Pattern of intake of three roughage diets by non-pregnant, non-lactating Scottish Blackface ewes over a long period and the effects of previous nutritional history on current intake

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Z. Foot ◽  
A. J. F. Russel
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Tritiated Water ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Water Space

ABSTRACTThe voluntary intake of two hays and one dried grass by 48 mature non-pregnant Blackface ewes was measured for 33 weeks. The apparent dry-matter digestibility coefficients of the diets in vitro were 59, 61 and 77% respectively for the hays and the dried grass. At the end of the first phase of the experiment each group of 16 ewes was split into two subgroups of five animals, each of which was subsequently given one of the other diets, and one subgroup of six animals which remained on the same diet. Food intake was measured for a further 8 weeks. Body fat was estimated at intervals from tritiated water space.The amount of variation in voluntary food intake that could be attributed to variation in live weight and fatness of the animals and in apparent dry-matter digestibility and cell wall constituents of the diet was calculated for various periods.The range of live weight and fatness increased during the experiment. Initially, and after the change in diets, variation in apparent dry-matter digestibility had an important positive effect on intake, but at the end of the 33-week phase its influence was negligible or, when fat weight was not considered, negative. The negative effect of fat weight on intake increased during the experiment.Within individual diets during short periods of time (1 to 5 weeks) the highest proportions of the variation in intake that could be attributed to variation in live weight and fatness of the ewes were 50, 94 and 65% respectively for the hays and the dried grass. Taking all three diets together all the variables considered could explain 75% of the variation for a few weeks at a time, but for longer periods seasonal influences, and other factors not included among the independent variables, probably operated.

The effect of pregnancy in heifers on voluntary intake, total rumen contents, digestibility and rate of passage

1969 ◽  
Vol 9 (40) ◽  
pp. 493 ◽  
Author(s):  
JL Lamberth
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Food Particles ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Food Residues ◽  
Sorghum Silage ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

In two experiments using twin heifers with one of each pair pregnant, the effect of advanced pregnancy on the voluntary food intake, dry matter digestibility and rate of passage of food residues, was studied. In the first experiment sorghum silage was fed ad lib. In the second experiment lucerne chaff was fed at ad lib. and restricted levels and, in addition to the measurements listed above, the quantity of reticulo-rumen contents was determined in each animal. In both experiments each of the pregnant heifers ate less than their non-pregnant CO-twins, and, on analysis of all the data on ad lib. feeding, the differences were significant (P<0.01). The mean coefficients of dry matter digestibility for the pregnant heifers were significantly (P<0.01) less than those for non-pregnant heifers. This caused a significantly (P<0.01) lower intake of digestible dry matter by the pregnant heifers. Measurements of the contents of the reticulo-rumen and the rate of passage of food particles gave inconclusive results. These experiments demonstrated that there was a depression of voluntary intake in late pregnancy the cause of which is not known. This would be nutritionally significant only when the quality and voluntary intake of food were marginal.

Faecal output and estimated voluntary dry-matter intake of grazing beef cows, relative to their live weight and to the digestibility of the pasture

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bruckental ◽  
A. R. Lehrer ◽  
M. Weitz ◽  
J. Bernard ◽  
Hanna Kennit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Faecal Output ◽  
Grazing Cattle ◽  
Bean Meal ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Soya Bean Meal

AbstractTwo experiments were carried out with 12 non-pregnant, non-lactating beef cows (Simmental x Hereford cross), six in each experiment. In experiment 1, the cows were grazing stubble pasture and each cow was hand fed 750 g/day soya-bean meal. In experiment 2, the cows were grazing green pasture at the pre-blossom stage. Paraffin-coated magnesium ferrite (MF) was used as an external marker. A capsule containing 5 g marker was administered to each cow twice daily at about 08.00 and 14.00 h. At the same time the cows were also weighed and faecal grab samples (GS) were taken. Each experimental period lasted 18 days: a 10-day period for attaining steady state of the marker, followed by an 8-day period during which faecal GS were taken.Average live weight (LW, kg) and daily faecal output (DFO, kg dry matter (DM) per day) were, respectively 364·2 and 3·39 for cows in experiment 1, and 484·4 and 4·62 in experiment 2. DFO (g): LW (kg) ratios were 9·31: 1 and 9·53: 1 in experiments 1 and 2, respectively.In-vitro digestibilities were used for calculating the voluntary intake (kg DM per day), which was found to be 6·8 and 13·6 for cows grazing stubble and pre-blossom pastures, respectively. The relationships between LW of grazing cattle and their DFO and voluntary food intake are discussed.

