scholarly journals A comparison of the effect of forage type and level of feeding on the digestibility and gastrointestinal mean retention time of dry forages given to cattle, sheep, ponies and donkeys

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Pearson ◽  
R. F. Archibald ◽  
R. H. Muirhead
Keyword(s):  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Acid Detergent Fibre ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Hind Gut ◽  
Gut Fermentation ◽  
Made In

Four cattle, sheep, ponies and donkeys were fed dehydrated lucerne, early-cut hay, later-cut hay or barley straw in a Latin square-based design for four periods of 35d. In the first sub-period animals were fed the diets ad libitum (1–21d) and in the second sub-period they were fed the same diet restricted to 0·75 of ad libitum intake (days 22–35). Measurements of forage intake, apparent digestibilities and gastrointestinal mean retention times (MRT) were made in the last 7d of each sub-period. Differences between species in voluntary DM intake (VDMI; g/kg live weight LW)0·75 and g/LW) were greatest on the lucerne and least on barley straw. Cattle VDMI (g/kg LW0·75) compared with intake of the other species was > ponies > sheep > donkeys on lucerne. On barley straw VDMI (g/kg LW0·75) of cattle compared with intake of the other species was = donkey = ponies > sheep. VDMI of hays were intermediate between the lucerne and straw forages. Apparent digestibilities of DM, organic matter (OM), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) and acid-detergent fibre (ADF) of the lucerne and hays were higher in the ruminants than in the equids. Effect of feeding level was not significant. Gastrointestinal MRT was shorter in the equids than in the ruminants. On straw diets donkeys showed similar apparent digestibilities of feed components to those of the cattle, whilst apparent digestibility of the straw diet by the ponies was lowest. Results are discussed in relation to evolutionary differences in feeding and digestion strategy associated with fore- or hind-gut fermentation in ruminants and equids.

Effect of offering three amounts of maize stover to dairy cows on intake and selection

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 85-85
Author(s):  
J. N. Methu ◽  
E. Owen ◽  
A. Abate ◽  
M. Scarr ◽  
J. Tanner
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Leaf Sheath ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Maize Stover ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Friesian Cows

Several studies with barley straw (e.g. Wahed et al, 1990) and sorghum stover (e.g. Osafo, 1993) have shown improvements in intake with increasing ‘ad libitum’ amounts offered. Furthermore, these studies have demonstrated that sheep and goats offered barley straw or sorghum stover in long, unprocessed form, increase intake by selecting for leaf and leaf sheath, and against stem. This phenomenon offers a simple feeding strategy to use selective feeding behaviour to improve intake and hence production. The aim of the present experiment was to study the effect of offering increasing amounts of long maize stover on intake and selection by dairy cows.Six, early- to mid-lactation Ayrshire and Friesian cows (live weight, M, 430 kg) were used in a double 3x3 Latin square design with 24-day (d) feeding periods. Cows were offered long (unchopped) maize stover at low, medium or high ‘ad libitum’ rates, i.e. 31, 59 or 87 g dry matter (DM)/kg M.d. Cows also received 3.2 kg DM/d of cotton seed cake (339 g/kg DM crude protein) in two meals at milking (0700 h and 1800 h). Stover was offered in one meal daily, at 0700 h, after collecting refusals from the previous day. Amounts of stover offered and refused were weighed daily. Samples of offered stover (0.5 kg) and refused stover (0.5 kg) were analysed for DM daily. All refused stover and 4.0 kg samples of offered stover were botanically fractionated, daily, into stem (S), leaf (L), sheath (Sh) and husk (H). Milk yield was recorded daily and cows weighed at the start and end of each period.

A note on the influence of a supplement of barley and dried lucerne on the intake of barley straw by cattle

1976 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. J. Horton ◽  
W. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Protein Content ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Total Organic Matter ◽  
Crude Protein Content ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Concentrate Level

SUMMARYSix castrated male cattle of 350 kg live weight were used in an incomplete Latin square design to measure intake and digestibility of barley straw offered ad libitum alone and with 5 levels, 1·5 to 7·5 kg/day, of a barley and dried lucerne concentrate. Straw intake declined and total organic-matter intake increased linearly with increasing concentrate level. On average 1 kg additional organic matter as concentrate, increased total organic-matter intake by 0·68 kg. There was no evidence that the crude protein content of the whole diet affected straw consumption.

