Effect of stage of harvest and fineness of chopping on the voluntary intake and digestibility of maize silage by young beef cattle

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Wilkinson ◽  
Ines M. Penning ◽  
D. F. Osbourn
Keyword(s):  
Cell Walls ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Average Particle ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Particle Length ◽  
Entire Male

ABSTRACTWhole-crop maize was harvested at 20% (L), 29% (M) and 38% (H) dry-matter (DM) content, chopped to 7·67 mm (F) or 33·3 mm (C) average particle length and ensiled. The six silages were offered ad libitum to 36 entire male calves (initially 96 kg live weight), together with supplements of urea and dried ryegrass, for 42 days. Voluntary intake and the apparent digestibility of the diets were measured. Intake of DM was not affected by the DM content of the silages, but was higher for F than C by 6·6% (P<0·01). Apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter and cell walls decreased with increasing silage DM content (P<0·001) and was higher for F than C (P < 0·01).

Fish-meal supplementation of grass silage given to young growing steers: effect on intake, apparent digestibility and live-weight gains

1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sanderson ◽  
C. Thomas ◽  
A. B. McAllan
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake

AbstractSeventy-two, 4-month-old, British Friesian steers were used to investigate the effects of feeding a supplement of fish meal on the voluntary intake and live-weight gain by young growing cattle given a well preserved ryegrass silage. The silage was offered either alone or mixed with 50,100 or 150 g fish meal per kg silage dry matter (DM) and the diets were offered either ad libitum or intakes were restricted to 16, 19 or 22 g dietary DM per kg live weight (LW). Intakes were recorded daily, LW weekly and in vivo apparent digestibility over one 7-day period during the 132-day trial.For animals fed ad libitum, the absolute intake of dietary DM increased linearly with an increase in the level of fish-meal supplementation such that intake when the highest level of fish meal was given was significantly higher (P < 0·01) than when silage was given alone. However, DM intake per unit LW (approx. 24 g DM per kg LW) was not affected significantly (P > 0·05).Inclusion of fish meal in the diet did not affect the apparent digestibility of dietary DM, organic matter, acid-detergent or neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) although there was a trend for slightly higher (P > 0·05) gross energy apparent digestibility when fish meal was given. Increasing the level of feeding reduced NDF digestibility. The coefficients measured at the 22 g and ad libitum levels of intake were lower (P < 0·01 and P < 0·05 respectively) than that measured at the 16 g DM per kg LW level.Animals given silage alone to appetite achieved LW gains of 0·6 kg/day. LW gains increased linearly with increasing level of feeding (P < 0·001) and increasing level offish-meal supplementation (P < 0·001).

The effect in an intensive production system of type of cereal and time of weaning on the performance of lambs

1971 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
C. Fraser ◽  
J. C. Gill ◽  
Elizabeth L. Corse
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
High Feed ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Entire Male

SUMMARYTwo experiments were conducted to study the effect of type of cereal and time of weaning on the performance and voluntary intake of lambs.In the first experiment 20 early-weaned entire male lambs were given diets ad libitum during the fattening period from 15 to 40 kg live weight. The diets were based on either kibbled maize or rolled barley. A high feed efficiency and growth rate were achieved with both diets and differences between them were not statistically significant. The growth rates were 428 and 430 g/day. The cold carcass weights at 40 kg live weight were 19·0 and 19·9 kg and the conversion ratios of dry matter to live-weight gain were 2·33 and 2·22 for the rolled barley and kibbled maize diets respectively.In the second experiment a comparison was made of the performance of 36 sets of twin lambs, one of each set being weaned at either 6, 13 or 20 weeks of age and the other being left to suck the ewe outdoors. The lambs weaned at 6 weeks had better conversions of dry matter to live-weight gain than lambs weaned at 13 and 20 weeks. The respective conversions of dry matter to live-weight gain were 3·36, 5·64 and 5·52. The lambs weaned at either 13 or 20 weeks had a greater weight at weaning, a greater growth check at weaning and a lower rate of feed intake.

Effects of nutrition in late pregnancy on subsequent milk production in Ewes

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Lower Content ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Total Birth ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake

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.

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.

