Effect of age, abomasal cannulation and rumen catheterization on intake and site of digestion by early-weaned lambs

1990 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Cruickshank ◽  
D. P. Poppi ◽  
A. R. Sykes ◽  
A. S. Familton

SUMMARYThe voluntary food intake, in vivo digestibility and site of nutrient digestion was measured in 12 Polled Dorset ram lambs, from 6 to 24 weeks of age, offered clover hay. Lambs were weaned at 6 weeks of age. Six were fitted with a permanent T-shaped cannula in the abomasum and a temporary rumen catheter during the periods of digesta flow measurement.Surgical modification of lambs did not influence intake (g/kg live weight (W) per day), in vivo digestibility or marker retention time in the rumen. However, intact lambs grew significantly faster than cannulated lambs (139 v. 109g/day, P < 0·05) apparently because of an overall higher cumulative intake over the whole experimental period rather than any change in efficiency of use of nutrients or maintenance requirement.Relative to live weight, intake increased rapidly until c. 10 weeks of age and remained relatively constant at c. 37 g DM/kg W per day for the remainder of the experiment. Age had no effect on in vivo digestibility of organic matter (OM) or neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (average 0·69).The proportion of digestible organic matter apparently digested in the rumen (DOMADR) decreased from 0·63 to 0·47 between 8 and 24 weeks of age whilst intake between these measurement periods increased. Nonammonia N (NAN) flow past the abomasum was similar at all ages in relation to digestible organic matter intake (55·1 g NAN/kg DOMI) but was higher at 16 and 24 weeks of age than at 8 and 12 weeks of age, respectively, in relation to organic matter apparently digested in the rumen (OMADR) (116 and 85 g NAN/kg OMADR, respectively, P < 0·05).Fractional outflow rate of digesta markers from the rumen, when estimated from abomasal digesta, was significantly higher than when estimated from faeces (103Ru-p 0·121 v. 0·09; 51Cr-EDTA 0·169 v. 0·111/h; P > 0·05).It was concluded that cannulation did not affect intake and digestion characteristics in these young lambs. The changes in the site of nutrient digestion as the animals aged may have been due to agerelated changes in digestive function but appeared to be associated with the increase in intake that occurred between measurement periods of the cannulated lambs.

1979 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Aston ◽  
S. R. Daley ◽  
J. C. Tayler

ABSTRACT1. Thirty lactating British Friesian heifers and cows were individually given maize silage ad libitum containing 331 g dry matter/kg, 13 g nitrogen and 11·2 MJ of metabolizable energy per kg dry matter. Urea or aqueous ammonia was mixed in at the time of feeding to give 7·0 g nitrogen per kg silage dry matter. Urea-treated silage was given with concentrates at a high (mean 6·6 kg dry matter/day: treatment HU) or a low (mean 3·3 kg:treatment LU) level of feeding; the lower level only was given with ammonia-treated silage (treatment LA).2. The addition of ammonia raised silage pH values from 3·9 to 4·4. Silage dry-matter intakes in lactation weeks 7 to 22 for treatments HU, LU and LA were 8·8, 11·1 and 10·7 kg/day.3. Digestible organic matter content in the dry matter of the diets measured in vivo was not significantly affected by treatment. However, digestible organic matter intakes were significantly greater for treatment HU than for LU in weeks 7 to 10, and for LU than for LA in weeks 11 to 22.4. The yields of milk and the contents of protein, lactose and energy did not differ between treatments. The milk yields for treatments HU, LU and LA in weeks 7 to 22 were 20·2,19·2, 18·8 kg/day respectively. Fat content of milk was significantly depressed with the HU treatment for heifers in weeks 7 to 10. The live-weight changes of the cows in weeks 7 to 22 for treatments HU, LU and LA were +0·10, −0·07 and −0·37 kg/day; the live-weight loss by cows given treatment LA was significantly greater than for LU. The live-weight change of the heifers was not affected by treatment.


1976 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Tayler ◽  
K. Aston

SUMMARY1. Young adult and adult British Friesian female cattle (heifers and cows) which were lactating were individually fed on diets of grass silage ad libitum with supplements of dried grass, dried grass/barley or barley/groundnut in two randomized block experiments.2. In Experiment I, equal quantities of dry matter (DM) as dried grass in the form of a wafer (W), cob (C) or pellet (P) were given with the silage during weeks 8 to 18 of lactation, to three groups of 12 heifers. Silage DM intakes were respectively 14·2, 14·3 and 15·8 ± 0·43 g/kg live weight per day (P<0·05). Milk yields were 14·0, 15·6, 16·7 ± 0·35 kg/day (P< 0·001). Milk composition and live-weight change did not differ significantly.3. In Experiment II, five treatment groups of heifers and cows were offered silage with equal amounts of a supplement of either dried grass pellets (treatment 1) or dried grass/barley in the ratios of 2: 1 (treatment 2), 1: 2 (treatment 3), or a barley/groundnut supplement (treatment 4). In treatment 5 the cattle received the same supplement as in treatment 4, but at a 10% higher level. Silage DM intakes for treatments 1 to 5 during lactation weeks 6 to 22 were 8·64, 8·94, 7·96, 6·96, 7·63 kg/day (1, 2>4, P<0·01; 2>5, P<0·05). The intake of digestible organic matter, milk yields and live-weight changes over the whole experimental period were not influenced significantly by treatments 1 to 4, but in treatment 5 the milk was significantly higher in fat, protein and energy content than in treatments 1 to 4. Blood composition was normal and did not differ markedly between treatments.


