647. Winter feeding of dairy cows: IV. The influence of four levels of concentrate feeding in addition to a basal ration of grass products on the production obtained from milking cows

1957 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Holmes ◽  
D. Reid ◽  
D. S. MacLusky ◽  
R. Waite ◽  
J. N. Watson

1. An experiment is described which assessed the effects on the production obtained from milking cows, of feeding a concentrate with a starch equivalent of 64 at four levels (0, 2, 4 and 6 lb./gal. of milk produced), in addition to a basal ration with limited amounts of hay and dried grass and with silage fed ad lib.2. The total daily dry-matter intake of the cows increased from 2·2 to 2·7% of the live weight as the rate of concentrate feeding was increased from 0 to 6 lb./gal., despite a reduction in the amount of roughages consumed.3. For each increase of 1 unit in silage dry-matter percentage, there were increases of from 1·18 to 0·42 lb. of silage bry-matter intake per cow per day as the level of concentrate feeding increased. For each increase of 1 lb. in silage dry-matter intake there was an increase of l lb. in total dry-matter intake per cow per day.4. The average daily milk yield per cow increased from 22·2 lb. when no concentrates were fed to 27·6 lb. when 6 lb. concentrates were fed per gallon of milk produced. This is an increase of 0·9 lb. milk/lb. increase in starch equivalent intake. A significant difference in response was found between higher yielding and lower yielding groups of cows. The higher yielding group gave an increase of 1·1 lb. and the lower yielding group only 0·6 lb. milk/lb. increase in starch-equivalent intake.5. At the general level of feeding and of milk yields obtianed in this experiment, no evidence of diminishing returns in milk production was detected when the rate of concentrate feeding was increased.6. The content of solids-not-fat in the milk rapidly increased from 8·3% when no concentrates were fed to 8·6% when 4 or 6 lb. of the concentrates were fed per gallon of milk produced.7. When concentrates were fed at the rate of 0 and 2 lb./gal. declines in live weight as well as in the yield and solids-not-fat content of the milk were noted, while at 6 lb./gal. there was an unnecessary gain in live weight. It is concluded, therefore, that with the particular animals and roughages used in this experiment, the optimal level of concentrate feeding was 4 lb./gal.

1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Milne ◽  
E. F. Thomson ◽  
R. C. Campling

SUMMARYTwo experiments were conducted to compare the milk-producing value of dried forages in the form of cobs and pellets as replacements for a standard dairy concentrate. Four levels (0·33, 0·44, 0·55 and 0·66 kg/kg milk) of dried forage or standard dairy concentrate were offered in addition to a basal ration of 6 kg hay and 2 kg standard dairy concentrate. In both experiments the rate of eating by the cows of cobs was significantly slower (P<0·05) than that of pellets. No significant difference was found between the cobs and pellets in either experiment in their value for milk production. In Experiment 2 the standard dairy concentrate had a non-significantly higher (P>0·05) milk-producing value than the dried lucerne. Level of feeding had a significant positive effect on the milk yield (P< 0·001) of cows offered the dried grass and lucerne and on the milk solids- not-fat content (P<0·05) and live weight (P<0·01) of cows offered the dried grass, lucerne and standard dairy concentrate.


1953 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Dodsworth ◽  
W. H. McK. Campbell

1. A feeding trial is described including four groups of cattle fed on grades I, II and III silages and on swedes, straw and oats respectively.2. The live-weight gains made are recorded, together with the rate of dry-matter intake.3. The efficiency of the dry matter of the diets was calculated.4. All three grades of silage produced a significantly greater rate of fattening than swedes plus straw and oats. There was no significant difference between the fattening values of the three grades of silage.5. The dressing percentages found for 100 silagefed and 71 swede-fed cattle are given. The swedefed cattle yielded a greater average dressing percentage.6. It is suggested that the higher dressing percentage found for root-fed cattle as compared with silage-fed cattle can be attributed to the more rapid elimination of dietary water from the body in rootfed cattle.7. An animal behaviour study is described, the time spent by cattle on the four diets, eating, cudding and lying down, being determined.8. Cattle fed on grass silage spent longer on feeding plus cudding than swede-fed cattle.9. An experiment is described designed to determine the effect of the dry-matter percentage of the diet on the dry-matter intake of ruminants.10. The results indicate that when ruminants are subsisting on a diet consisting solely of succulents, the dry-matter intake is depressed when the dry-matter percentage of the diet falls.