Evaluation of formaldehyde-treated lucerne hay for protecting protein from ruminal degradation, and for increasing nitrogen retention, wool growth, live-weight gain and voluntary intake when fed to young sheep

1976 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. N. Barry
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Treatment Period ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Formaldehyde Treatment ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake

SummaryIn three separate experiments, lucerne hay was sprayed with solutions of formaldehyde as it was being baled. Moisture content at baling was respectively 20, 28 and 34% in Expts 1, 2 and 3, the latter being considered higher than normal. Dry matter lost during 4 months of storage averaged 6·7% and was unaffected by formaldehyde treatment.Increasing rates of formaldehyde application decreased the amount of plant nitrogen digested in the microbial stage of an in vitro system and increased the amount of nitrogen digested in the subsequent acid-pepsin stage (Expt 1 only). When the hays were fed at constant intake to sheep in metabolism cages, formaldehyde treatment depressed the concentration of ammonia and volatile fatty acids (VFA's) in rumen fluid and lowered the molar proportions of iso- and n-valeric acids, but caused either very little or no depression in apparent energy digestibility. It was concluded that formaldehyde treatment of the hays reduced protein degradation by rumen microorganisms and probably increased the amount of protein digested in the post-ruminal region of the digestive system, and that this was achieved without any serious effect on energy digestion.The hays were also fed for 50 days at restricted and ad libitum intakes to young Komney sheep kept in outdoor pens, followed by a 55-day post-treatment period on spring pasture. Voluntary intake was high in both experiments and was unaffected by formaldehyde treatment in hay baled at normal moisture content. There was a tendency for formaldehyde treatment to cause a small increase in voluntary intake in hay baled at the highest moisture content, but this was counteracted by its effect in depressing digestibility, giving no increase in digestible dry-matter intake. Live-weight gains were low in relation to intake, giving a weight loss in most treatment groups. Formaldehyde treatment significantly reduced weight loss and the effect was still present at the end of the post-treatment period. From regressions of weight change on digestible energy intake, it was considered that formaldehyde treatment had brought about a small improvement in the efficiency with which energy was used below maintenance.Wool growth rates appeared normal for the levels of intake achieved and were increased 14·5% by formaldehyde treatment at ad libitumintake and 5·5% at restricted intake. Residual responses to formaldehyde treatment in the post-treatment period averaged 8%. The total amount of extra clean wool produced from formaldehyde treatment over both periods was 46and94g respectively at the restricted and ad libitum intakes, representing only 1·5 and 3·0% of the annual fleece production. Wool growth on diets treated with formaldehyde in sheep feed at the maintenance level of energy intake is discussed in relation to the concentration of protein-bound sulphur-containing amino acids (SAA's) in the diet dry matter. It was concluded that large responses in wool growth from protein protection of forage diets are unlikely unless the concentration of SAA's in the dry matter can be considerably increased from their present low levels. It is suggested that the possibility of achieving this through plant breeding techniques be investigated.

A study of factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cattle

1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. McCullough
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Long Form ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Net Energy Intake ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Gut Fill

SUMMARYSix diets providing ratios of concentrate to hay of 100 : 0, 95 : 5, 90 : 10, 80 : 20, 70 : 30 and 60 : 40 were given ad libitum to 24 British Friesian steers. The hay (in the long form) was offered separately from the concentrates. From 91 to 136 kg live weight, as the proportion of hay in the diet increased, daily dry-matter intake decreased. Over the weight range, 136 to 363 kg live weight, the addition of small amounts of hay to the concentrate diet caused an increase in intake. At 42 weeks of age a digestibility trial was carried out. Daily drymatter intake was maximal when the diet contained 80% concentrates. The apparent digestibility and mean retention time of the diets increased as the proportion of concentrates increased. Differences in estimated gut fill were not significant. The diet consisting of concentrate only resulted in the lowest concentration of acetic acid and the highest concentration of propionic and butyric acids in the rumen liquor. Net-energy intake tended to increase as the proportion of concentrates increased from 60 to 90% but then remained fairly constant.