The effect of dietary inclusion of yeast culture (Yea-Sacc) on patterns of rumen fermentation, food intake and growth of intensively fed bulls

1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Mutsvangwa ◽  
I. E. Edwards ◽  
J. H. Topps ◽  
G. F. M. Paterson
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Rumen Fermentation ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Yeast Culture ◽  
Plasma Urea

AbstractThe effects of a barley beef diet without (control) and with a yeast culture (YC) on rumen fermentation, in vivo diet digestibility, nitrogen retention, live-weight gain and food intake were evaluated using 13 Limousin × British Friesian bulls per treatment. The YC was composed of the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its growth medium dried in such a manner that it maintained its fermentative capacity. The addition of YC significantly increased the concentration of acetate (P < 0·05) while propionate concentration tended to be higher for bulls given YC (P > 0·05). The acetate: propionate ratio remained unchanged. Concentration of total volatile fatty acid (VFA) was significantly higher in YC bulls compared with control bulls (P < 0·05). The in vitro studies using the Menke gas test confirmed these findings. Mean in vitro gas production in bulls receiving YC was lower than that in the controls (P < 0·05) and methane production was significantly reduced by the addition of YC after 12h (P < 0·01). Ruminal ammonia concentrations were not affected by treatment but ruminal pH was significantly depressed by the addition of YC (P < 0·05).Apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and neutral-detergent fibre were unaffected by treatment but tended to be higher with the control diet. Nitrogen retention was not affected by the addition of YC and mean values for allantoin excretion and plasma urea were similar.In a 28-week feeding trial, dry-matter intake was significantly greater for bulls given YC (5·55 kg/day) than for control bulls (5·32 kg/day, P < 0·05) but average daily gain, 1·55 and 1·58 kg/day for control and YC respectively, and food conversion efficiency were not improved significantly by YC (P > 0·05).

Estimating the voluntary intake and digestibility of buffel-grass and lucerne hays offered to Brahman-cross cattle using n-alkanes

2002 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 567-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Hendricksen ◽  
M. M. Reich ◽  
R. F. Roberton ◽  
D. J. Reid ◽  
C. Gazzola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Ratio Method ◽  
Natural Plant ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Release Devices ◽  
Method Agreement ◽  
Tropical Grass

AbstractThe n-alkane method was developed in temperate areas as a tool to estimate voluntary intake (VI) at pasture. The present study aimed to investigate the performance of n-alkanes as markers for estimating VI of steers (mean live weight 213 kg) offered a range of tropical grass hays and lucerne. Tropical and temperate forages have different n-alkane profiles and little is known about the issues which affect the accuracy of the method under tropical conditions. In two pen experiments (no. = 20 and no. = 24) n-alkanes were dosed using intraruminal controlled-release devices. Actual mean voluntary dry matter intakes for the diets ranged from 3·12 to 4·60 kg/day and actual mean dry-matter digestibility varied between 439 and 620 g/kg. n-Alkane profiles (C30 to C36) of the diets and the faeces for each animal were determined using gas chromatography. The recovery of each n-alkane was determined for each animal. Recoveries of n-alkanes were highly variable and generally varied between diets and between experiments. When adjacent n-alkanes were used to estimate VI (ratio method), agreement with actual VI was often poor. Despite this, where the recoveries of n-alkane pairs were similar, group mean VI were accurately estimated. From these data, it is concluded that estimation of VI in cattle offered tropical grass hays or lucerne hay, requires measured recoveries of both dosed and natural plant n-alkanes. The dosed and natural n-alkane pairs having the most similar recoveries should be used in the ratio method to estimate VI.

