Effect of diets differing in the ratio of nolassed sugar beet feed to barley and yeast culture on growth and rumen metabolism of sheep

Author(s):  
Y. Rouzbehan ◽  
J.A. Rooke ◽  
H. Galbraith ◽  
J.G. Perrott

The efficiency of conversion of Metabolisable Energy into live weight gain by growing sheep may be improved by the partial substitution of fibrous diets with barley. This effect is associated with a reduction in the ratio of acetate to propionate in rumen fluid. Previous studies (Galbraith et al. 1988, 1989) have investigated responses of lambs to combinations of molassed sugar beet feed (MSBF) and barley and found a ratio of 0·75:0·25 MSBF:barley to be as effective as 0·25:0·75 when the diets were ground and pelleted.The incorporation of the yeast culture product, Yea-sacc, has been associated with increases in the concentrations of propionate in the rumen and variable growth responses in ruminants. The objectives of the present study were to investigate diets for finishing lambs which differed in the ratios of pelleted shreds of MSBF and barley and the effects of supplementation with Yea-sacc on growth, rumen metabolites and the physical properties of the diets.

1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Rouzbehan ◽  
H. Galbraith ◽  
J. A. Rooke ◽  
J. G. Perrott

Twenty-eight Suffolk-cross male castrated lambs aged 7 to 8 months, initial live weight 36 (s.e. 149) kg were given four diets which contained unground pelleted molassed sugar-beet pulp and rolled barley (940 g/kg, fresh weight basis) in the following proportions either A, 0·8 to 0·2 or B, 0·5 to 0·5, with 60 g soya-bean meal per kg. Diets A and B were offered with or without a yeast culture product Yea-Sacc. Diets zvere offered twice daily to appetite with 100 g hay per head. Yeast culture had no effect on any measurement made (P > 0·05). Lambs given diet B consumed more dry matter (DM), grew faster and had superior food conversion efficiencies (all P < 0·01). Rumen fluid taken 3 h after feeding contained higher concentrations of ammonia (F < 0·01), total volatile fatty acids (F < 0·001) and acetic acid (F < 0·001) in samples from lambs given diet A. Rumen fluid samples collected before the 10·00 h meal, produced more gas from diet A than diet B after 6 and 24 h in vitro incubation (F < 0·001) suggesting the presence of more undigested food. When ground diets were incubated, more gas was produced from diet A after 6h (F < 0·05) but not after 24 h fP > 0·05). It is suggested that diet B supported faster growth of the lambs as a result of faster rate of digestion, higher DM intake and superior food conversion.


1963 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Blaxter ◽  
R. S. Wilson

SUMMARY1. The energy value of three hays cut at three stages of maturity was. measured by calorimetric methods and, in addition, the amounts of the hays consumed voluntarily by sheep were measured. Voluntary intake was alsa measured when 200, 500, 800 and 1,200 g. of pelleted concentrates were given.2. The metabolisable energy values of the three hays measured at the-maintenance level were 2·45, 2·26 and 2·16 kcal./g. for cuts 1, 2 and 3-respectively (cut 1 being the earliest). The net energy values for fat production were 0·96, 0·85 and 0·68 kcal./g. respectively.3. The apparent digestibility of the hays fell with increasing intake, but supplementation with concentrates increased their apparent digestibility.4. The voluntary intake of the hays given as the sole food was 70, 62 and 57 g./kg. W0·73 for the three cuts, respectively. When concentrates were given in increasing amounts, the intake of cuts 2 and 3 increased to maxima of 65 g. and 64 g./kg. W0·73 respectively and thereafter declined. With cut 1, intake of hay declined even with the smallest intake of concentrates. Voluntary intake of the hays was maximal when the protein content of the whole ration was 8·5%.5. When no supplement was given the digested energy per sheep per day supplied by cut 1 was 64% greater than that supplied by cut 3. When 800 g. concentrates were given, however, the ration including the early cut of hay provided only 2% more energy than that including the late cut.6. It is shown that if hay were given as the sole food cut 3, which produced 57% more weight of crop per acre, would provide 38% more metabolisable energy/acre and 11% more net energy (starch equivalent)/acre than would cut 1. The late cut would also enable 92% more sheep to be kept feeding to maximal appetite on an acre of produce. However, the total live-weight gain per acre would be only 25% of that obtained with thefirstcut.7. Comparable calculations have been made for the experiments in which concentrates were given. It is shown that here too optimal times of cutting can only be assessed in terms of estimates of animal production.