1969 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Forbes ◽  
A. M. Raven ◽  
J. H. D. Irwin

SummaryAn experiment was carried out in which young beef cattle were given diets containing different levels of coarsely milled (1 in screen) barley straw. The proportions of straw used were 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 % and the performance of animals on these diets was compared with that of similar animals on an all concentrate diet. Each diet was given ad libitum to six animals. There was a significant linear decline in live-weight gain with increasing straw intake, the rate of decline being 0·62 ± 0·133 kg per week for each 10 % increase in the level of straw in the diet. The dry matter conversion ratio increased linearly with increasing straw intake, the rate of increase being 0·65 ± 0·186 units for each 10 % increase in straw in the diet. Dry matter intake was significantly (P < 0·001) affected by the proportion of straw in the diet. Although dry matter intake increased to a maximum at a level of 18·8% straw in the diet there was no significant increase in the intake of digestible organic matter (DOMI). There was a significant (P < 0·001) linear decline of 0·19 ± 0·04 kg DOMI with each 10% increase in straw in the diet. There was a significant linear decline in chilled carcase weight to the extent of 5·7 ± 0·096 kg for each 10% increase in straw. The killing-out percentage based on unfasted live weight declined significantly as the percentage of straw in the diet rose from 20 to 30%. However, when the killing-out percentage was calculated on the basis of live weight at slaughter less rumen contents there was no significant difference between treatments.


2016 ◽  
Vol 155 (4) ◽  
pp. 657-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. EGAN ◽  
M. B. LYNCH ◽  
D. HENNESSY

SUMMARYThe current experiment was undertaken to investigate the effect of including white clover (Trifolium repensL.; WC) into perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenneL.; PRG) swards (PRG/WC) receiving 250 kg nitrogen (N) per hectare (ha) per year compared with PRG only swards receiving 250 kg N/ha/year, in an intensive grass-based spring calving dairy production scenario. Forty spring-calving cows were allocated to graze either a PRG/WC or PRG sward (n= 20) from 6 February to 31 October 2012. Fresh herbage was offered daily (17 kg dry matter (DM)/cow) supplemented with concentrate in times of herbage deficit (total supplementation 507 kg/cow). Pre-grazing herbage mass (HM), sward WC content and milk production were measured for the duration of the experiment. Herbage DM intake was estimated in May, July and September. Pre-grazing HM (±s.e.) was similar (1467 ± 173·1 kg DM/ha) for both treatments, as was cumulative herbage production (14 158 ± 769 kg DM/ha). Average WC content of the PRG/WC swards was 236 ± 30 g/kg DM. The PRG/WC cows had greater average daily milk yield and milk solids yield from June onwards. Cumulative milk yield and milk solids yield were greater for the PRG/WC cows compared with the PRG cows (5048 and 4789 ± 34·3 kg milk yield/cow, and 400 and 388 ± 1·87 kg milk solids/cow, respectively). Cows had similar DM intake in all measurements periods (15·1 ± 0·42 kg DM/cow/day). In conclusion, including WC in N-fertilized PRG swards increased milk production from cows grazing the PRG/WC swards compared with PRG, particularly in the second half of the lactation.


1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. MacPherson ◽  
F. W. H. Elsley ◽  
R. I. Smart

SUMMARY1. Forty-five Large White gilts were given 2·20 kg daily of a diet containing 14·0% crude protein during three successive pregnancies. During a 6-week lactation they received 5·30 kg daily of one of three diets containing 19·0% (HP), 16·5% (MP) or 14·0% (LP) crude protein.2. Daily milk yield was estimated on the 10th, 20th, 30th and 40th day of lactation. Milk samples were obtained from the same sows for the determination of protein, fat, lactose and total solids on the 11th, 21st, 31st and 41st day.3. One sow and litter from each treatment in each lactation was placed in metabolism cages during lactation and estimates of nitrogen and dry matter excretion obtained.4. As the concentration of protein in the diet decreased the average 42-day gain in litter weight from birth increased significantly in the first lactation. This trend continued in the second lactation although it was not significant but did not appear in the third.5. There was no marked difference in daily milk yield between treatment groups.6. There was a significantly greater loss of live weight by the sows on the lower levels of protein in the first lactation. These differences were not significant in the second and third lactations.