An evaluation of food intake, digestive physiology and live-weight changes in N'dama and Gobra Zebu bulls following experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection

1997 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. O. Akinbamijo ◽  
J. J. Bennison ◽  
D. L. Romney ◽  
G. J. Wassink ◽  
J. Jaitner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Nutrient Utilization ◽  
Trypanosoma Congolense ◽  
Digestive Physiology ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Before And After

AbstractThe effects of experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection on the digestive physiology and nutrient utilization in Gobra zebu and N'Dama cattle were examined in a 16-week trial. A pair-feeding procedure permitted examination of the effects of both food intake and trypanosomosis infection. Twenty Gobra and 16 N'dama bulls aged between 1 and 2 years were paired on a live-weight basis within each breed. One of each pair was chosen at random to serve as an uninfected control while the other was inoculated intradermally with 104 T. congolense in mice blood in the 6th week of the experiment. Packed cell volume and parasitaemia data were collected weekly throughout the trial. Total dry-matter intake (TDMI) and live-weight changes were measured weekly in all animals during the 16-week trial. Rate of passage (RoP) and dry matter digestibility were evaluated before and after infection.While infection significantly depressed TDMI in both breeds (P < 0·05), neither infection nor breed affected the RoP and the apparent digestibility of the dry matter. Significant changes in live weight attributable solely to the infection were observed in both breeds. Loss of body weight was more severe (P < 0·05) in infected Gobra bulls compared with N'dama bulls possibly implying a superior efficiency of nutrient utilization by the N'dama during infection. In the course of the trial, one N'dama and three Gobra bulls that presented severe clinical symptoms of trypanosomosis were treated and withdrawn from the experiment along with their pair-fed controls.In conclusion, the RoP and the digestive efficiency were not affected by infection and breed differences. Also, the trypanotolerance mechanism does not seem to be affected by anorexia but rather by the ability to conserve body reserves during infection.

A pilot study to estimate the intake of grass by ponies with restricted access to pasture

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 ◽  
pp. 109-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Ince ◽  
A. C. Longland ◽  
M. Moore-Colyer ◽  
C. J. Newbold ◽  
C. Drakley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Restricted Access ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Animal Size ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

It has been shown that horses and ponies at pasture usually graze for 15-17 hours per day, and consume between 16 and 33g dry matter (DM) /kg live weight per day, depending on animal size and physiological status. However, many predominantly stabled horses have restricted access to pasture, often only 1-3 hours/day. There is no information on voluntary food intake (VFI) of horses under such regimens. Therefore the aim of this pilot study was to determine the voluntary intake of fresh herbage by ponies when their access to pasture was restricted.

Milk production from diets of silage and dried forage. 2. Effect of ensiling ryegrass cut at two levels of digestibility and given ad libitum with supplements of dried grass pellets

1976 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Tayler ◽  
K. Aston
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Total Acid ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Female Cattle

SUMMARY1. Young adult and adult British Friesian female cattle (heifers and cows) which were lactating were individually fed ad libitum on ryegrass silage of high (HS) or low (LS) digestibility with one of two levels of a supplement of pellets of dried grass (H or L) in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with three heifer and seven cow replicates.2. The percentages of digestible organic matters in the dry matter (DM) in vitro were respectively 64·4, 57·5 and 69·0 for forages HS, LS and and the dried grass. The HS crop, however, was significantly lower in DM content, and after ensiling with formic acid additive had a higher lactic and total acid content than the LS crop.3. The dry-matter intake of the less acid silage LS was greater than that of HS (P<0·05) although the dry-matter digestibility of the LS diets was on average 6 units lower than the HS diets. The intakes of digestible dry matter (DDM) and digestible organic matter were greater (P<0·05) in mid lactation when HS was fed. DM and DDM intakes were significantly increased by the higher level of feeding of the dried grass supplement.4. The yield, composition and energy content of milk did not differ between silages but the yield and protein content of the milk increased significantly at the higher level of supplement feeding. The milk yields were respectively 19·35, 17·54, 19·49 and 17·97 ± 0·505 kg/head per day for treatments HSH, HSL, LSH and LSL on these all-grass diets over lactation weeks 4 to 20. Live-weight loss was greater (P<0·01) on the LS diets. Blood composition was normal and did not differ markedly between treatments.

