The utilization of maize silage for intensive beef production: II. The effect of urea on silage fermentation and on the voluntary intake and performance of young cattle fed maize silage-based diets

1975 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
R. F. Wilson ◽  
R. J. Wilkins ◽  
J. M. Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Butyl Rubber ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Total Acid ◽  
Live Weight Gain

SUMMARYMaize was cut at 22·6, 27·0 and 41·6% dry matter and ensiled in 4 kg quantities in polythene bags without additive or after the addition of urea at 0·5, 1·0, 1·5 and 2·0% of the crop dry-matter content. Silos were opened at intervals up to 96 days. Maize of 23·4% dry-matter content was ensiled in 10 t butyl rubber silos without additive or after the addition of urea at 1·0% or fishmeal at 4·0% of the crop dry-matter content.Silages from the polythene bag silos were all well preserved. pH values increased and total acid content fell with increasing maturity of the crop. Addition of urea had little effect on these values. Only with the most mature crop did ammonia content increase markedly with increasing level of urea addition. All silages from the butyl rubber silos were well preserved with low pH values and similar total acid contents.Silages from the butyl rubber silos were used to measure voluntary, intake live-weight gain and efficiency of utilization of young beef cattle. The diets fed were silage without nitrogen supplement or supplemented with urea or fishmeal, added at ensiling, at feeding or included in a concentrate feed. One third of the total dry-matter intake of all cattle was provided by a pelleted concentrate feed consisting of equal quantities of dried grass and rolled barley.The increase in nitrogen content brought about by the addition of urea or fishmeal did not affect total dry-matter or organic-matter intake but was associated with 25% increase in nitrogen consumed. Live-weight gain on all treatments with added nitrogen was 20% higher than for the unsupplemented silage. This improvement in growth rate was accompanied by significant increases in efficiency of utilization of dietary dry matter and organic matter but efficiency of nitrogen utilization was reduced. The results indicate that neither the source nor site of addition of supplementary nitrogen significantly affect live-weight gain, dry-matter intake, organic-matter intake or utilization of dry matter or organic matter. They also demonstrate that urea can be used effectively to provide supplementary nitrogen to young cattle fed a maize silage-based ration.

The utilization of maize silage for intensive beef production: I. The effect of level and source of supplementary nitrogen on the utilization of maize silage by cattle of different ages

1975 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
J. M. Wilkinson ◽  
J. C. Tayler
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Urea Addition

SUMMARYFifty-four British Friesian castrated male calves, initially 3, 6 or 9 months of age (107, 180 and 249 kg initial live weight, respectively), were individually fed for 83 days on maize silage (27·9% dry matter (D.M.), 10·7% crude protein in D.M.), offeredad libitum. Silage was offered either alone or supplemented with cobs of dried lucerne (21% of total D.M. intake). Three levels of urea (0, 1 and 2% of silage D.M.) were added to the silage before feeding.Total D.M. intakes averaged 23·0, 23·4 and 21·6 g/kg live weight (LW) for the 3-, 6- and 9-month-old animals, respectively. Addition of urea increased silage intake by 11% in the 6-month-old group but there was little effect in the 3- and 9-month-old groups. Lucerne supplementation reduced silage D.M. intake from 22·0 to 18·4 g/kg LW (P< 0·001) and increased total D.M. intake by 1·4 g/kg LW (P< 0·001).Live-weight gain (LWG) of the cattle fed on silage alone increased (P< 0·001) with increasing age of animal. The main effect of urea was to elevate (P< 0·001) LWG from an average of 0·79 (no urea) to 0·94 kg/head/day (2% urea). However, it appeared that most of this effect was confined to the 6-month-old group. The effect of lucerne on LWG decreased with increasing age of animal (P< 0·001). Inclusion of lucerne in the diet significantly reduced the response to urea (P< 0·05).Feed conversion efficiency (LWG/100 Mcal DE intake) decreased (P< 0·01) with increasing age of animal but increased with urea addition from an average of 4·7 (no urea) to 5·3 kg LWG/100 Meal DE intake (2% urea). The response to lucerne supplementation in terms of efficiency was greatest in the 3-month-old group and thereafter declined markedly with increasing age of animal.The results of this experiment indicated that cattle older than 6 months of age (180 kg LW) could achieve a rate of growth of 1·0 kg/head/day on maize silage supplemented solely with urea, but that younger animals required supplementary lucerne to support a high rate of live-weight gain.