2008 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Kramer ◽  
E. Stamer ◽  
K. Mahlkow ◽  
W. Lüpping ◽  
J. Krieter

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Muftau ◽  
B. S. Malami ◽  
S. A. Maigandi ◽  
H. A. Gwandu

The study was conducted to investigate the performance of Uda rams fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Camel's foot pod meal (CFPM). Sixteen (16) entire male Uda rams with an average initial weight of 30+0.0kg were allotted into four (4) dietary treatments in a Complete Randomized Design. Four (4) experimental concentrate diets were compounded with CFPM replacing soya bean meal at 0, 20, 40 and 60% levels of inclusion representing diets 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The concentrate diets were offered to the animals at 1.50% of their body weight and concentrate feeding was adjusted on weekly body weight basis while rice straws were served ad libitum as basal diet. At the end of the 12 weeks feeding trial, a digestibility trial was conducted which lasted 21 days using three animals from each treatment. Parameters measured were dry matter intake, live weight changes, feed to gain ratio and nutrients digestibility. Results showed that the organic matter content of the diet containing 40% CFPM was highest compared to other diets. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in dry matter intake and live weight changes among the treatments. The dry matter intake was higher in treatment 2 (993.02g) than in treatment 1 (932.32g) likewise the live weight changes was higher in treatment 4 (36.25kg) than treatment 1 (34.00kg). The feed to gain ratio ranged from 17.62 in treatment 4 to 25.42 in treatment 2. Nutrients digestibility increased with increasing level of CFPM in the diets. The DM, CP and ash digestibility were higher (p>0.05) in treatment 4 compared to the control treatment while the ADL was also higher (p<0.05) in treatment 4 than the control treatment. The optimum weight gain (36.25kg) and efficient utilization (17.92) was achieved at 60% inclusion level of CFMP. Therefore, Piliostigma reticulatum pods can serve as a potential fodder feed resource for ruminant fattening programme.


1974 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Marsh

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lais Belan ◽  
Fabíola Cristine de Almeida Rego ◽  
Filipe Alexandre Boscaro de Castro ◽  
Camila Cano Serafim ◽  
Marta Juliane Gasparini ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of replacing oat hay with coffee husk for the feeding of confined lambs. In this study, 24 male Texel lambs of approximately 60 days of age and with a mean ± standard error weight of 21.95 ± 5.81 kg were examined. Their diet was composed of 30% oat hay and 70% concentrated feed per kilogram of dry matter. The experimental design was randomized and included four treatments (0, 7.5, 15, and 22.5% of coffee husk in the total dry matter), with six replicates of each treatment. The animals were slaughtered when they reached a mean live weight of 32 kg. There was no significant difference in dry matter intake and mean daily weight gain (which were 197 g day-1) among treatments. The mean daily weight gain (DWG) was not significantly affected (P > 0.05) by the replacement of oat hay with coffee husk in the diet, with the overall mean DWG being 215.05 g day-1. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) among treatments in any of the studied carcass variables, and the mean true carcass yield was 53.9%. The lambs presented a mean finishing score of 2.96 (on a scale of 1 to 5) and a conformation of 4.21 (on a scale of 1 to 6), characterizing them as good carcasses. In terms of economic viability, the 7.5% diet stood out as the one that had the highest profitability, generating a profit of $ 3.25 USD per kg of carcass produced. Coffee husk can therefore replace oat hay in the feed of finishing lambs in concentrations of 0.075 to 0.225 kg kg-¹ of total dry matter with biological and economical efficacy and generating good commercial carcasses.


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