Effect of breed, sex, type of cereal and supplementary hay upon the performance of beef cattle given high-concentrate diets

1967 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Owen ◽  
G. M. Davies

1. In a 2×3×3 factorial experiment a total of seventy-two female or castrated pure Friesian, Charolais × Friesian and Welsh Black × Friesian cattle were fed individually and ad libitum on three diets from 200 lb to slaughter at 800 or 900 lb, depending on sex. The diets were ground barley (87%) and protein-mineral-vitamin supplement (13%) given with or without 1 lb of hay per animal daily, or ground maize (87%) and supplement (13%) given with 1 lb of hay daily.2. The three breed-types differed significantly in growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. Gaining at 2·66 lb/day and converting 4·56 lb of meal into 1 lb live-weight gain, the Charolais crosses grew 7·7 % faster than pure Friesians and consumed 14·1% less meal per unit gain. Welsh Black crosses made 9·3% less rapid gains and required 7·7 % more meal per unit gain than pure Friesians. The disparity between the three breedtypes increased with increasing liveweight.

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. El-Sayed Osman ◽  
A. R.Abou Akkada ◽  
K. A. Agabawi

SUMMARYThe ruminal activity, daily live-weight gain and feed conversion efficiency of zebu calves inoculated with whole rumen contents from a mature cow were compared with those of calves maintained under the same conditions except that they were ciliate-free and isolated from other ruminants.A thriving mixed population of ciliate protozoa became established in the rumen of calves two weeks after inoculation.Entodiniumwas the first genus to appear and was followed byIsotricha, Polyplastron, Ophryoscolex, DiplodiniumandDasytricha.The ruminal volatile fatty acid and ammonia concentrations in the inoculated calves showed a pronounced rise above the values found in the uninoculated controls.The inoculated calves grew faster and had a higher feed conversion efficiency than the uninoculated controls.


1984 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen

ABSTRACTTwo randomized-block experiments have been carried out to examine the effects of increasing the digestibility of grass silage offered to beef cattle by harvesting three crops of grass after shorter growth intervals rather than two crops after longer growth intervals. In experiment 1 early-cut silages were harvested on 1 June, 16 July and 24 August, and late-cut silages on 20 June and 22 August 1979. In experiment 2 the early-cut silages were harvested on 19 May, 2 July and 20 August, and the late-cut silages on 5 June and 12 August 1980. Early- and late-cut silages were made from each of two cultivars of perennial ryegrass (cultivars Cropper and Talbot). The silages were unwilted and had formic acid applied at 2.5 1/t fresh crop.In experiment 1 the silages were offered ad libitum, both unsupplemented and supplemented with 2·2 kg concentrates per head daily, to 88 cattle of mixed beef breeds and mean initial live weight 337 kg, in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. In experiment 2 the silages were offered ad libitum and supplemented with 2·4 kg of concentrates per head daily to 56 Charolais × (Aberdeen Angus × Friesian) cattle of mean initial live weight 351 kg, in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Grass cultivar did not significantly affect silage intake or animal performance but intake, live-weight gain and carcass gain were significantly higher for the early-cut than for the late-cut silages in both experiments. In experiment 1 silage dry-matter intakes were 6·33, 5·12, 5·80 and 4·67 (s.e. 0·124) kg/day; live-weight gains were 0·72, 0·89, 0·47 and 0·76 (s.e. 0·029) kg/day; and carcass gains were 0·46, 0·60, 0·27 and 0·48 (s.e. 0·016) kg/day, for the unsupplemented and supplemented early-cut silages, and the unsupplemented and supplemented late-cut silages, respectively. In experiment 2 silage dry-matter intakes were 5·49 and 4·95 (s.e. 0·056) kg/day; live-weight gains Were 0·95 and 0·76 (s.e. 0·033) kg/day; and carcass gains were 0·67 and 0·50 (s.e. 0·17) kg/day, for the early- and late-cut silages, respectively.