The influence of formaldehyde application at ensiling and of supplementation with urea or maize starch on the utilization by calves of ryegrass and red clover silages

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Kaiser ◽  
D. F. Osbourn ◽  
P. England
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Formaldehyde Treatment

ABSTRACTPrimary growths of perennial ryegrass and red clover were ensiled with formic acid (2 1/t fresh crop), o an equal quantity of formic acid together with formaldehyde (46 or 49 g/kg crude protein in the ryegrass or red clover respectively). The four silages were offered ad libitum to 12 groups, each of five British Friesian steer calves, either alone or with urea or maize starch supplements at 18·4 or 185·2 g/kg total dry-matter intake respectively.Digestible organic matter and digestible energy intake, live-weight gain, carcass weight, nitrogen retention and all digestibility measurements were higher on the ryegrass silages than on the red clover silages. However, dry-matter intake was higher on the red clover silages.Formaldehyde treatment reduced lactic and total acid content, and protein degradation in the silages. It also increased intake, live-weight gain and nitrogen retention on ryegrass but not on red clover, the effect being greater when the urea supplement was given. Digestibility measurements were depressed by formaldehyde treatment, although cellulose digestibility was only depressed in the ryegrass silage.Supplementation with starch depressed silage intake and nitrogen and cellulose digestibility, but increased dry matter, organic matter and energy digestibilities, digestible organic matter and digestible energy intakes, live-weight gain and carcass weight. The positive intake, live-weight gain and carcass weight responses were greater on the silages treated with formic acid, while the digestibility and the live-weight gain responses were greater on the red clover silages. Starch supplementation did not improve nitrogen retention.The different animal production responses to formaldehyde treatment on the ryegrass and red clover silages are discussed.

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.

The effect of oestradiol-17 β implantation on the response in voluntary intake, live-weight gain and body composition, to fishmeal supplementation of silage offered to growing calves

1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gill ◽  
D. E. Beever ◽  
P. J. Buttery ◽  
P. England ◽  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Energy Utilization ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Gross Efficiency ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Voluntary Intake

SummaryThe effect of oestradiol-17β on the response to fishmeal supplementation of grass silage was studied in young growing cattle. Voluntary intake and live-weight gain were recorded over 63 days with 36 British Friesian male castrates (initial live weight (LW) 119 kg) offered silage alone (C) or with 50 (FM1), 100 (FM2), or 150 (FM3) g fishmeal/kg silage dry matter. Twelve calves were allocated to each of treatments C and FM3 and six to treatments FM1 and FM2. Half of the calves on each treatment were ear-implanted with oestradiol-17β (Compudose 365) at the start of the experiment. The calves on treatments C and FM3 were slaughtered after 75 days and chemical analysis conducted on half of each carcass. The silage had an organic-matter digestibility in vivo of 0·794 and was well-fermented, with a pH of 3·7. Intake averaged 24·2±0·42 g D.M./kg LW over all the treatments and live-weight gain was 0·77 kg/day on the silage alone. There was a significant (P < 0·05) interaction between fishmeal and oestradiol-17β, such that response to the hormone was observed only in the presence of fishmeal at 100 or 150 g/kg silage D.M. A similar interaction was apparent between fishmeal at 150 g/kg silage D.M. and oestradiol-17β in the final weights of empty body and carcass. This level of fishmeal also increased protein gain from 96 to 147 g/day and this was further increased to 179 g/day in the implanted animals receiving fishmeal. However, the overall effect of oestradiol-17β on protein gain was not significant. Gross efficiency of energy utilization was significantly (P < 0·01) increased by fishmeal supplementation suggesting an improved balance of nutrients compared with the silage alone diet.

Intake and live-weight gain by British Friesian calves offered different ratios of dried grass and concentrates

1975 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Protein Concentrate ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
The Third ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Matter Digestibility ◽  
Daily Gain

SUMMARYFour experiments were carried out with calves offered pellets containing different ratios of cereal/protein concentrate and dried grass together with 10% chopped hay. Organic matter digestibility of total ration declined by 5·2 percentage units for each 25% increment of dried grass.Dry matter (DM) intake of the total ration increased as dried grass content increased from 0 to 50% which led to similar intakes of digestible organic matter (DOM) and daily gain. When pellets contained 75% dried grass, total DM intakes were reduced in two experiments, leading to DOM intakes and daily gains similar to that of calves offered pellets of dried grass only. In the third experiment, DM intake of pellets containing 75 % dried grass was greater than the intake of pellets containing 50 to 100 % dried grass. When equal quantities of DM were offered, DOM intakes and daily gains tended to decline linearly as dried grass content in the pellet increased. The replacement value of the dried grass for concentrate at equal levels of live-weight gain was 1·36: 1.

The performance of early-weaned calves offered concentrates or artificially dried grasses

1974 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Matter Basis

SUMMARYIn two experiments dried grass cobs or concentrate were offered to calves for 20 weeks after weaning. In Experiment 1 the grasses were harvested in the autumn and in Experiment 2 in the spring. Within each experiment three grasses differing in quality and two levels of concentrate were compared.Dry-matter intake of the dried grasses highest in digestibility was lower than that of medium digestibility grass, and hardness of package, palatability and mould infestation were implicated as possible causal factors.Live-weight gains by calves were closely correlated with digestible organic matter (DOM) intake. There was no significant difference between spring harvested grasses and concentrate in efficiency of utilization of DOM for live-weight gain but autumn grasses were used less efficiently than concentrate. At similar rates of gain the replacement value (dry-matter basis) of dried grass for concentrate averaged 142: 1.

