The utilization of dried forage crops by growing ruminants

1977 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-218
Author(s):  
M. J. Owers ◽  
H. Swan ◽  
B. Wilton

SUMMARYMixtures (1: 1) of whole-crop dried wheat or barley, with peas or beans as a nitrogen supplement, were fed ad libitum to four groups of 16 6-mo-old male castrate sheep for a period of 42 days in 1971. The mean dry-matter consumptions (kg/day) and live-weight gains (g/day) were: wheat+peas 1·69, 264; wheat+beans 2·05, 288; barley+peas 1·80, 282; and barley+beans 1·81, 229. This experiment was repeated in 1972. The differences between treatments were non-significant.Dried pelleted whole-crop maize was fed ad libitum to British Friesian steers for 90 days, in conjunction with molasses and one of three protein sources, soya bean meal, urea or whole crop beans. The dry-matter intakes (kg/day) and live-weight gains (kg) were: maize+soya 9·68, 1·26; maize+urea 9·38, 10·4; and maize+beans 9·72, 1·15.Dried maize in conjunction with urea, whole crop beans and dried grass to supply crude protein levels between 9 and 11% was fed to 48 Hereford × British Friesian steers. The dry-matter intakes (kg/day) and live-weight gains (kg/day) were: whole crop maize, 8·35, 0·87; whole crop maize+urea, 9·55, 1·0; whole crop maize+whole crop beans, 7·44, 0·70; whole crop maize+dried grass, 8·94, 1·15; whole crop maize+rolled barley, 9·30, 1·23; and dried grass + rolled barley, 9·24, 1·21. Although there was no significant difference in live-weight gain between the treatments, two levels of performance were apparent.

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Deresz ◽  
C. M. Jaume ◽  
M. R. de Carvalho ◽  
C. A. González

ABSTRACTTwenty-six pregnant Holstein-Friesian × zebu heifers, arranged in pairs according to age, body weight, expected calving date and amount of zebu breeding, were allocated at random to two nutritional regimens during the last 12 weeks before calving. If was planned that the animals in treatment A should calve at a pre-calving live weight of 480 kg and those in treatment B should calve at 380 kg. The diet consisted of maize silage or elephant grass silage, soya-bean meal and minerals. During the first 21 days of the post-partum period both groups were given 6 kg concentrate per head daily. After this period, the feeding level was adjusted every 14 days according to the current milk yield. The mean total milk yields were 2132 kg and 1283 kg (P < 0·05) and the lengths of lactation were 239 days and 156 days (P < 0·01) for cows in treatments A and B, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between treatments in the intervals from calving to first heat or calving to conception.


1968 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Swan ◽  
G. E. Lamming

Thirty-two yearling Friesian steers were used in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. The treatment variables were source of supplementary nitrogen and physical form of the diet. The diets contained 30% ground barley straw, ground maize, a nitrogen supplement, and minerals and vitamins. Urea was compared with soya bean meal as the nitrogen supplement and both diets were given as cubes or meal. There was no significant difference between treatments in daily live-weight gain, feed intake or commercial carcass acceptability.Digestibility trials with wethers showed the apparent digestibility of nitrogen and dry matter of the diet containing urea to be significantly lower than that of the diet containing soya bean meal (nitrogen 72·8 ν. 76·3, P < 0·001; dry matter 70·2 ν. 75·3, P < 0·01). The results are discussed in relation to the digestibility of the diets used, the source of supplementary nitrogen and the physical form of the diet.


1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. F. Mira ◽  
M. Kay ◽  
E. A. Hunter