1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 41-41
Author(s):  
A.T. Adesogan ◽  
E. Owen ◽  
D.I. Givens

Estimates of the metabolisable energy (ME) content of whole crop wheat (WCW) derived using measured energy losses as methane (ELMm) are lacking due to the cost of measuring ELMm. Published ME values of WCW are largely calculated using predicted energy losses as methane (ELMp, Blaxter and Clapperton, 1965) or digestible organic matter content (DOMD) in vivo. However, there appears to be no published information about the accuracy with which DOMD in vivo or ELMp predicts the ME content of WCW. Therefore, this study assessed the validity of such ME predictions by comparing them with ME contents calculated using ELMm.


1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gill ◽  
D. E. Beever ◽  
P. J. Buttery ◽  
P. England ◽  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
...  

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.


1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
KS Nandra ◽  
VH Oddy ◽  
JF Ayres ◽  
PJ Nicholls ◽  
B Langevad ◽  
...  

The relations of the laboratory measurement of cell wall organic matter (CWOM) components and of the in vitro degradability characteristics of CWOM with in vivo digestibility and voluntary intake for high quality white clover were investigated. The voluntary intake, apparent digestibility and apparent rumen retention time of CWOM of white clover harvested at various stages of maturity were measured in rumen-cannulated Merino wether sheep. The in vitro degradability characteristics of CWOM of these diets were also measured. This study has quantified strong predictive relations between structural fibre constituents or degradation parameters and both digestibility and intake for white clover. The CWOM, cellulose and hemicellulose contents and potential degradability of CWOM of the white clover predicted in vivo organic matter digestibility with good precision (r2 = 0.74, 0.67, 0.72 and 0.72 respectively). The voluntary intakes of organic matter and digestible organic matter of the white clover were strongly related to CWOM, cellulose and hemicellulose contents and to the rate of degradation of CWOM in the rumen and the fits of these relations were at least as good as those predicting organic matter digestibility. The predictive equations based on CWOM: OMD (g/kg) = 97.6-0.081 (� 0.012) CWOM OMI (g/kg) = 83-0.085 (� 0.018) CWOM DOMI (g/kg) = 71.4-0.098 (� 0.015) CWOM are recommended because of the ease of analysis of CWOM in the laboratory.


1975 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. Oyenuga ◽  
F. O. Olubajo

SUMMARYThe organic-matter intake and the digestibility of grazed tropical pasture mixtures were assessed by the chromic oxide-faecal organic matter-nitrogen technique in five digestion trials. The pasture treatments were designated as: H, Cynodon nlemfuensis var. robustus in a mixture with the legumes Centrosema pubescens and Stylosanthes gracilis; J, Pennisetum purpureum in a mixture with the two legumes in H; K, treatment J plus Panicum maximum; L, a mixture of all the grass and legume species in treatments H, J and K.The mean organic-matter digestibility of the herbages was determined in indoor digestion trials during the experimental period and varied from approximately 60·0 ± 1·73% to 62·7 ± 4·18% in treatments K and H respectively, with treatments J and L falling between these two values. The mean digestibility of the herbage as grazed, however, was approximately 66·8 ± 1·72, 69·7 ±7·68, 67·1 ± 4·40 and 67·4 ± 4·15 % for treatments, H, J, K and L respectively.The estimated mean intake of organic matter was somewhat lower, while that of the digestible organic matter was appreciably lower than those reported for animals of corresponding live weights in temperate countries. Grazed pastures were better digested by 4·1 digestibility units in treatment H, by 7·1 in both J and K, and by 5·3 units in L, compared with the indoor digestion trials.More intensive studies are still needed to warrant any justifiable conclusion as to whether the low intake of herbage by tropical cattle is due primarily to the high crude fibre and the low nutritional values of the pastures, or to the inherent capacity of the animals conditioned to grazing poor·quality pastures.