Effects of maize and citrus-pulp supplementation of urea-treated wheat straw on intake and productivity in female lambs

2001 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. M. Fonseca ◽  
A. A. Dias-da-Silva ◽  
A. L. G. Lourenço
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Clearance Rate ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Citrus Pulp ◽  
Liquid Phases ◽  
Outflow Rate ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractTwo experiments with lambs given food indoors and individually penned were designed to study the effects of different levels of ground maize and citrus pulp as supplements of a diet based on urea-treated straw (5 kg urea per 100 kg straw) offered ad libitum over a period of 16 weeks (experiment 1) or 10 weeks (experiment 2). The voluntary intake, live-weight gain (LWG), organic matter digestibility (OMD), urinary allantoin-nitrogen (UAN) excretion and acetate clearance rate were measured. The lambs were blocked on weight and randomly assigned to the treatments described below. Ruminal outflow rate of the solid and liquid phases from the rumen were also measured in experiment 2.In experiment 1, 20 female lambs from the Ile-de-France breed, with an initial live weight (LW) of 43 (s.e. 3·3) kg were used. Wheat straw (WS) was supplemented with 50 g/kg of fish meal (FM) and with 0, 100, 200 or 300 g/kg of ground maize on a dry-matter (DM) basis (M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively). In experiment 2, 25 female lambs from the Portuguese breed Churra-da-Terra-Quente, with an initial LW of 24·2 (s.e. 4·3) kg were used. The straw was offered ad libitum during 10 weeks and supplemented with 50 g/kg of FM and 0, 100, 200, 300, or 400 g/kg of dried citrus pulp on a DM basis (CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, respectively).During the experiments, all animals were moved to metabolism cages to measure OMD and UAN excretion. Two additional incubation studies were carried out with rumen fistulated rams (experiment 1) or cows (experiment 2) given the diets described above close to the maintenance feeding level.In experiment 1 daily straw DM intake linearly decreased (P < 0·05) from 21·6 to 17·7 g/kg LW and LWG linearly increased (P < 0·05) from 51 to 154 g/day for treatments M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively. The rate of straw DM degradation was significantly decreased (P < 0·01) by maize supplementation. Straw OMD (kg/kg) was 0·562, 0·583, 0·547 and 0·520 and UAN (mg/day) was 620, 790, 854 and 859 for treatments M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively. Acetate clearance rate, increased (P < 0·05) as the level of maize inclusion increased.In experiment 2 daily straw DM intake was 23·3, 25·8, 24·7, 23·5 and 18·6 g/kg LW per day and LWG was –9, 28, 44, 64 and 67 g/day for treatments CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, respectively. Supplementation significantly increased LWG (P < 0·001) but at the 400 g/kg level depressed straw DM intake. Straw OMD linearly decreased (P < 0·05) from 0·484 (CP0) to 0·428 (CP4) g/kg and UAN (mg/day) was 181, 303, 363, 384 and 392 for treatments CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, respectively. Rumen outflow rate of fibre particles was unaffected by supplementation while the outflow of liquid phase tended to be increased (P < 0·10). The rate of DM degradation was significantly reduced (P < 0·01) by citrus-pulp inclusion. Acetate clearance rate was unaffected (P > 0·05) by citrus-pulp supplementation.The results of these experiments demonstrate that supplementation of urea-treated straw with ground maize up to 200 g/kg or with citrus pulp up to 300 g/kg of the diet DM increased or did not depress straw intake, increased the supply of microbial protein and have no significant effect on straw digestibility. The efficiency of utilization of absorbed energy was apparently improved by maize but not by citrus-pulp supplementation.

Rapeseed meal, maize-gluten feed and fish meal as protein supplements for maize silage given to growing/finishing Limousin × Holstein Friesian bulls

1996 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-228
Author(s):  
H. F. Grundy ◽  
K. P. A. Wheeler ◽  
R. Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Rapeseed Meal ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Protein Supplements ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Gluten Feed