The voluntary intake, digestibility, and retention time by sheep of leaf and stem fractions of five grasses

1973 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 875 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Laredo ◽  
DJ Minson
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Density ◽  
Retention Time ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Bacterial Degradation ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Digitaria Decumbens ◽  
Chloris Gayana ◽  
Voluntary Intake

Chloris gayana, Digitaria decumbens, Panicum maximum, Pennisetum clandestinum, and Setaria splendida were each cut at three stages of growth, dried, chaffed, and separated into "leaf" and "stem" fractions using a gravity separator. The mean purity of the leaf and stem fractions were 78 and 93%. Each fraction was fed to eight sheep to determine voluntary intake and dry matter digestibility. Mean voluntary intake of leaf was 46% higher than that of stem (57.7 v. 39.6 g/kg0.75), despite a slightly lower dry matter digestibility of the leaf fraction (52.6 v. 55.8%). The higher intake of the leaf fraction was associated (r =0.74, P< 0.01) with a shorter retention time of dry matter in the reticulo-rumen (mean 23.8 v. 31.8 hr), which appeared to be caused by the large surface of the leaf fraction initially available to bacterial degradation (mean 128 v. 41 sq cm/g). Ground leaf and stem samples showed no difference in rate of digestion in vitro since structural differences had been destroyed. The energy required to grind 1 g sample in a laboratory mill was less for leaf than stem (mean 234 v. 411 J/g) with a significant correlation between voluntary intake and grinding energy (r = –0.81). In the past a high voluntary intake has been attributed to a high bulk density, but in this study bulk density of the stem fraction was three times that of the leaf fraction and negatively correlated with voluntary intake (r = –0.70, P< 0,001). It was concluded that different plant fractions may be eaten in different quantities, despite similar dry matter digestibilities, and that in any study of the voluntary intake of roughages it is necessary to determine physical properties of the feed in addition to chemical composition.

THE EFFECT OF NUTRIENT COMPOSITION ON THE VOLUNTARY INTAKE AND APPARENT DIGESTIBILITY OF FIRST- AND SECOND-CUT GRASS HAYS PREPARED IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 935-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. NARASIMHALU ◽  
K. A. WINTER ◽  
H. T. KUNELIUS ◽  
K. B. McRAE
Keyword(s):  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Feeding Trial ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Wall Components

Hays prepared in Prince Edward Island from the primary growths of Rise reed canarygrass, Tardus orchardgrass, Saratoga bromegrass, Itasca timothy, and Trader meadow fescue cut in mid- to late June, and from their regrowths cut 7–8 wk later, were studied for the interrelationships among cell wall components, in vitro dry matter disappearance values, and in vivo determined values of voluntary intake of digestible energy (DEI) and apparent dry matter digestibility (DMD). The in vivo values for each hay were measured on four wether lambs during a 24-day feeding trial. Simple correlation coefficients were calculated among neutral (NDF) and acid detergent fibers (ADF), lignification (= log10 (lignin/ADF)), two-stage in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), acid-pepsin solubility (APDMD), DEI, and DMD. The content of NDF was not correlated with either DEI or DMD value for the first-cut and second-cut hays (P > 0.10). First-cut hays showed correlations between lignification and DMD (r = −0.88, P < 0.05) and between APDMD and DEI (r = 0.87, P < 0.10). Second-cut hays indicated the following correlations: ADF with DMD (r = −0.98, P < 0.01), and IVDMD with both DMD (r = 0.97, P < 0.01) and DEI (r = 0.95, P < 0.05). Lignification showed promise as a predictor of DMD and APDMD could predict DEI for the first-cut hays prepared in this region. In the case of second-cut hays, the ADF or IVDMD could predict DMD, whereas APDMD or IVDMD may prove useful in predicting the DEI value of local hays.

The role of silicon in forages: A quantitative X-Ray study

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 416-417
Author(s):  
Janet H. Woodward ◽  
D. E. Akin
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Acetate ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Acetate Buffer ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Sodium Acetate Buffer ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Percent Composition

Silicon (Si) is distributed throughout plant tissues, but its role in forages has not been clarified. Although Si has been suggested as an antiquality factor which limits the digestibility of structural carbohydrates, other research indicates that its presence in plants does not affect digestibility. We employed x-ray microanalysis to evaluate Si as an antiquality factor at specific sites of two cultivars of bermuda grass (Cynodon dactvlon (L.) Pers.). “Coastal” and “Tifton-78” were chosen for this study because previous work in our lab has shown that, although these two grasses are similar ultrastructurally, they differ in in vitro dry matter digestibility and in percent composition of Si.Two millimeter leaf sections of Tifton-7 8 (Tift-7 8) and Coastal (CBG) were incubated for 72 hr in 2.5% (w/v) cellulase in 0.05 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 5.0. For controls, sections were incubated in the sodium acetate buffer or were not treated.

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