ABSTRACTThirty Hereford × Friesian steers initially weighing 320 kg were used in two experiments, to compare the effects of mechanical processing of barley straw and the amount of rolled barley offered on intake and live-weight gain. The straw was offered ad libitum either in the long form or shredded through a 40 mm screen and supplemented with 20, 35 and 50 g barley DM per kgW"75 per day (L, M and H respectively). A solution providing 12 g urea per kg straw dry matter (DM) was sprayed onto the straw and all the animals were offered daily 480 g of soya bean meal with minerals and vitamins. In the first experiment, which had a change-over design, the animals were weighed at the beginning and the end of each period. The daily consumption of shredded straw (kg DM) was L 3·38, M 3·29 and H 3·00 and of long straw L 3·94, M 4·02 and H 3·56 (s.e. of difference, 0·29). There were significant differences in straw intake between steers offered the long and the shredded straw (P < 0·001) but no differences in intake when different amounts of barley were offered within the same physical form of straw. The mean daily live-weight gains for treatments L, M and H respectively were 0·25, 0·66 and 0·80 kg for steers given shredded straw and 0·32, 0·62 and 0·87 kg (s.e. of difference, 0·1) for those offered long straw. At the end of the first experiment the same animals were kept for a further 10 weeks on the same straw treatment but only treatments L and H were continued, the steers from treatment M being distributed between L and H. The straw intakes and live-weight gains were in agreement with those observed in the first experiment


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Treacher

SUMMARY1. Scottish Half-bred ewes carrying twin foetuses were fed individually to make live-weight gains in the last six weeks of pregnancy of (1) 20%, (2) 10% and (3) 0% of their live weight in week 14 of pregnancy. In lactation the ewes were fed ad libitum. The lambs were removed 12 to 16 hr after parturition and the ewes were machine-milked twice daily for the first six weeks of lactation.2. Total birth weights per ewe of twin lambs from the treatments were (1) 10·10 kg, (2) 9·44 kg and (3) 8·18 kg and differed significantly.3. The level and pattern of voluntary intake in lactation did not differ significantly between the treatments. Total dry-matter intakes in the six weeks of lactation were (1) 121·9 kg (2) 105·9 kg and (3) 109·5 kg.4. The pregnancy treatments affected the level of milk production and the shape of lactation curves. The total yields in the first six weeks of lactation were (1) 58·8 kg, (2) 43·5 kg and (3) 26·9 kg. Higher contents of fat and protein and the lower content of lactose in the milk from treatment-3 ewes on days 1 and 3 of lactation indicated a slower onset of lactation in these ewes. Between days 7 and 35 of lactation the contents of fat and SNF were lowest on treatment 3 but the differences were not significant.5. The live-weight changes in lactation, which were in inverse order to the gains in late pregnancy, were (1) 3·4 kg, (2) 5·5 kg and (3) 9·5 kg.


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Swan ◽  
G. E. Lamming

SUMMARY1. Three groups, each of eight steers, were fed on pelleted diets containing 30, 50 or 70% ground barley straw, maize and soya bean meal. On an air-dry basis the diets contained 12% crude protein.2. Daily live-weight gain was 1·29, 1·19 and 1·02 kg/day for the 30, 50 and 70% straw diets respectively, and was negatively related to the percentage of crude fibre in the dry matter (r = −0·61, P < 0·05).3. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, determined in sheep at the maintenance level of feeding was negatively related to percentage crude fibre in the dry matter (r = −0·91, P < 0·001).4. All animals were killed at approximately the same live weight, which was reached on average in 140,153 and 163 days by the 30, 50 and 70% groups, respectively.5. The differences in mean carcass weight between treatments were significant (P < 0·05). Killing-out percentage was significantly reduced (P < 0·05) as the proportion of ground barley straw in the diet was increased from 30 to 70%.6. The proportion of straw in the diet had no direct effect on the composition of carcass gain.7. The results are discussed in relation to the intake of digestible energy.


1979 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Little ◽  
R. M. Kay ◽  
D. J. Harwood ◽  
R. J. Heitzman