1977 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Burnett ◽  
E. L. Neil

SUMMARY1. Two experiments were conducted, one with pigs fed individually on a restricted scale of feeding, and one with pigs fed ad libitum in groups, to test Probioticum as a feed additive with and without nitrovin and zinc bacitracin.2. Growth rate, feed conversion, killing-out percentage and carcass quality were measured.3. No significant difference was shown in any of the characteristics measured between diets containing any of the additives, singly or in combination.


1977 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Louca ◽  
S. Economides ◽  
J. Hancock

SUMMARYOne hundred and forty-two kids of the Damascus breed of goat were used over a 10½-mo period to study the effects of early castration (at 7 days of age) on growth, feed conversion efficiency and carcass quality and late castration (at 7½ mo of age) on the presence or absence of taint in goat meat.Intact male kids grew faster and used feed more efficiently than castrates until they were about 9 mo old (56 kg live weight). There- after intact kids exhibited strong sexual activity and as a result their growth ceased completely whereas castrates continued growing. Early castrates produced fatter carcasses than those of intact kids. Castration of male kids at the age of about 7½ mo (44 kg live weight) was not successful in this trial and the kids performed very poorly. A taint of varying intensity was present in the meat of intact goats but not in that from any of the early or late castrates.


2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1660-1668 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.M.J. Barbosa ◽  
A.M. Bridi ◽  
A.K. Novais ◽  
R.K.S. Santos ◽  
G. Frederico ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of compensatory gain associated with the use of 10ppm ractopamine after a period of feed restriction in finishing pigs on performance, carcass and meat quality. Twenty castrated males and 20 females, at 110 days of age and 66.137±6.13kg live weight, were submitted to four treatments using a 2 x 2 factorial design (fed ad libitum or with 20% restriction between 0(21 days of age and fed with or without 10ppm ractopamine for 22(42 days of experimentation), with 10 replicates (animals). There was no interaction between the factors for any of the evaluated parameters. Animals treated with ractopamine presented better weight gain (1.083 versus 1.259kg), feed conversion (2.910 versus 2.577), warm and cold carcass weight (86.08 versus 89.00 and 83.46 versus 87.20kg, respectively), loin depth (63.02 versus 68.40mm), loin eye area (41.43 versus 46.59mm2) and muscle fiber diameter (27.48 versus 35.85μm). Animals submitted to feed restriction followed by ad libitum feed presented compensatory gain without losses to carcass and meat characteristics, but with a reduction in the ethereal extract (2.19 versus 1.64%) and lower water loss due to thawing in the meat (11.35 versus 9.42%). The effects of compensatory gain after food restriction and ractopamine are independent of the parameters evaluated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
M Tion ◽  
M. T. Orga ◽  
I. A. Adeka

Two hundred and twenty five day old straight run broiler chicks were utilized in completely randomized design to test the effect of restricting feed intake of four groups of chicks to 92.5% 85.0%, 77.5% and 70.0% of the unrestricted (control) group in the starter phase and following adlibitum feeding for all groups in the finisher phase. The treatments were simply designated as A, B, C, D and E. The starter phase in which the restriction was carried out lasted 28 days and the finisher phase 42 days. Parameters evaluated during the starter and finisher phases included; growth rate, feed conversion ration and mortality rate. Results show gain in weight among all groups while the group fed diet B and the control had comparable weight gain at the starter phase. The percentage weight difference between the control and each of the other dietary groups was: 4.4%, 8.4%, 8.6% and 10.4% for the treatments B, C, D and E respectively. Feed gain ration improved as the level of restriction became stricter. Following ad-libitum feeding of all grops at the finisher phase, the feed restricted groups at the starter phase voraciously increased their feed intake, thus, producing comparable performance values with the unrestricted (control) group in weight gain in the 8th week of the study. Although birds in all groups averaged more than 2000g final live weight in 10weeks, significant differences exist between groups that were fed diets C, D, and E that were restricted at the starter phase, an indication that complete compensatory growth was not obtainable. Feed gain ration improved for restricted groups. Mortality rate did not show any trend attributable to levels of feed restriction. This study shows that broiler chicks fed restricted levels of balanced diet at the starter phase but later fed ad-libitum at the finisher phase could attain a finished weight of about 2000g or more at a market age of 10 weeks (70 days) with an improvement in feed gain ration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15
Author(s):  
A. O. Fanimo ◽  
T. O. Oduronbi

