The effect of supplementing grass silage with molasses and/or a mineralised fishmeal on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 122-122
Author(s):  
D. G. Chapple ◽  
H. F. Grundy ◽  
K. P. A. Wheeler ◽  
S. P. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Cane Molasses ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Finishing Beef Cattle

In forage-based intensive beef production systems supplementary feedingstuffs are generally required to optimise live-weight gain and to ensure adequate finish. Information on the feeding of molasses alone or molasses in conjunction with supplementary protein, in grass silage-based beef cattle diets is limited.To evaluate the effect of replacing barley with molasses and/or mineralised fishmeal when fed with ad libitum grass silage to finishing beef cattle.Daily supplements of 2.0 kg of rolled barley + 50 g minerals (B), 0.5 kg mineralised fishmeal (F), 2.0 kg cane molasses + 0.5 kg mineralised fishmeal (MF) or 2.5 kg cane molasses + 50 g minerals (M).

Effect of animal size on the response in the performance of beef cattle to an improvement in silage quality

1982 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
W. A. McIlmoyle
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Silage Quality ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Animal Size

ABSTRACTTwo experiments have been carried out to examine the interaction between animal size and the response in animal performance to an increase in the digestibility of grass silage. In experiment 1, grass silages harvested during July and August after regrowth intervals of 43 and 85 days were offered ad libitum both unsupplemented and supplemented with 2 kg of concentrates per head per day to British Friesian steers of (±s.e.) 170±1·9, 300±2·9 and 420±3·6 kg initial live weight. Earlier cutting did not affect silage dry-matter intake or live-weight gain but increased carcass gain by 0·12kg/day (P<0·01).In experiment 2, early-cut grass silage, made from two regrowths of perennial ryegrass, which were harvested during July and August after regrowth intervals of 43 and 48 days, and late-cut silage, made from a single regrowth, which was harvested in August after a regrowth interval of 90 days, were offered ad libitum to 84 Hereford-cross steers of (±s.e.) 170±3·4, 300±4·4 and 420±5|·2kg initial live weight. Earlier cutting increased silage dry-matter intake by 340 g/kg, live-weight gain by 0·23 kg/day and carcass gain by 0·18 kg/day (P<0·001). It i s concluded that increasing the digestibility of grass silage by cutting grass at an earlier stage of growth is likely to produce a substantial increase in the daily carcass gain of beef cattle and that the response to higher digestibility is as great with mature cattle as with young, growing animals.

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.

A comparison of wheat and barley as supplements to grass silage for beef cattle

1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Beef Breed ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
Soyabean Meal ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Finishing Beef Cattle

Two randomised-block experiments have been carried out to examine the relative feeding value of wheat and barley as supplements to grass silage for finishing beef cattle. In each experiment unwilted, formic acid-treated silage was offered ad libitum and supplemented with 500 g soyabean meal and 50 g minerals and vitamins to 44 twelve month old bulls for 157 and 172 days in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. In addition 12 animals received 2.5 kg rolled spring barley (LB), 12 received 4.0 kg barley (HB) and 20 received 3.25 kg rolled wheat (W). Silage was offered once daily and concentrates twice daily in two equal meals.Eleven British Friesian bulls and thirty-three bulls which were Friesian x Continental beef breed were used in each experiment. They were initially 402 and 385 kg live weight in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. In both experiments the animals were housed and fed in groups of four in slatted pens. All animals were slaughtered at the end of the experiments to obtain carcass data.

Beef production from silage 3. The effect of supplements of hay and dried grass on the performance of beef cattle

1983 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
R. M. Tetlow ◽  
B. G. Gibbs ◽  
Margaret Gill
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Ad Libitum

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.

Efficiency of food utilization and carcass characteristics of steers marketed at different weights

1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hironaka ◽  
B. H. Sonntag ◽  
G. C. Kozub
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
High Weight ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Backfat Thickness ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Slaughter Weight ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTHereford and Charolais x Hereford steer calves were given an all-concentrate diet ad libitum. The Hereford steer calves were marketed at about 400, 440 and 475 kg live weight. The Charolais x Hereford steer calves were marketed at about 525, 570 and 610 kg. For each kg increase in slaughter weight of Hereford steers, the digestible energy required per unit live weight gain increased by 0·024 (s.e. 0·009) MJ, the killing-out proportion increased by 0·22 (s.e. 0·08) g/kg, and the backfat thickness by 0·004 (s.e. 0·002) cm. The area of m. longissimus increased by 0·245 (s.e. 0·037) cm2 and 0·139 (s.e. 0·048) cm2 for Hereford and Charolais X Hereford steers, respectively, for each kg increase in carcass weight. Among Hereford steers, mean backfat thickness as indicated by carcass grade scores (score of 1 to 4 as backfat increases) at the two lowest slaughter weights were similar and lower than scores at the high weight. Among Charolais X Hereford steers, the carcass grade was not influenced by slaughter weight. Slaughtering Hereford and Charolais x Hereford steers at light weights does not ensure that all the carcasses will be lean when the cattle are given a high concentrate diet to appetite from weaning to slaughter.

