were means obtained from the results for the 10-dayperiod. The value of G was subject to high error in determination as periods were short and measurement of weight change in ruminant animals over short periods is most unreliable (see for example, Lush, Christensen, Wilson and Black, 1928; Whiteman, Chambers, Loggins, Pope and Stephens, 1954). Mean values and ranges of the values were as follows: D=0·96 lb. (0·46–1·87 lb.), W=84·2 lb. (56·0–149·0 lb.) and G=0·02 lb. (-0·5-+0·5 lb.). The digestibility coefficients for the dry matter of the various forages used ranged from 47·3 to 68·0%.

The effect of herbage allowance on herbage intake and performance of lambs grazing perennial ryegrass and red clover swards

1976 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Asymptotic Curves ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Relationship

SummaryThe effect of daily herbage allowance on herbage intakes and growth rates lambs grazing perennial ryegrass and red clover was investigated in two experiments. Herbage allowances defined as g herbage D.M./kg live weight (LW)/day were controlled by varying the areas of plots grazed for 2 days by groups of six lambs.In the first experiment five herbage allowances in the range 20–120 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on two areas of a perennial ryegrass (cv. S. 23) sward that received nitrogen fertilizer applications of 39 or 78 kg N/ha/28 days. In the second experiment five herbage allowances in the range 30–160 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on perennial ryegrass (cv. S. 23) and red clover (cv. Hungaropoly) swards.Asymptotic curves were fitted to describe the relationship between herbage allowance and daily intake of herbage. In Expt 1 nitrogen fertilizer rates did not affect the yield of herbage or animal performance. In Expt 2 intakes were higher on the clover sward than on the ryegrass sward at the higher herbage allowances.The asymptotic curves to describe the relationship between herbage allowance and growth rate of lambs differed widely between periods. Growth rate of the lambs increased linearly with increase in digestible organic matter intake. Live-weight gain per unit of digestible organic matter intake was higher on the red clover than on the ryegrass.The conclusion is drawn that if the herbage present to ground level is not more than three times the daily intake of the animals, intake of herbage of the animals may bo restricted.

The feeding value of mixtures of alkali-treated straw and grass silage

1975 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Terry ◽  
M. C. Spooner ◽  
D. F. Osbourn
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Alkaline Ph ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Acid Ph ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
Ad Libitum

SUMMARYThe digestibility and intake by sheep of a neutral mixture of alkali-treated straw and grass silage was compared with an all-silage diet, mixtures of treated straw and silage adjusted to pH of 4 and 10 and with mixtures of untreated straw and silage. Treatment of the straw with alkali increased the digestibility of the organic matter from 46% to 68%. The daily intake of dry matter and digestible organic matter of the neutral, treated-straw/silage mixture was 24·1 and 15·0 compared with 14·7 and 8·8 g/kg live weight for the untreated straw/silage mixture. The sheep when fed ad libitum ate more of the neutral mixture than they did of the mixtures made acid (pH 4·0) and alkaline (pH 10·0) or of the grass silage although the differences were not significant. Calves were fed similar diets of grass silage, a neutral mixture of treated straw and silage and treated straw and grass silage offered without premixing. The calves offered the neutral mixture ate 16·0% more dry matter and 14·5% more organic matter than did the calves offered either silage alone or the unmixed diet and gained live weight at the rate of 0·42 kg/head/day compared with 0·44 for the silage alone and 0·37 for the unmixed diet.

Effect of age, abomasal cannulation and rumen catheterization on intake and site of digestion by early-weaned lambs

1990 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Cruickshank ◽  
D. P. Poppi ◽  
A. R. Sykes ◽  
A. S. Familton
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Nutrient Digestion ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Outflow Rate ◽  
Ram Lambs ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Cumulative Intake

SUMMARYThe voluntary food intake, in vivo digestibility and site of nutrient digestion was measured in 12 Polled Dorset ram lambs, from 6 to 24 weeks of age, offered clover hay. Lambs were weaned at 6 weeks of age. Six were fitted with a permanent T-shaped cannula in the abomasum and a temporary rumen catheter during the periods of digesta flow measurement.Surgical modification of lambs did not influence intake (g/kg live weight (W) per day), in vivo digestibility or marker retention time in the rumen. However, intact lambs grew significantly faster than cannulated lambs (139 v. 109g/day, P < 0·05) apparently because of an overall higher cumulative intake over the whole experimental period rather than any change in efficiency of use of nutrients or maintenance requirement.Relative to live weight, intake increased rapidly until c. 10 weeks of age and remained relatively constant at c. 37 g DM/kg W per day for the remainder of the experiment. Age had no effect on in vivo digestibility of organic matter (OM) or neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (average 0·69).The proportion of digestible organic matter apparently digested in the rumen (DOMADR) decreased from 0·63 to 0·47 between 8 and 24 weeks of age whilst intake between these measurement periods increased. Nonammonia N (NAN) flow past the abomasum was similar at all ages in relation to digestible organic matter intake (55·1 g NAN/kg DOMI) but was higher at 16 and 24 weeks of age than at 8 and 12 weeks of age, respectively, in relation to organic matter apparently digested in the rumen (OMADR) (116 and 85 g NAN/kg OMADR, respectively, P < 0·05).Fractional outflow rate of digesta markers from the rumen, when estimated from abomasal digesta, was significantly higher than when estimated from faeces (103Ru-p 0·121 v. 0·09; 51Cr-EDTA 0·169 v. 0·111/h; P > 0·05).It was concluded that cannulation did not affect intake and digestion characteristics in these young lambs. The changes in the site of nutrient digestion as the animals aged may have been due to agerelated changes in digestive function but appeared to be associated with the increase in intake that occurred between measurement periods of the cannulated lambs.