Dried plantain (Musa paradisiaca) peels (DPP), either ripe or unripe (green), were given to Weaned rabbits to replace maize at O, 10, 20 and 30% levels in isonitrogenous (18% crude protein) diets for 56 days in a 2 x 4 factorial experiment. The 30% inclusion level of DPP depressed (P < 0.05) the final weight gain, daily weight gains, and feed conversion efficiency. Ripe or unripe DPP had no significant (P < 0.05) effect on the performance parameters except feed intake, which was improved (P < 0.05). The interaction between ripe or unripe DPP and inclusion levels significantly (P < 0.05) affected weight gain and feed conversion efficiency. Inclusion of DPP depressed (P < 0.05) dressing percentage and lumbar and limbs weights while the viscera weight was increased Ripeness the plantain peels had no significant effect (P < 0.05) on the carcass yield. There was also increase in profit margin expressed in terms of feed cost/ kg live weight gain with inclusion of plantain peel in the diet. The results of this study showed that ripeness slightly improved the nutritive value of DPP which can be included al 20% in weaned rabbits ' diet to replace maize.


1983 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
R. M. Tetlow ◽  
B. G. Gibbs ◽  
Margaret Gill

ABSTRACT1. The primary growth of perennial ryegrass was cut between 7 and 9 June and ensiled with formic acid at 2·5 1/t. The regrowth was cut on 24 July; part was dried at high temperature (dried grass), the remainder was left to dry in the field (hay). The dried grass (DG) and part of the hay were ground and pelleted, the hay being pelleted alone (PH) or with the addition of formaldehyde at 20 g/kg crude protein (PHF). The remainder of the hay was offered in the chopped form (CH). The four supplements (CH, PH, PHF, DG) were offered at two levels, 6·5 (L) and 130 (H) g dry matter per kg live weight to 54 British Friesian steers (initial live weight, 110 kg) receiving the silage ad libitum.2. The silage had a high pH and a high proportion of the total nitrogen was in the form of ammonia, indicating poor fermentation. The solubility of nitrogen in the supplements was highest (262 g/kg total nitrogen) in CH, progressively less in PH and PHF and lowest (122 g/kg total nitrogen) in DG.3. Total dry-matter intake was highest with DG at the higher level of inclusion. Dry-matter intake was significantly higher for PH and PHF than for CH (P < 0·001). However, intake of digestible energy did not differ between hays. Live-weight gain was increased from a low level of 0·24 kg/day (silage alone) by all supplements, but this effect was greater with DG than with the hays (P < 0·001). Level of supplementation increased live-weight gain from 0·54 to 0·74 kg/day.4. Supplements of dried grass gave higher live-weight gains than did hay made from the same sward. However, the results indicate that supplementation of badly preserved silage with grass hay of good quality can produce acceptable levels of performance of up to 0·70 kg/day in 4-month-old steers. Processing of the hay had little effect on animal performance.


1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Macdearmid ◽  
T. R. Preston

SUMMARYIn the first of two experiments, steers which received a single implant of 60 mg hexoestrol grew 24% faster than non-implanted controls and 7% faster than steers given 30 mg. The growth rate of the steers given a single implant of 60 mg did not differ significantly from that of animals implanted twice with 30 mg or 5 times with 15 mg. In the second experiment, steers given 60 mg grew 23% faster than controls and their feed conversion efficiency was 13% better; the hexoestrol treatment resulted in a saving of 131 kg feed per animal. The tenth-rib joints of steers given 60 mg had a higher crude-protein content and lower fat content than those from non-implanted animals.


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