SUMMARYTwenty-seven British Friesian heifer calves were housed as a group but fed individually barley-lucerne pellets according to a scale related to body weight. At 16 weeks and again at 31 weeks of age nine calves were implanted subcutaneously at the base of the ear with 300 mg trenbolone acetate (group T), nine calves were similarly implanted with 140 mg trenbolone acetate and 20 mg oestradiol-17/? (group TE) and the remaining nine calves were sham implanted (group C).As a result of increased feed conversion ratios, body-weight gains were significantly greater in group T (0–80 kg/day) and group TE (0–87 kg/day) than in group C (0–72 kg/ day) during the 15 weeks following the second implant, but there was no significant difference between groups following the first implant.Following both implants in groups T and TE the mean concentrations of urea and albumin in serum decreased, and that of globulin increased. The mean urea: creatinine ratio in the urine of animals in groups T and TE relative to that in group C also decreased.The heifers were served by an Aberdeen Angus bull at the first and, when they occurred, subsequent oestruses. Following calving the mean milk yields in the first lactation in group T (641 kg in 96 days) and group TE (1993 in 212 days) was considerably lower than in group C (3636 kg in 293 days). The udder size in both groups of animals treated with the anabolic steroids was markedly reduced. It is concluded that despite an improvement in feed conversion ratios and body-weight gains, trenbolone acetate should not be administered to prepuberal heifers which will be retained for breeding and milk production.


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-158
Author(s):  
R. B. Ogle ◽  
K. Annér

The effect on sow reproductive performance of including 100 g white-flowered peas (Pisum sativum hortense, cv. Vreta and Lotta) per kg, replacing barley, wheat and soya-bean meal in gestation and lactation diets, was studied over four parities using 24 pairs of crossbred littermate sows. Net sow weight gains and changes in backfat thickness over the complete reproductive cycle were similar for both treatments. Piglet live-weight gains and mean litter size at birth were not influenced by treatment, although litter size at weaning was 0·5 pigs higher (P > 0·05) for the control sows, due to higher post-natal mortality rate in the litters from the sows given the pea diets. It can be concluded that inclusion of white-flowered peas at a rate of 100 g/kg had no adverse effect on reproductive performance, with the exception of slightly higher post-natal piglet mortality.


1993 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. P. Ketaren ◽  
E. S. Batterham ◽  
E. Belinda Dettmann ◽  
D. J. Farrell

Two experiments were conducted (1) to determine the effects of phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) on the digestibility and availability of P in soya-bean meal for growing pigs and (2) to compare growth v. digestibility variables for assessing the availability of P. In the first experiment the effect of phytase on P availability was assessed in a growth assay using a slope–ratio design of treatments. Two different levels of either monosodium phosphate (MSP) or soya-bean meal were added to a basal sugar–soya-bean-meal diet (2·5 g P/kg) to give two levels of P (g/kg): 3·25 and 4·0 for each source. An additional five diets were supplemented with phytase. The ten diets were offered ad lib. for 35 d to female pigs initially weighing 20 kg live weight. In addition, the relative effectiveness of different variables for assessing P availability were compared: bone bending moment, ash in various bones, and ash and P in the empty body. The addition of phytase increased growth rate (g/d) (741 v. 835; P < 0·05), lowered the food conversion ratio (2·37 v. 2·16; P < 0·01), and increased protein deposition (g/d) (108 v. 123; P < 0·05), protein retention (kg/kg) (0·33 v. 0·36; P < 0·05), energy retention (MJ gross energy/MJ digestible energy) (0·36 v. 0·38; P < 0·05) and the availability of P in soya-bean meal from 0·11 to 0·69 when bone bending moment was the criterion of availability. All other criteria for assessing availability were unsuitable. In the second experiment the availability of (P) in soya-bean meal was assessed in a digestibility experiment with grower pigs using diets 1–5 as for Expt 1 arranged in a slope–ratio design of treatments. In addition, the effects of phytase supplementation on the apparent digestibility of P, dry matter, crude protein (N × 6·25) and energy were determined. The diets were offered at three times maintenance energy requirements to male pigs initially weighing approximately 30 kg live weight and total collection of faeces was conducted over a 10 d period. The availability of P in the soya-bean meal was 0·66 using digestible P intake as the criterion of response. The apparent digestibility of P in soya-bean meal was 0·42. Phytase supplementation increased the apparent digestibility of soya-bean meal P to 0·69 (P < 0·01) but had no effect on the faecal digestibility of dry matter or crude protein. Overall these experiments indicate that (1) estimates of P digestibility and availability were unlikely to be interchangeable and (2) phytase was effective in releasing much of the bound P in soya-bean meal.