AbstractIn each of three experiments, 60 Limousin × Holstein Friesian bulls, initially of 191, (s..e. 5·0), 177 (s.e. 5·5) and 210 (s.e. 7·2) kg mean live weight for experiments 1, 2 and 3 respectively, were offered maize silage ad libitum plus one of three barley-based, isonitrogenous compound diets containing 200 g rapeseed meal, 575 g maize-gluten feed or 100 g fish meal per kg fresh weight. Compound diets were given at the rate of 3·0 kg (fresh weight) per head per day up to 320 kg live weight and at 3·3 kg per head per day from 320 kg to 420 kg live weight. In experiment 3, when bulls were taken through to slaughter, the compound diet was further increased to 3·5 kg per head per day from 420 kg live weight to slaughter. Experiments 1 and 2 were conducted over 128 and 194 days, with mean live weights at the end of the experiments of 347 (s.e. 17·2) and 414 (s.e. 24·2) kg respectively. In experiment 3, bulls were slaughtered at 16 months of age at a mean live weight of 544 (s.e. 25·0) kg.In experiment 1, the fish-meal diet gave the highest rate of daily live-weight gain at 1·34 compared with 1·17 and 1·16 (s.e.d. 0·041) kg for rapeseed-meal and maize-gluten diets, respectively. In experiments 2 and 3, daily gains were similar on all treatments at 1·21, 1·19 and 1·26 (s.e.d. 0·036) kg and 1·06, 1·09 and 1·11 (s.e.d. 0·035) kg for the rapeseed-meal, maize-gluten and fish-meal diets respectively. Total daily dry-matter intakes did not show consistent trends: in experiment 1, intakes were 5·8, 5·6 and 5·8 kg/day, in experiment 2, 6·2, 6·2 and 6·3 kg/day; and in experiment 3, 7·1, 7·3 and 7·1 kg/day for rapeseed-meal, maize-gluten and fish meal, respectively. The higher intakes of dry matter in experiment 3 were due to the greater intakes of maize silage by bulls taken to heavier weights in this experiment.

The effects of dietary supplements of fish meal on the voluntary food intake of store lambs

1991 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. Tan ◽  
M. J. Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
N Balance ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
N Retention ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Interaction Term ◽  
Voluntary Intake

AbsstractThirty-six male and thirty-six female lambs (mean live weight 31·6 kg) were used to investigate the effect of fish-meal supplementation upon voluntary intake of NaOH-treated straw in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with three levels of fish meal (0, 45 and 90 g/day) and three allowances of concentrate (57, 10·0 and 14·3 g/kg live weight) (experiment 1). The fish meal × concentrate allowance interaction was significant (P < 0·05) for straw dry matter (DM), total DM and metabolizable energy (ME) intake. Thus, as concentrate allowance increased, straw DM intake remained largely unchanged when fish meal was included in the diet whereas concentrate progressively substituted for straw DM intake when fish meal was not included in the diet. Increasing concentrate levels increased total DM intake linearly for all levels of fish meal but the rate of increase was positively associated with level of fish meal.In experiment 2, 24 castrated male lambs (mean live weight 40·7 kg) were used to measure apparent digestibilities and nitrogen (N) balance on four of the diets used in experiment 1. The overall effects of concentrate and fish-meal levels upon voluntary intake were similar to those found in experiment 1 but the interaction term was not significant either for intake or for the digestibility coefficients. Increasing fish-meal level increased apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM) and aciddetergent fibre (ADF) (P < 0·01) while increasing concentrate allowance increased apparent digestibility of DM (P < 0·001) and OM (P < 0·01) but decreased that of ADF (F < 0·01). Nitrogen (N) retention was improved by the inclusion of fish meal in the diet (P < 0·001) and by high allowance of concentrate (P < 0·001).The voluntary intake response observed in experiment 1 could not be explained by the digestibility and N balance results obtained in experiment 2.

High-fibre diets for ad libitum feeding of sows during lactation

1982 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Zoiopoulos ◽  
P. R. English ◽  
J. H. Topps
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
High Fibre ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Daily Intakes ◽  
Ad Libitum Feeding ◽  
Block Experiment

ABSTRACT1. Two diets, containing either 400 g oat husks (OH) or 300 g straw (ST) per kg, given ad libitum during a 7-week lactation, were compared with a conventional control diet (C) given in restricted amounts. Eight sows per treatment were used in a randomized-block experiment.2. Mean daily intakes of dry matter during lactation were 4·87, 7·79 and 5·80 kg for the C, OH and ST diets respectively (P>0·001).3. There were no significant differences between diets in number or weights of piglets per litter either at 21 days of age or at weaning.4. Mean changes in live weight during lactation were –9·8, +5 1 and –16·8kg for sows on the C, OH and ST diets respectively (P<0·01). Sows that gained weight during lactation tended to lose more in the 7 days following weaning.5. There were no significant differences in either milk yield or composition. However, the fat content of milk tended to be higher for sows given the two fibrous diets.6. Mean apparent digestibility coefficients for dietary dry matter were 0·82, 0·63 and 0·59, and for nitrogen were 0·81, 0·75 and 0·63, in the C, OH and ST diets respectively. The rate of passage of the ST diet through the gut was significantly faster than that of the other two diets (P>0·001), which were similar.

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