Estimates of the energy required for maintenance by adult sheep 2. Grazing sheep

1963 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Langlands ◽  
J. L. Corbett ◽  
I. McDonald ◽  
G. W. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Energy Cost ◽  
Functional Relationship ◽  
Adult Sheep ◽  
Maintenance Requirement ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Faecal Nitrogen ◽  
Grazing Period ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Maintenance Requirements

SUMMARYThe mean daily digestible organic matter intake (D) of each of 47 adult sheep during a grazing period of mean length 48 days was estimated by the chromium sesquioxide/faecal nitrogen technique. Mean live-weights (W) and mean daily weight gains (G) were also measured.The regression of D on W and G, and the underlying or functional relationship between D, W and G were both estimated. From the underlying relationship, the preferred equation, the maintenance requirement of a 100 lb. sheep at pasture is estimated to be 1·02 lb. digestible organic matter daily. This value is 24% higher than the corresponding value for housed sheep obtained previously by us.This result is compared with other estimates of the energy cost of grazing and it is concluded that further work is needed in order to define those circumstances which elevate the maintenance requirements of grazing animals.

The relationship between apparent retention time in the rumen, voluntary intake, and apparent digestibility of legume and grass diets in sheep

1973 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 889 ◽  
Author(s):  
RF Thornton ◽  
DJ Minson
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Retention Time ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Jaw Movements ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
The Relationship

Eight grasses and six legumes were fed ad libitum at hourly intervals to wethers fitted with large rumen fistulas to determine voluntary intake, apparent digestibility, and the apparent retention time of organic matter in the rumen, as well as the quantity of rumen digesta and the organic matter content of the rumen digesta. The voluntary intake of legumes was 28% higher than that of equally digestible grasses. This difference was caused by a shorter retention time (17%) and a higher amount of organic matter (14%) in the rumen digesta from legume diets than from grass diets. The weight of wet digesta in the rumen of sheep fed on legumes was 7% lower than from those fed on grass. Neither the quantity of digesta nor the quantity of organic matter in the rumen was related to the voluntary intake, digestibility, or retention time of organic matter in the rumen. Number of jaw movements each day and rate of cotton thread digestion were not related to the retention time of the diets either. Daily intake of digestible organic matter (DOMI, g/day) was closely correlated with retention time (RTOM, hr) for the feeds in this study (r = –0.93) and the same relation applied to both temperate and tropical feeds, viz. DOMI = 1276–50.7 RTOM (r=0.96) Differences in voluntary intake between grasses and legumes were attributed to differences in retention time and the density to which the food was packed in the rumen.

Effects of shelter, exposure and level of feeding over winter on the productivity of Welsh Mountain ewes and lambs

1973 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. I. Robinson ◽  
W. Brown ◽  
I. A. M. Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Outdoor Exposure ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Maintain Body Weight ◽  
Fourth Experiment ◽  
Different Levels

SUMMARYPregnant Welsh Mountain ewes were kept over winter on a hill. All were penned individually, either in a shed or out of doors. In Experiments 1 and 2 different levels of digestible organic matter (DOM) were given in each environment and in Experiment 3 only a single level was offered. In Experiment 2 all ewes were grazed together after lambing; in Experiment 3 some from each treatment were moved to a shed after lambing and their milk yields recorded between 10 and 15 days later.In a fourth experiment on low land, pregnant ewes were either housed or kept in an exposed or a sheltered paddock. All were grazed together after lambing.The results indicated that the requirement of indoors penned sheep to maintain body weight and produce a single lamb is 9·5 g DOM/kg live weight per 24 hr at 16 weeks pre-partum, rising to 15·0 g DOM/kg live weight per 24 hr at 1 week pre-partum. A 10% weight loss during pregnancy would be expected in ewes receiving 75 to 80 % of these requirements. Low intakes during pregnancy reduced wool growth and lamb birth weights.Outdoor exposure reduced pre-partum ewe weight by about 1·5 kg, and so was equivalent to a 10% reduction in daily DOM intake. The magnitude of this effect was not changed significantly by level of feeding. Exposure did not affect wool growth and its influence on lamb birth weight and growth was variable.