1991 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen

ABSTRACTThree randomized-block experiments involving 87 British Friesian, 18 Simmental × Friesian and 18 Hereford × Friesian, artificially reared calves (mean initial live weight 47 kg and age 9 days), were carried out to examine the effects of the quantity of milk substitute consumed on the lifetime performance of beef cattle. The three treatments were (1) 400 g milk powder per head daily, weaned at 42 days of age (2) ad libitum intake of milk powder, weaned at 42 days and (3) ad libitum intake of milk powder, weaned at 60 days. All calves were individually penned and fed until after weaning; those on treatment 1 were bucket fed twice daily, while those on treatments 2 and 3 sucked the milk from 25·1 containers through artificial teats. They were offered a pelleted, barley/soya-bean meal concentrate (197 g crude protein per kg dry matter (DM)) ad libitum from purchase until intake reached a maximum of 2·7 kg per head daily, and well preserved grass silage ad libitum from 6 weeks of age. Three commercial, skimmed milk-based, acidified milk substitutes (242 and 187 g crude protein and oil per kg respectively) were used. Intakes of milk substitute, concentrate DM and silage DM per calf to 12 weeks of age for treatments 1 to 3 respectively were as follows: 13·0, 39·7 and 54·8 (s.e. 1·67) kg; 88, 73 and 58 (s.e. 1·5) kg and 9·4, 10·6 and 11·2 (s.e. 0·23) kg. Live-weight gains to 12 weeks of age and carcass weights adjusted to 19 months of age were 0·71, 0·82 and 0·84 (s.e. 0·026) kg/day and 335, 340 and 341 (s.e. 3·8) kg. It is concluded that increasing the input of milk substitute above 400 g per head daily until 6 weeks of age produced only a small and uneconomic increase in the lifetime performance of beef cattle.


1991 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen

ABSTRACTTwo experiments have been carried out to examine the effects of the level of protein supplementation given with grass silage-based diets on the performance and carcass composition of bulls, and to compare diets based on silage and dried forage. The five treatments used consisted of grass silage offered ad libitum and supplemented with 2·5 kg dry matter (DM) of barley-based concentrates containing (1) zero (2) 200 (3) 400 and (4) 600 g soya-bean meal per kg and (5) artificially dried grass and hay supplemented with 3·2 kg concentrate DM. The silages used in both experiments were well preserved, containing on average 200 g DM per kg; 140 g crude protein (CP) per kg DM; 63 g ammonia-nitrogen per kg total N and 731 g digestible organic matter per kg DM. The bulls were of late-maturing breed type and were initially 12 months old and 412 and 405 kg live weight in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. For treatments 1, 2, 4 and 5 in experiment 1 respectively (treatment 3 was not used) total DM intakes were 8·3, 8·3, 81 and 110 (s.e. 0·21) kg/day; CP intakes 1063, 1271, 1664 and 1539g/day; metabolizable energy intakes (MEI) 98, 99, 96 and 87 MJ/day; carcass weights 317, 316, 317 and 316 (s.e. 3·2) kg; carcass saleable meat concentrations 714, 712, 718 and 716 (s.e. 5·8) g/kg and carcass fat trims 73, 81, 73 and 68 (s.e. 3·9) g/kg. In experiment 2 for treatments 1 to 5 respectively total DM intakes were 8·3, 8·5, 8·3, 8·4 and 11·2 (s.e. 0·26) kg/day; CP intakes were 1090, 1329, 1504, 1720 and 1561 g/day; MEI 102, 106, 103, 103 and 94 MJ/day; carcass weights 318, 331, 330, 327 and 321 (s.e. 3·3) kg; carcass saleable meat concentrations 726, 721, 725, 721 and 732 (s.e. 60) g/kg and fat trims 71, 77, 78, 80 and 64 (s.e. 4·5) g/kg. It is concluded that protein supplementation of a silage-based diet did not affect performance or carcass fatness in experiment 1 or carcass fatness in experiment 2, but including 200 or 400 g soya-bean meal per kg concentrate increased performance in experiment 2. Animals given silage produced fatter carcasses than those given dried forage in experiment 2 but not in experiment 1.


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