scholarly journals Estimation of Energy Expenditure in Breeding Cows Grazing Rangelands with Different Herbage Allowance

Author(s):  
Jimena Gómez ◽  
Alberto Casal ◽  
Martin Do Carmo ◽  
Soledad Orcasberro ◽  
Pablo Soca ◽  
...  

Abstract The energy partitioning between total heat production (HP) and retained energy (RE) on the efficiency of energy use was evaluated throughout the annual production cycle (gestation-lactation) of 46 multiparous beef cows grazing on two herbage allowances (HA) of Campos grassland (4 vs. 7 kg dry matter/kg body weight; BW; LO vs. HI). Total RE was greater (P < 0.01) for HI than LO cows and presented minimum values during early gestation and maximum values during early lactation associated to the greater (P = 0.02) RE-milk in the former ones. Whole-animal HP, estimated by the heart rate-O2 pulse technique, and cow metabolized energy (ME) intake did not differ between HA treatments, but relative to BW0.75, HP was greater (P = 0.04) for LO than HI cows. Total HP and ME intake were minimum in gestation and maximum in early lactation and ME intake was greater during early lactation for HI than LO cows, and per unit of BW0.75, tended (P < 0.10) to be less for HI than LO cows in winter. The energy efficiency of the annual cycle was not affected by treatments (0.19 vs. 0.12 ± 0.02 for HI and LO respectively; P > 0.10) and there were no differences between treatments in terms of grams of calf per MJ of ME intake (P > 0.10). Management of grazing intensity of Campos grasslands with high herbage allowance improved energy balance of the beef cow-calf system through partitioning of cow ME intake towards RE instead of maintenance.

1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Barlow ◽  
K. J. Ellis ◽  
P. J. Williamson ◽  
P. Costigan ◽  
P. D. Stephenson ◽  
...  

SummaryFaecal output of 287 beef cows consisting of Hereford (H × H), Simmental × Hereford (S × H), Friesian × Hereford (F × H) and Brahman × Hereford (B × H) breeding was estimated using controlled release of chromic oxide (Cr2O3). All cows were from 6 to 10 years of age and had grazed on one of three pasture systems in the subtropics of New South Wales since they were 7–8 months of age. These pastures were designated as being of high, medium and low nutritive value. Faecal organic matter output (FOMO) was estimated in each of four periods (early lactation, mid lactation, late lactation, and non-lactating) during one annual production cycle.Herbage mass exceeded 2 t/ha on all pasture systems, but estimates of organic-matter digestibility, nitrogen content and pasture composition indicated large differences in pasture quality (high > medium > low). Live weight of cows averaged 604, 488 and 393 kg live weight on the high, medium and low pastures, respectively. There were significant differences in live weight between genotypes on the medium (B × H > F × H and H × H) and low (S × H ≡ F × H ≡ B × H > H × H) pastures but not on the high pasture).FOMO and dry-matter intake (DMI) differed significantly between genotypes among lactating cows on all pasture systems. Rankings on high pastures were reasonably consistent in all periods: S × H ≡ F × H ≥ B × H ≥ H × H, as were those on low pastures, B × H ≥ S × H ≡ F × H ≥ H × H. Differences on medium pastures were significant only during mid-lactation when B × H ≡ S × H ≡ F × H > H × H. Significant differences between genotypes were observed among non-lactating cows on high pastures only, where H × H ≡ S × H ≡ F × H > B × H. Lactating females had significantly higher FOMO and DMI than non-lactating females when compared across genotypes during early lactation on all pastures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 191-192
Author(s):  
Mikayla F Moore ◽  
Shane Gadberry ◽  
David Lalman ◽  
Frank White ◽  
Sara Linneen ◽  
...  