1982 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Sriskandarajah ◽  
R. C. Kellaway

SUMMARYEffects of treating wheat straw with caustic soda solution and of providing a cottonseed meal supplement were studied with 40 Friesian heifers (280 kg live weight) in individual pens. Responses were measured in terms of food intake, growth rate and food conversion ratio.Wheat straw was coarsely-milled and fedad libitum, untreated (U) or alkali-treated (T); both types of straw were supplemented with urea and minerals. Half the animals on each type of straw were fed 500 g cotton-seed meal (C/day.Straw intake was higher with T than with U (P< 0·01) and unaffected by the cotton-seed meal supplement, being 4·53, 4·71, 6·58 and 6·56 kg/day on treatments U, UC, T and TC respectively. Alkali treatment and the cotton-seed meal supplement improved live-weight change (P< 0·001), being –6, 189, 334 and 495 g/day respectively.In vivodigestible organic matter in the dry matter, calculated from lignin ratios, was 59, 60, 64 and 64 respectively.Rumen VFA concentrations were significantly higher, molar proportions of acetic acid lower, propionic andn-butyrie acids higher in animals on T than on U. Plasma urea and rumen ammonia concentrations were lower on treatment T than on U.It was concluded that wheat straw which is coarsely-milled, NaOH-treated and sprayed with urea and minerals provides sufficient nutrients to allow cattle to grow and that additional gain obtained by feeding cotton-seed meal was predictable in terms of its energy contribution to the diet.


1973 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. I. Robinson ◽  
W. Brown ◽  
I. A. M. Lucas

SUMMARYPregnant Welsh Mountain ewes were kept over winter on a hill. All were penned individually, either in a shed or out of doors. In Experiments 1 and 2 different levels of digestible organic matter (DOM) were given in each environment and in Experiment 3 only a single level was offered. In Experiment 2 all ewes were grazed together after lambing; in Experiment 3 some from each treatment were moved to a shed after lambing and their milk yields recorded between 10 and 15 days later.In a fourth experiment on low land, pregnant ewes were either housed or kept in an exposed or a sheltered paddock. All were grazed together after lambing.The results indicated that the requirement of indoors penned sheep to maintain body weight and produce a single lamb is 9·5 g DOM/kg live weight per 24 hr at 16 weeks pre-partum, rising to 15·0 g DOM/kg live weight per 24 hr at 1 week pre-partum. A 10% weight loss during pregnancy would be expected in ewes receiving 75 to 80 % of these requirements. Low intakes during pregnancy reduced wool growth and lamb birth weights.Outdoor exposure reduced pre-partum ewe weight by about 1·5 kg, and so was equivalent to a 10% reduction in daily DOM intake. The magnitude of this effect was not changed significantly by level of feeding. Exposure did not affect wool growth and its influence on lamb birth weight and growth was variable.


1981 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Doney ◽  
R. G. Gunn ◽  
J. N. Peart ◽  
W. F. Smith

ABSTRACTScottish Blackface ewes in uniform, good, body condition at mating were differentially fed during pregnancy, such that two groups lost 0·15 to 0·20 (groups A and B) and one group gained 0·05 (group C) of maternal live weight by lambing time. The treatments had little effect on the number of lambs born per ewe lambing (1·39, 1·46 and 148 respectively).Prior to parturition, group A was transferred to a poor hill pasture, and groups B and C to an improved upland reseeded pasture. Herbage intake by six single- and six twin-suckling ewes from each group was estimated in the 3rd, 6th and 8th week after parturition, and mean daily milk production was estimated on 1 day following each intake measurement period. Herbage intake by six dry ewes in each of groups A and B was also estimated.There were significant differences amongst groups A, B and C, respectively, in mean organic matter digestibility of the herbage consumed (0·701, 0·771 and 0·773), mean daily digestible organic-matter intake (1·06, 1·46 and 1·46kg), mean live-weight change over the period ( –2·9, +5·4 and +l·3kg) and mean daily milk yield (0·64, 1·93 and 1·95 kg).By the following mating time, after grazing the same pasture from weaning, there was still a difference in body condition score according to pasture type during lactation (2·08, 2·36 and 2·29, respectively). Ovulation rate measured after mating was consistent with the direct effect of body condition (1·34, 1·56 and 1·52, respectively).


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1149-1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. B. MANDELL ◽  
G. I. CHRISTISON ◽  
H. H. NICHOLSON

Duodenal digesta, ileal digesta, and feces were collected from steers fed diets containing 50% barley grain, 50% brome-alfalfa hay. These were composited over days 1–3, 4–6 and 1–6 of each experimental period. Acid detergent lignin and chromic oxide were used as digestibility markers. Three- or six-day collection intervals did not affect the estimate of organic matter digestion in the forestomach, small or large intestine, and total tract. Differences (P < 0.05) in estimates of nutrient digestion between 3-d collection periods occurred for neutral detergent fiber in the forestomach and crude protein in the small intestine. Key words: Collection interval, partitioning of digestibility, markers, cattle, gastrointestinal tract


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