Response of urinary purine derivatives to urea supplementation of sodium hydroxide treated straw

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 121-121
Author(s):  
J.A. Guada ◽  
J. Balcells ◽  
J. Gasa ◽  
A. de Vega
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Excretion ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Purine Derivatives ◽  
Deficient Diet ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Experimental Treatments

Since in ruminants urinary excretion of purine derivatives is related to duodenal absorption of purines (Fujihara et al.1987;Giesecke et al.1984), it may be a valuable index to identify nutritive constraints limiting rumen fermentation and microbial synthesis.In the present experiment, the response in the urinary excretion of purine derivatives to urea supplementation of a N deficient diet was studied to test the validity of the above assumption.Five Rasa Aragonesa ewes rumen cannulated and 38, 9±2, 52 Kg mean live weight, were offered “ad libitum” OHNa treated barley straw (50 g/Kg DM) ground and pelleted.Five experimental treatments including four levels of urea supplementation(6.5, 13, 19.5 and 26 g/d) plus a negative control were arranged in a 5x5 latin square design,allowing 14 days of adaptation between experimental periods.The urea was given by continuous infusion to the rumen at a flow rate of 0.92 ml/mn during 18 h per day starting after feeding.

A note on the performance and management of calves reared on cold acidified milk replacer fed ad libitum

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. S. Thickett ◽  
N. H. Cuthbert ◽  
T. D. A. Brigstocke ◽  
M. A. Lindeman ◽  
P. N. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Milk Powder ◽  
Skim Milk ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Skim Milk Powder ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Milk Replacer ◽  
Bull Calves ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Dry Food

ABSTRACTResults are presented from six trials dealing with aspects of management on the cold ad libitum system of calf rearing using an acidified milk replacer containing over 600 g skim milk powder per kg.Thirty-six calves were housed in pens of six for each trial and were fed through a teat and pipeline from a storage barrel. Acidified milk replacer, pH 5·6, was mixed cold at 125 g/1 and made available ad libitum to 3 weeks. A rationed allowance was given daily, on a reducing scale, over the following 2 weeks with weaning completed at 35 days. A pelleted dry food containing 180 g crude protein per kg, together with water in buckets and barley straw in racks, was available ad libitum throughout. Each trial lasted 8 weeks. Results for the mean of the six cold ad libitum trials involving 216 calves were compared with the mean results of 10 conventional bucket-fed trials carried out separately at the same unit, involving 912 calves. All calves were purchased British Friesian male (bull) calves.Calves on the ad libitum system showed improved live-weight gains of 9·4 kg at 3 weeks, 8·8 kg at 5 weeks and 7·5 kg at 8 weeks, compared with the conventional system. The consumption of milk replacer powder was higher in ad libitum trials at 29·4 kg cf. 12·5 kg by bucket but intake of pelleted dry feed was lower on the ad libitum system at 50·7 kg cf. 71·3 kg to 8 weeks. Calf appearance scores were significantly improved on the ad libitum system which gave the main improvement in performance in the first 3 weeks.

The effect of ammonia treatment on the intake of straw and hay when offered with rations of concentrates to ewes in late pregnancy

1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher ◽  
V. C. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Ammonia Treatment ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Forage Intake

ABSTRACTFinnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes were offered 300, 600 or 900 g fresh weight per day of concentrates and forage ad libitum from day 105 of pregnancy until lambing. Spring barley straw (S) or hay (H) was offered either untreated (U) or following treatment with anhydrous ammonia in an oven (T). Organic matter digestibilities (in vitro) were 0·42, 0·58, 0·42 and 0·60 and nitrogen contents were 7·2, 18·6, 12·0 and 25·0 g/kg dry matter for US, TS, UH and TH respectively. Forage intake did not differ between ewes carrying two or more foetuses but the small number of ewes carrying one foetus ate more straw (6·8 v. 4·5 g organic matter (OM) per kg live weight) than ewes carrying two or more foetuses. Ammonia treatment increased intake; the increase was larger on straw (4·6 v. 100 g OM per kg live weight) than on hay (9·0 v. 10·7 g OM per kg live weight). Replacement rates of forage by concentrates were -0·21, +0·06, -0·48 and +0·08 kg forage per kg concentrates for treatments US, TS, UH and TH respectively; only the value for treatment UH differed significantly from zero. On most treatments forage intake decreased as pregnancy progressed and the declines were greater when treated forages were offered. Concentrate level had a large effect on most aspects of ewe performance. Ewes offered treated forage gained slightly more weight in pregnancy (138 v. 104 g/day), had a slightly smaller decrease in body condition score (-0·54 v. -0·68) between day 105 and lambing but did not have greater lamb birth weights than ewes on untreated forage.