Effect of body condition and pasture type on herbage intake, performance during lactation and subsequent ovulation rate in Scottish Blackface ewes

1981 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Doney ◽  
R. G. Gunn ◽  
J. N. Peart ◽  
W. F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Daily Milk Yield ◽  
Daily Milk

ABSTRACTScottish Blackface ewes in uniform, good, body condition at mating were differentially fed during pregnancy, such that two groups lost 0·15 to 0·20 (groups A and B) and one group gained 0·05 (group C) of maternal live weight by lambing time. The treatments had little effect on the number of lambs born per ewe lambing (1·39, 1·46 and 148 respectively).Prior to parturition, group A was transferred to a poor hill pasture, and groups B and C to an improved upland reseeded pasture. Herbage intake by six single- and six twin-suckling ewes from each group was estimated in the 3rd, 6th and 8th week after parturition, and mean daily milk production was estimated on 1 day following each intake measurement period. Herbage intake by six dry ewes in each of groups A and B was also estimated.There were significant differences amongst groups A, B and C, respectively, in mean organic matter digestibility of the herbage consumed (0·701, 0·771 and 0·773), mean daily digestible organic-matter intake (1·06, 1·46 and 1·46kg), mean live-weight change over the period ( –2·9, +5·4 and +l·3kg) and mean daily milk yield (0·64, 1·93 and 1·95 kg).By the following mating time, after grazing the same pasture from weaning, there was still a difference in body condition score according to pasture type during lactation (2·08, 2·36 and 2·29, respectively). Ovulation rate measured after mating was consistent with the direct effect of body condition (1·34, 1·56 and 1·52, respectively).

Prediction of the voluntary intake of food by dairy cows: 2. Lactating grazing cows

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Curran ◽  
W. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Faecal Output ◽  
Regression Methods ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
Multiple Regression Technique ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Individual

SUMMARYIndividual observations made in different weeks of lactation (WL) of live weight (LW, lb), milk yield (MY and FCM, lb/day), age (years) live-weight change (LWC, lb/day) and digestibility of the organic matter consumed (D, %) were used to produce models pre-dicting organic-matter intake (OMI, lb/day), digestibleorganic-matter intake (DOMI, lb/day) and faecal output (lb OM/day) in 72 grazing cows (Analysis A). Estimates of herbage availability (HA, lb dry matter/cow per day) applicable to 44 of the cows, together with the above variables were used in a similar manner (Analysis B). The multiple regression methods of analysis were applied solely to between-cow observations by selection of a single set of data from the many available for each cow.FCM and LW0·73 gave better results than MY and LW, and together with age, were all significant variables for the prediction of the dependent variable. HA was not a significant source of variation, D was only effective in models of DOMI and faecal output, and stage of lactation was not considered a consistently useful variable. The application of the multiple regression technique to the problem of partition of nutrients and the prediction of intake is considered. Precision of prediction is discussed in terms of tolerance limits for predicted values, and it is concluded that the lack of accuracy of measurement of intake in the individual grazing cow is the major obstacle to the accurate prediction of intake in grazing cows.

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).

scholarly journals Studies of method of conserving grass herbage and frequency of feeding in cattle

1992 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. L. Thiago ◽  
M. Gill ◽  
J. W. Sissons
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Contractile Activity ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Daily Feeding ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Spike Bursts ◽  
Daily Total

The influence of the method of conserving grass herbage and the frequency of feeding on eating behaviour, rumen motility and rumen fill was studied in growing steers. Silage and hay were offered to twelve rumen-cannulated Friesian steers (average initial live weight (LW) 128 kg) at a restricted level of intake (20 g dry matter (DM)/kg LW) either once or eight times daily. With once daily feeding, the daily intake of hay was consumed in a single large meal which lasted about 2 h, while silage was eaten in many small meals throughout the day. The proportion of the day spent ruminating was higher (0·39) for steers offered hay once daily than for those offered silage (0·28) or hay eight times per day (0·29). There was little effect of conservation method on frequency of rumen contraction, but contractile intensity (integration of frequency and amplitude) increased during the second half of the 24 h feeding cycle in steers offered hay either once daily or eight times daily, while the same effect was only observed when silage was offered once daily. Total daily contractile activity (the integration of the frequency and duration of myoelectric spike bursts) was significantly (P < 0·05) higher in steers offered hay, compared with silage, once daily. The mean weight of organic matter in the reticulo-rumen of steers offered hay was significantly higher than for silage both with once (1593 v. 1326 g organic matter (OM)/100 kg LW, P < 0·01) and eight (1367 v. 1160 g OM/100 kg LW, P < 0·05) times daily feeding. The proportion of the particulate pool which was present as small (< 1·2 mm) particles was always greater than 0·60.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document