1986 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. V. Williams ◽  
C. S. Stewart ◽  
A. Macdearmid ◽  
A. Brewer

ABSTRACTThe effects of level of supplemental carbohydrate from turnips and level of rumen degradable nitrogen on bacterial cellulolysis, food intake, live-weight gain and diet digestibility were examined with 36 300-kg Friesian steers allocated, in a randomized-block design, to one of six dietary treatments: (i) sodium hydroxide treated straw plus a supplement of urea (30 g urea per kg straw dry matter (DM)) (uO); (ii) uOplus turnips (23·5 g DM per kg M0·75); (Hi) uOplus a high level of turnips (47 g DM per kg M0·75); (iv) (v) and (vi), the same three diets, but with additional urea (60 g urea per kg straw DM). In two separate experiments each lasting for 56 days, the turnip allowance was given in either two feeds, or one feed per day and the straw was given to appetite. Rumen fluid was obtained by stomach tube from all steers before feeding (07·30 h) and after feeding (11.00 h) on days 10 and 24 of each experiment.Weight gains for all groups given straw plus turnips were high (> 0·90 kg/day). Increasing the quantity of turnips gave significantly increased DM intakes and weight gains but then turnips substituted for straw, and the proportion of straw consumed decreased from 0·8 to 0·6 of the dietary DM (P< 0·01) There were no significant interactions between frequency of feeding of turnips and level of urea on the variables food intake and weight gain. Fibre digestibility was not depressed by the addition of turnips to the diet. Rumen fluid pH decreased after the steers ate turnips but tended to remain above 6·7. There were no large changes in the total number of viable cellulolytic bacteria as a result of either addition of urea or turnips to the diet; counts remained in the order of 107 per ml. Steers consumed large quantities of sodium hydroxide treated straw; turnips were therefore only a small proportion of the overall DM intake with relatively little effect on bacterial cellulolysis.


1978 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. Cuthbert ◽  
W. S. Thickett ◽  
P. N. Wilson ◽  
T. Brigstocke

ABSTRACTSixty-four British Friesian castrated male cattle (steers) with an average starting weight of 292 kg and an average slaughter weight of 460 kg were used to compare compound diets containing 0, 10, 20 or 30% NaOH-treated straw. A basic diet of 1·8 kg hay, 1·8 kg barley straw and sugar beet pulp, on a scale rising from 1·4 to 2·8 kg according to live weight, was given throughout the trial. Compound diets were individually offered on a scale starting at 3·8 kg rising to 5·8 kg with an average intake of 4·9 kg/day. Treatments did not differ significantly in respect of live-weight gain, which ranged from 0·94 kg/day with the control to 0·97 kg/day with the 30% NaOH-treated straw compound. The grading of the animals, based on the Meat and Livestock Classification scheme, also showed no significant difference.A second trial with a further 64 British Friesian steers tested inclusion levels of 0, 30,45 and 60% treated straw in a compound diet. At the start of the trial, the cattle averaged 328 kg live weight and were slaughtered from 450 kg live weight. Animals were yarded in store condition and were given a combination of grass silage and compound diets according to a scale, based on live weight and a predicted performance of 1 kg live-weight gain per day. There were no significant differences between treatments in live-weight gain, which ranged from 0·97 kg on the control to 1·02 kg/day on the 45% NaOH-treated straw diet. There was some refusal on the 60% NaOH-treated straw diet in respect of twice daily allocations, with a few cattle on occasions not being able to consume the allowance in the 30 min provided. However, each feed allocation was always consumed before the next meal. There were no significant differences between treatments in respect of fat class, but cattle on the 45% treated-straw diet had statistically superior conformation compared with the control.


1978 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Broster ◽  
T. Smith ◽  
J. W. Siviter ◽  
E. Schuller ◽  
Valerie J. Broster

SUMMARYFive experiments were made to observe the effect on nitrogen (N) utilization by young cattle of supplements of sucrose, glucose monohydrate (dextrose), and maize starch when added to basal diets of concentrates and straw. The supplements provided about 12% of the total intake of air-dry food. Twenty-four yearling Friesian heifers were used in each of two randomized block experiments to measure live-weight gain, and 6, 10 and 10 yearling Friesian steers in three changeover design experiments to measure N retention.Rates of live-weight gain and N retention were increased by all the supplements amongst which no order of superiority in benefit conferred could be established. The improvement in N retention was associated with a marked reduction in urinary N and a small increase in faecal N with supplemented rations.The proportions of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in rumen fluid were not affected by starch supplementation. Both sugars, but glucose more than sucrose, decreased the ratio of acetic to propionic acid, measured 2 h after feeding.Statistically significant multiple linear regression equations were observed between N retained and intakes of N and digestible organic matter (DOM), both as absolute amounts with live weight as a further independent variate, and as intakes/unit metabolic body size. N2and DOM × N as additional variates did not benefit the fit of the equations over the range of intakes studied.