A comparison of the nursing and suckling behaviour of group- and individually-housed sows and their litters

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Bryant ◽  
P. Rowlinson ◽  
H. A. M. Van der Steen
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTNursing frequency, suckling duration and teat order were recorded in 12 ‘hybrid’ sows and their litters from parturition to weaning at day 42 post partum. Sows and their litters were moved from the farrowing quarters at day 20; half were housed as a group (G) and fed ad libitum with a boar present and the other half were housed individually (S) with no boar present and ration-fed to scale.Some differences occurred in behaviour from day 20. A significantly greater number of false nursing periods, significant synchronization of nursing periods, and a tendency for more long and short nursing intervals occurred in G than S sows and litters. The duration of the preliminary nosing phase and the total nursing period were significantly longer in S than G litters. Teat order scores, indicating consistency of piglet suckling position on the sow, tended to be greater in S than G litters, and there was a fall in the score for G litters in the weeks following grouping. This was associated with a check in live-weight gain.All G sows showed oestrus during lactation, on average 15 days after grouping. There was no incidence of lactational oestrus in the S sows which showed oestrus 5 days after weaning.

Growth and herbage consumption of grazing Merino and Border Leicester lambs reared by their mothers or fostered by ewes of the other breed

1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Langlands
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

SUMMARYEight Border Leicester castrated male lambs (wethers) were fostered on to 8 Merino ewes (MB) at birth, and 10 Merino wethers were fostered on to Border Leicester ewes (BM). Two additional groups of 10 wethers consisted of Border Leicester lambs (BB) and Merino lambs (MM) reared by their natural mothers. The lambs and ewes grazed together and growth rate, and milk and herbage consumption of the lambs were recorded.Live-weight gains to weaning at 74 days were 275, 245, 204 and 184 g/day for groups BB, MB, BM and MM respectively. Lambs reared by Border Leicester ewes received more milk and consumed less grass than lambs of similar genotype reared by Merinos, but BM lambs consumed less milk than BB lambs. Merino lambs also consumed less grass than Border Leicester lambs.It was concluded that Merinos grew more slowly than Border Leicester lambs primarily because of their lower voluntary food intake. The lower milk production of Merino ewes was considered to be of secondary significance since if herbage is available ad libitum, lambs with high voluntary intakes will compensate for the lack of milk by consuming more forage.

Effects of urea and saccharose on intake and digestion of a Digitaria decumbens hay by black belly sheep

1999 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Archimède ◽  
G. Aumont ◽  
G. Saminadin| ◽  
E. Deprès ◽  
P. Despois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Ruminal Bacteria ◽  
Digitaria Decumbens ◽  
Acid Detergent Fibre ◽  
Kinetics Of

AbstractEffects of incorporation of urea and saccharose in diets, on intake and digestion by sheep of a 35-day-old pangola (Digitaria decumbens) hay, have been studied according to a 4 × 4 Latin-square design. Sixteen rams were given four diets: hay (C); hay plus urea (U, 23 g/kg hay); hay plus saccharose (S, 60 g/kg hay), hay plus urea and saccharose (SU). Acid-detergent fibre and crude protein (CP) content of the roughage were 395 and 78 g/kg dry matter (DM) respectively. Intake of hay (g DM per kg live weight0.75), supplemented with urea and sugar (42⋅9), was lower (F < 0.05) than with other diets (47.2, s.e. 1.6). The organic matter (OM) total tract and ruminal digestibility of the diet C, S, U and SU were 0.622, 0.590, 0.615 and 0.587 (s.e. 0.007); 0.361, 0.380, 0.378 and 0.345 (s.e. 0.015) respectively. Effective degradation and nylon bag kinetics of DM degradation were higher with U and SU compared with S or C. Few differences were observed between diets for ruminal concentration of volatile fatty acids. The ruminal ammonia concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) for the diets with urea than without urea (78 v. 215 mg/l). The efficiencies of the microbial synthesis (g nitrogen per kg OM fermented in the rumen) were, 23.6, 22.4, 24.9 and 29.3 (s.e. 1.7) for the diets C, U, S and SU respectively.Even though additional urea increased nitrogen availability for ruminal bacteria, urea supplementation did not affect significantly intake or digestion of the pangola hay of medium CP content used in this experiment.