The growth of young cattle fed on dried grass alone and with barley 1. Feed intake, digestibility and body gains

1971 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Lonsdale ◽  
E. K. Poutiainen ◽  
J. C. Tayler
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Physical Form ◽  
Productive Potential

SUMMARY1. The primary growth of a sward of S24 perennial ryegrass was harvested between 23 April and 9 May 1968, artificially dried and either chopped or coarsely milled. The two physical forms of grass were wafered either alone or together with 50% by dry weight of rolled, anaerobically stored barley, and given to 7-month-old, Hereford × British Friesian steers in an experiment of 2 × 2 factorial design.2. A representative group of animals was slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment, and the remainder were individually fed ad libitum for 70 days, after which they also were slaughtered. During the feeding period digestibility was determined by total faecal collection from all the animals individually on two occasions.3. Dry-matter intake and live-weight gain were similar on all feeds. The weight of gut contents as a percentage of final live weight was significantly lower and the carcass-weight gain was significantly higher for animals given wafers containing barley compared with those for animals given wafers of grass alone.4. Coarse milling compared with chopping reduced the apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, cellulose and energy; the addition of barley increased the digestibility of organic matter but further reduced that of cellulose.5. The efficiency of conversion of digested energy to empty-weight or carcass gain was similar for wafers containing the two forms of forage, but the digested energy of wafers containing barley was converted to carcass weight with significantly greater efficiency than that of wafers consisting solely of grass.6. Physical separation of the tissues of sample joints failed to show any significant differences in the proportion of fat, muscle and bone as a result of either differences in physical form or the inclusion of barley.7. The results indicate that live-weight gain is an insufficiently sensitive measurement by which to assess the true productive potential of feeds given to ruminants in short-term experiments.

The effect of wilting and short-chopping of grass on the subsequent voluntary intake of silage, and live-weight gain of calves

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. England ◽  
M. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Butyric Acid ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Forage Harvester

ABSTRACTFour silages were prepared from perennial ryegrass. Half the crop was picked up soon after mowing and the remainder left to wilt for 24 h. Half the unwilted and half the wilted grass was chopped by a forage harvester with its normal complement of knives; the remainder was chopped by a forage harvester with all but two of its knives removed. The ensiled material was offered ad libitum for 80 days as the sole food to 32 British Friesian male castrates initially 14 weeks of age and 111 kg live weight.Wilting raised silage dry-matter content by 31 g/kg fresh weight and gave lower concentrations of acetic acid whilst short chopping gave lower butyric acid. Concentrations of acetic acid, butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen were high on all treatments. Organic matter digestibility was significantly increased by wilting (P < 0·001) and significantly depressed by chopping (P < 0·001). There was no response in dry-matter intake to short chopping, but wilting raised daily intake from 18·4 to 19·9 g silage dry matter per kg live weight (P < 0·001). Live-weight gain was increased from 0·42 to 0·46 kg/day by short chopping (P < 0·05) and from 0·40 to 0·48 kg/day by wilting (P < 0·01)

Cereal processing and food utilization by sheep 2. A note on the effect of feeding unprocessed barley, maize, oats and wheat on food utilization by early-weaned lambs

1974 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
C. Fraser ◽  
I. McHattie
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Effect Of Feeding

SUMMARYAn experiment was carried out with 64 lambs to determine the digestibility and efficiency of food utilization of barley, maize, oats and wheat when they were offered whole and loose, or roughly ground and pelleted.Apparent digestibilities of the organic matter (%) for the four cereals in the order given above were 81·1, 84·3, 69·9 and 82·7 for the whole and 77·2, 82·1, 67·5 and 86·6 for the ground and pelleted grains. The corresponding live-weight gains (g/day) were 340, 345, 241 and 303, and 347, 346, 238 and 323. The corresponding conversions of dry matter (kg) to live-weight gain (kg), over the growth period from 15 to 35 kg weight, were 2·75, 2·52, 3·07 and 2·97 and 2·79, 2·62, 3·33 and 2·56.

Effects of Actinidia yellowing ringspot virus on the yield and quality of kiwifruit

Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wu ◽  
Yicheng Wang ◽  
Jiaxiu Sun ◽  
Yuling Liu ◽  
SHRESTHA SUJATA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Ringspot Virus ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Total Acid ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Acid Ratio

China is the origin and distribution center of kiwifruit, as well as the country with the largest cultivated area and output of kiwifruit. A previous study found that a new kiwifruit virus, Actinidia yellowing ringspot virus (AYRSpV), has been detected in kiwifruit samples with yellowed leaves. The incidence of this virus was high in kiwifruit plantings in Shaanxi Province. To determine the symptoms of this viral infection and the effects of this virus on the yield and quality of kiwifruits, we measured leaf chlorophyll levels and the fruit yield, total sugar, total acid and dry matter contents of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruits grafted with AYRSpV-infected scions. The results showed that after AYRSpV infection, symptoms including chlorotic ringspots were mainly observed in the spring and gradually recovered with high summer temperatures. A few of the leaves that did not recover showed symptoms of albinism, which lasted until the leaves fell. We found that AYRSpV infection could reduce the chlorophyll content of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit by 74.61-76.64%, the fruit yield by 14.50-24.10%, the sugar to acid ratio by 50.09-50.57%, and the fruit dry matter content by 1.67-1.78%. Our results showed that AYRSpV infection could significantly affect the yield and quality of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit.

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