1979 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67
Author(s):  
Liisa Syrjälä ◽  
Esko Poutiainen

Twelve bulls within the age period 113—294 days were used in an experiment in which the effect of formaldehyde treatment of protein on the live weight gain and feed utilization was studied. Their rations were a combination of a protein concentrate mixture, barley, mineral and vitamins according to nutrient requirements for a growth rate of 1000 g/animal/day. Oats and barley straw was available ad libitum. In the experimental group the protein concentrate mixture was treated with formaldehyde, 0,88 g/100 g crude protein, whereas in the control group it was untreated. The proportion of treated protein was 45 % of the total protein in the diet. The study involved feeding trials, digestibility and nitrogen balance trials, and rumen fluid investigations. The live weight gain of the bulls in the experimental group was 10 % better than that of the control group. The amount of feed used per kg live weight gain was 8 % less in the former group than in the latter. The differences in both cases were, however, not significant (P > 0,05). The differences in the digestibility and nitrogen balance and in the pH, ammonia and VFA concentrations of the rumen fluid between the groups were small and insignificant (P > 0,05).


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. J. van Houtert ◽  
R. A. Leng

AbstractEighty castrated male lambs were allocated to either an initial slaughter group (no. = 16) or one of eight treatment groups (no. = 8). Ammoniated barley straw was offered ad libitum. This was supplemented with sodium (Na) propionate (0 or 20 g/day), formaldehyde-treated casein, (protected casein, 0 or 50 g/day) and/or calcium (Ca) salts of long-chain fatty acids (Ca soap, 0 or 30 g/day), as a factorial design. Measurements were made of food intake, live-weight gain and wool growth, rumen fluid parameters and changes in body composition over a period of 155 days.Food intake (g dry matter per kg live weight) was lower in the groups supplemented with Ca soap and Na propionate. Fleece-free live-weight gain was increased by supplementation with protected casein and Ca soap, but was not affected by Na propionate. Supplementation with protected casein increased wool yield. Adjusted means for water, protein and ash content of the body (adjusted to mean fleece/digesta-free body weight at slaughter of 27·1 kg) were affected significantly by the second-order interaction between the supplements. Adjusted body water and protein mass were lower when Na propionate was given alone or with Ca soap and protected casein. Fat mass tended to be higher under those conditions. Supplementation with Ca soap increased adjusted fat and gross energy contents and decreased adjusted protein and water mass. Supplementation with protected casein decreased total body fat and increased adjusted protein mass in the body. The partitioning of water, protein, fat, ash and energy between the carcass and non-carcass residues was affected to a small extent also. These results demonstrate interactive effects of the supplements used, on nutrient partitioning in lambs offered straw-based diets.


1996 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. El Hassan ◽  
C. J. Newbold ◽  
I. E. Edwards ◽  
J. H. Topps ◽  
R. J. Wallace

AbstractFour groups each of eight Limousin × Friesian bulls, average weight 344 kg, were offered individuallyad libitumdiets comprising: 920 g rolled barley, 50 g cane molasses, 15 g urea and 15 g minerals/vitamins mix per kg or 867·5 g rolled barley, 50 g cane molasses, 7·5 g urea, 60 g soya-bean meal and 15 g minerals/vitamins mix per kg, plus or minus yeast culture (YC, 1·5 kg/t) (all weights fresh weights), until slaughter (460 kg). Rumen samples were obtained by stomach tube. YC decreased rumen ammonia concentrations (116·7, 56·0, 74·3, 45·7 (s.e.d. 19·40) mg/l for barley/urea, barky/urea/YC, barley/soya-bean meal and barley/soya-bean meal/YC, respectively). This was associated with increases (P < 0·05) in both the total number of bacteria (2·3, 4·2, 3·5, 6·8 (s.e.d. 1·06) × 109per ml, respectively) and the protein content of rumen fluid (7·7, 9·6, 8·7, 9·0 (s.e.d. 0·59) g/l, respectively). However, the flow of microbial protein from the rumen as estimated from the appearance ofpurine derivatives in the urine was unaffected (131, 130, 129, 147 (s.e.d. 12·6) g N per day, respectively). Thus although the animals responded to the undegradable rumen protein supplied by the soya-bean meal there was no significant response in live-weight gain with YC (1·28, 1·31, 1·42, 1·48 (s.e.d. 0·081) kg/day, respectively).


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