Exploration and design of alternative feeding systems for livestock in the tropics by integrative system approaches

Forage trees are commonly used in the tropics as supplementary feed for ruminants. However, during the dry season where grass is of poor quality, many trees also shed their leaves and are no longer available. Adequate strategies are to be evaluated to allow forage trees to be introduced into feeding systems as good quality supplements along the year. Silage might be an adequate technology if the resultant product allow similar animal performance as those achieved using commercial concentrate as supplement, but few studies have been conducted with forage tree silages. The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate intake, digestibility and microbial-N synthesis of diets supplemented with grains or forage tree silage.

Download Full-text

Incorporating leucaena into goat production systems

Tropical Grasslands - Forrajes Tropicales ◽

10.17138/tgft(7)173-181 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 173-181

Author(s):

Frances C. Cowley ◽

Romana Roschinsky

Keyword(s):

Milk Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Silvopastoral Systems ◽

Systems Research ◽

Keynote Paper ◽

The Tropics ◽

Worm Control ◽

Farming Systems Research ◽

Feeding Systems

Keynote paper presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.The integration of leucaena into goat production systems in the tropics and subtropics is reviewed. Goats are well adapted to leucaena, and able to be productive on diets containing up to 100% leucaena as a result of bacterial and hepatic detoxification. Incorporation of leucaena into goat production systems can improve liveweight gains, milk production, worm control and reproduction. Successful feeding systems for goats can be based on both grazed silvopastoral systems and cut-and-carry intensive systems, although there is a lack of farming systems research examining the integration of leucaena into goat production systems, or documentation of the practicalities of these practices.

Download Full-text

Development of feeding systems and strategies of supplementation to enhance rumen fermentation and ruminant production in the tropics

Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology ◽

10.1186/2049-1891-4-32 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Metha Wanapat ◽

Sungchhang Kang ◽

Sineenart Polyorach

Keyword(s):

Rumen Fermentation ◽

The Tropics ◽

Feeding Systems

Download Full-text

Feeding, Muscle and Packaging Effects on Meat Quality and Consumer Acceptability of Avileña-Negra Ibérica Beef

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9070853 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 853

Author(s):

Marta Barahona ◽

Mohamed Amine Hachemi ◽

José Luis Olleta ◽

María del Mar González ◽

María del Mar Campo

Keyword(s):

Proximate Analysis ◽

Consumer Acceptability ◽

Modified Atmosphere ◽

Geographical Indication ◽

Maize Silage ◽

Alternative Feeding ◽

Water Holding ◽

The Eu ◽

Feeding Systems

In order to achieve an attractive and differentiated product for the consumer and to optimize and to maximize profitability for the farmers within the EU Protected Geographical Indication “Carne de Ávila”, 24 yearling males of Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed were used to evaluate the effect of 2 feeding systems, concentrate (CON) and maize silage (SIL), and 2 packaging systems, vacuum (VAC) and modified atmosphere (MAP), on fatty acid composition, proximate analysis, water holding capacity and consumer acceptability of meat in 2 muscles: Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Semitendinosus (ST). Animals fed with concentrate showed higher carcass weight. However, feeding did not affect the proximate analysis of the meat. The use of maize silage improved the amount of conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and the relation n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA. In LT muscle, feeding influenced texture, samples from SIL being more tender. The VAC packaging showed higher cooking losses than MAP in both muscles. Aging increased tenderness and cooking losses but decreased thawing losses. LT samples from SIL feeding were better accepted by consumers and VAC packaging showed higher scores than MAP. We can conclude that the use of maize silage could be an alternative feeding for this type of animals improving some aspects of the quality of the meat.

Download Full-text

Consumer Acceptance of Beef Produced Under Alternative Feeding Systems

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s0081305200015582 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 31-35

Author(s):

Alvin R. Schupp ◽

Thomas D. Bidner ◽

Nancy C. Clark

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

World War Ii ◽

Large Scale ◽

The United States ◽

Consumer Acceptance ◽

World War ◽

High Quality ◽

Cattle Feeding ◽

Alternative Feeding ◽

Feeding Systems

Much of the beef produced and sold in the United States before World War II was from grass- or limited grain-fed cattle. However, development of the modern large-scale cattle feeding industry in the 1950s and 1960s greatly increased supplies of grain-fed beef and, by the early 1970s, many American consumers found only USDA Choice beef from heavy, grain-fed cattle in supermarkets. Consumers soon became conditioned to the flavor, juiciness, and tenderness of high quality, well-marbled beef. Proponents of forage or limited grain finishing systems found little support at any marketing level.

Download Full-text