Abstract Performance benefits of monensin have been extensively studied in finishing and stocker cattle, but considerably less published work is available evaluating response to monensin supplementation in cow-calf production systems. Feed additives are more difficult to study in cow-calf production systems due to unstable diet characteristics and cow physiological state throughout the production cycle. This meta-analysis investigated the impacts of monensin on performance of extensively raised beef cow-calf and developing replacement heifers. The replacement heifer analysis was conducted with a maximum of 48 treatment means in 18 experiments. The mature cow analysis included 21 publications and 26 mean comparisons. The metaphor package (version 2.4-0; Viechtbauer, 2010) for R (version 4.0.3; www.r-project.org) was used to determine the overall effect size of monensin compared to a negative control. Each study’s n, means, and SEM or P-value was used to calculate the mean difference and estimate of within study variance for responses of interest. For replacement heifers, average daily gain (+0.03 ± 0.008 kg/d), feed efficiency (+0.013 ± 0.008 gain:feed), and percentage cycling before the breeding season (+15.9 ± 5.13%) were increased (P &lt; 0.01), while dry matter intake (-4.3%) and age at puberty (-8.9 ± 1.48 d) were decreased (P &lt; 0.01). Six studies reporting ad libitum forage intake for mature cows showed that monensin decreased (P = 0.008) DMI by 0.85 ± 0.322 kg/day. Six studies showed monesin increased (P = 0.01) milk yield 0.39 ± 0.15 kg/day by mature cows in early lactation. There were no differences in artificial insemination pregnancy nor total pregnancy for either the heifer or mature cow data sets. This analysis also indicates potential for use of monensin in beef cow production systems, but further research is needed to elucidate the effects on DMI and milk production in beef cows.


1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Barlow ◽  
K. J. Ellis ◽  
D. J. McLennan ◽  
P. Costigan ◽  
P. H. Hirst

SUMMARYEstimates of dry matter intake reported by Barlow el al. in this journal in 1988 appeared low for grazing beef cows during early lactation. Further estimates for 144 crossbred and Hereford cows at Grafton, NSW, support the contention that the previous estimates for early lactation were biased downward. This appears to have been simply a scale effect as rankings of pastures and cow genotypes remained unchanged, although the magnitude of differences did alter.


Author(s):  
Phillip A Lancaster ◽  
Michael E Davis ◽  
Luis O Tedeschi ◽  
Jack J Rutledge ◽  
Larry V Cundiff

Abstract The beef cow-calf sector accounts for 70% of feed consumed and greenhouse gases emitted for the beef industry, but there is no straightforward method to measure biological efficiency in grazing conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate a mathematical nutrition model to estimate the feed intake and biological efficiency of mature beef cows. Data from dams (N = 160) and their 2 nd and 3 rd progeny (312 pairs) were collected from 1953 through 1980. Individual feed intake was measured at 28-d intervals year-round for dams and during 240-d lactation for progeny. Body weights of progeny were measured at 28-d intervals from birth to weaning, and of dams at parturition and weaning each production cycle. Milk yield of dams was measured at 14-d intervals. Dam ME intake (DMEI) and milk energy yield (MEL) of each cow was predicted using the Cattle Value Discovery System beef cow (CVDSbc) model for each parity. Biological efficiency (Mcal/kg) was computed as the ratio of observed or predicted DMEI to observed calf weaning weight (PWW). Pearson correlation coefficients were computed using corr.test function and model evaluation was performed using the epiR function in R software. Average (SD) dam weight, PWW, DMEI, and observed MEL were 527 (86) kg, 291 (47) kg, 9584 (2701) Mcal/production cycle, and 1029 (529) Mcal, respectively. Observed and predicted DMEI (r = 0.93 and 0.91), and observed and predicted MEL (r = 0.58 and 0.59) were positively correlated for progeny 2 and 3, respectively. The CVDS beef cow model under-predicted DMEI (mean bias = 1120 ± 76 Mcal, 11.7% of observed value) and MEL (mean bias = 30 ± 25 Mcal, 2.9% of observed value). Observed and predicted progeny feed intake were not correlated (r = 0.01, P-value = 0.79). Observed and predicted biological efficiency were positively correlated (r = 0.80 and 0.80, P-value ≤ 0.05) for parity 2 and 3, respectively, and the CVDSbc model under-predicted biological efficiency by 11% (mean bias = 3.59 ± 0.25 Mcal/kg). The CVDSbc provides reasonable predictions of feed intake and biological efficiency of mature beef cows, but further refinement of the relationship between calf feed intake and milk yield is recommended to improve predictions. Mathematical nutrition models can assist in the discovery of the biological efficiency of mature beef cows.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 192-192
Author(s):  
Alice Brandão ◽  
Reinaldo F Cooke ◽  
Kelsey Schubach ◽  
Bruna Rett ◽  
Osvaldo Souza ◽  
...  