The influence of day length and temperature on food intake and growth rate of bulls given concentrate or grass silage ad libitum in two housing systems

1996 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Mossberg ◽  
H. Jönsson
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Energy Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Day Length ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum

AbstractIn order to study the effect of day length and temperature on performance, data from 495 growing, non-castrated bulls of the Swedish Red and White breed were analysed. Groups of 11 bulls were housed in either an insulated building in pens having slatted floors or in an uninsulated building with pens having both a deep straw bed and a concrete floor. The majority of the bulls (330) were given a concentrate diet ad libitum, while the remainder (165) were given grass silage ad libitum supplemented with concentrate. Energy intake, live-weight gain, housing temperature, day length and change in day length were calculated as 14-day period means for the two housing systems. Regression analyses showed that live-weight gain was associated with increasing day length in bulls on both feeding treatments. For bulls given concentrate ad libitum, metabolizable energy intake was associated with increasing day length. The intake of heavier animals was more influenced by day length than that of those which were lighter. The seasonal influence on daily energy intake in bulls given silage did not show the same pattern as for bulls given concentrate ad libitum. The intake was highest in June and lowest in December for the bulls given concentrate but for the bulls given silage it was highest in August, September and October and lowest in March and April. This was due to the varying quality of the grass silage over the year. No effect or very little effect of temperature or housing system on energy intake or on weight gain was found.

A comparison of two-cut and three-cut systems of silage making for beef cattle using two cultivars of perennial ryegrass

1984 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Factorial Design ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Friesian Cattle

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.

A note on red clover silage for cattle finishing

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Day ◽  
R. D. Harkess ◽  
D. M. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTTrials were carried out over two winters to compare red clover and grass silage for cattle finishing.The silages were mixed to give rations containing 0,25,50,75 or 100% red clover dry-matter and were offered ad libitum to individually fed British Friesian-type steers. Significant differences in dry-matter intake occurred but the effect of silage type on animal performance was not significant. Barley supplementation had a significant effect on both total dry-matter intake and daily live-weight gain.

An evaluation of red clover silage for beef production

1982 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
W. A. McIlmoyle
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTTwo experiments have been conducted to compare wilted, formic acid-treated red clover and unwilted, formic acid-treated grass silages for beef production, and to examine the effects of digestibility of red clover and level of concentrate supplementation on food intake and animal performance.In experiment 1, 12 groups of four British Friesian steers (initial live weight 229 kg) were given red clover silages of high and low dry-matter digestibility (0·70 and 0·60 respectively) and grass silage (0·71) ad libitum for a period of 11 weeks. Silage dry-matter intake and live-weight gain for the steers given red clover of high digestibility, red clover of low digestibility and grass silages were 7·75, 0·89; 6·91, 0·69; and 5·59, 0·59 kg/day respectively.In experiment 2, 12 groups of four British Friesian steers (initial live weight 332 kg) were given red clover silage with a dry-matter digestibility of 0·63 and grass silage with a value of 0·76 ad libitum, either unsupplemented or supplemented, with 2 kg/day of fortified barley per head for a period of 19 weeks. Silage dry-matter intake, live-weight gain and carcass gain were 8·52, 0·63, 0·32 and 6·98, 0·78, 0·43 kg/day for the unsupplemented and supplemented red clover silage treatments, and 6·82, 0·59, 0·31 and 5·75, 0·75, 0·44 kg/day for the unsupplemented and supplemented grass silage treatments respectively. The performance of the cattle offered red clover silage was similar to that of cattle offered grass silage of 0·12 higher digestibility, largely as the result of higher dry matter intakes achieved on red clover silage.

A comparison of two types of fish meal as protein supplements for finishing British Friesian steers given grass silage ad libitum

1984 ◽  
Vol 1984 ◽  
pp. 116-116
Author(s):  
P S Kirby ◽  
J R Outhwaite ◽  
T O Jones
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Compensatory Growth ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Protein Supplementation ◽  
Protein Supplements ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Effect Of Feeding

Fish meal supplementation of grass silage diets has increased the daily live-weight gain of growing beef cattle. However, the live weight advantage at turnout has generally been negated after a period of compensatory growth at grass. Hence, protein supplementation may be economically advantageous with cattle being finished out of yards. The purpose of this experiment was to compare the effect of feeding two types of fish meal on the performance of dairy-bred cattle during the finishing winter of an eighteen-month beef system.

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