Digestibility and gastro-intestinal transit time of diets containing different proportions of alfalfa and oat straw given to Thoroughbreds, Shetland ponies, Highland ponies and donkeys

1995 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cuddeford ◽  
R. A. Pearson ◽  
R. F. Archibald ◽  
R. H. Muirhead
Keyword(s):  
Transit Time ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Intestinal Transit ◽  
The Other ◽  
Intestinal Transit Time ◽  
High Fibre ◽  
Acid Detergent Fibre ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Oat Straw ◽  
Food Residues

AbstractA series of 4 × 4 Latin-square digestibility trials was carried out to determine whether there were any differences between different types of equid in their ability to digest diets containing different levels of fibre and protein. The equids (Thoroughbreds, Highland ponies, Shetland ponies and donkeys) were offered one of four molassed diets in turn and these contained different proportions of alfalfa and oat straw: 1·0:0, 0·67:0·33, 0·33:0·67, 0:1, respectively. The apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) were estimated. The rate of passage of the different diets was measured using Cr-mordanted fibre (Cr-fibre) and Co-ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid.All animals digested the components of the high-fibre diets less well than those of the low-fibre diets (P < 0·001 for DM, OM, GE, CP and ADF). Donkeys digested fibre more effectively than the other equids (F < 0·01 for ADF and NDF). The gastro-intestinal transit time of the high fibre diets was significantly less than that for the low fibre diets (P < 0·001) and donkeys retained food residues longer than the other equids (P < 0·01).

The effect of barley supplements on the voluntary intake and digestion of low quality roughages by sheep

1979 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Lamb ◽  
J. Eadie
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acid ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Molar Proportion ◽  
Rumen Ph ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acid Concentration ◽  
Acid Detergent Fibre ◽  
Oat Straw ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake

SummaryOat straw, timothy straw and two field-cured hays (43·8, 47·3, 52·0 and 56·0% organic matter digestibility (OMD) and 0·56, 0·75, 1·00 and 1·41% N respectively) were fed ad libitum together with 0, 235, 470 and 705 g D.M. of rolled barley to 5-year-old North Country Cheviot wethers in four 4x4 Latin square designs (Expt 1). In an attendant study (Expt 2) of conditions with in the rumen four rumen fistulated wethers were offered daily 0, 200, 400 and 600 g D.M. of rolled barley with ad libitum hay (54·3% OMD, 1·45% N), also following a Latin square design.The voluntary intake of two of the hays (54·3 and 56·0% OMD) decreased progressively as the barley increased. Intakes of the other roughages were slightly increased when the lowest amount of barley was fed. For each roughage total organic-matter intake and the OMD of the ration increased progressively with increasing amount of barley consumed. No associative effects of barley on the OMD of the roughages were demonstrated. The acid-detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility of diets comprising the highest amount of barley with the oat straw and the field-cured hay of lowest N content were significantly lower than that of the respective all-roughage feeds. In Expt 2 the intake of increasing amounts of barley significantly reduced rumen pH, the molar proportion of acetic acid and the disappearance of hay and hay ADF from terylene bags within the rumen, while volatile fatty acid concentration and the molar proportion of butyric acid increased.Multiple regressions were obtained relating the change in roughage intake to the amount of barley fed and the digestibility and chemical composition of the roughages. The equation with the least error, explaining 88% of the variation, was Y= 30·561 — 0·615C — 21·453N±3·69, where Y is the change in roughage intake as a percentage of the intake of roughage fed alone, Cis barley intake as g OM/W0·73 and N is the nitrogen content of the roughage.

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