Abstract This experiment compared performance and physiological responses of the offspring from cows supplemented with Ca salts of soybean oil (CSSO) or prilled saturated fat (CON) during late gestation. Non-lactating, pregnant Angus × Hereford cows (n = 104) that conceived during the same fixed-time artificial insemination protocol, using semen from 2 sires, were used in this experiment. Cows were ranked by pregnancy sire, body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS). On d 180 of gestation (d -15), cows were randomly assigned to receive (dry matter basis) 415 g of soybean meal per cow daily in addition to 1) 195 g/cow daily of CSSO (n = 52) or 2) 170 g/cow daily of CON (n = 52). Cows were maintained in 2 pastures (26 cows/treatment per pasture), and received daily 12.7 kg/cow (dry matter basis) of grass-alfalfa hay. From d 0 until calving, cows were segregated into 1 of 24 feeding pens thrice weekly and received treatments individually. Cow BW and BCS were recorded, and blood samples were collected on d -15 of the experiment and within 12 h after calving. Calf BW was also recorded and blood sample collected within 12 h of calving. Calves were weaned on d 290 of the experiment, preconditioned for 35 d (d 291 to 325), and transferred to a feedyard where they remained until slaughter. Upon calving, CSSO cows and calves had greater (P &lt; 0.01) plasma concentrations of linoleic acid and total ω - 6 FA compared with CON cohorts. No differences in calf birth BW, weaning BW, and final preconditioning BW were noted (P ≥ 0.36) between treatments. Average daily gain and final BW in the feedlot were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in steers from CSSO cows compared with CON. The incidence of calves diagnosed with BRD that required a second antimicrobial treatment was less (P = 0.03) in calves from CSSO cows, resulting in reduced (P = 0.05) need of treatments to regain health compared with CON (Table 5). Upon slaughter, longissimus muscle area was greater (P = 0.03) in calves from CSSO cows compared with CON. Collectively, these results suggest that supplementing CSSO to late-gestating beef cows stimulated programming effects on postnatal offspring growth and Page 2 of 15 For Peer Review health. Therefore, supplementing late-gestating beef cows with CSSO appears to optimize offspring welfare and productivity in beef production systems.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1822
Author(s):  
Cory T. Parsons ◽  
Julia M. Dafoe ◽  
Samuel A. Wyffels ◽  
Timothy DelCurto ◽  
Darrin L. Boss

We evaluated heifer post-weaning residual feed intake (RFI) classification and cow age on dry matter intake (DMI) at two stages of production. Fifty-nine non-lactating, pregnant, (Study 1) and fifty-four lactating, non-pregnant (Study 2) commercial black Angus beef cows were grouped by age and RFI. Free-choice, hay pellets were fed in a GrowSafe feeding system. In Study 1, cow DMI (kg/d) and intake rate (g/min) displayed a cow age effect (p < 0.01) with an increase in DMI and intake rate with increasing cow age. In Study 2, cow DMI (kg/d) and intake rate (g/min) displayed a cow age effect (p < 0.02) with an increase in DMI and intake rate with increasing cow age. Milk production displayed a cow age × RFI interaction (p < 0.01) where both 5–6-year-old and 8–9-year-old low RFI cows produced more milk than high RFI cows. For both studies, intake and intake behavior were not influenced by RFI (p ≥ 0.16) or cow age × RFI interaction (p ≥ 0.21). In summary, heifer’s post-weaning RFI had minimal effects on beef cattle DMI or intake behavior, however, some differences were observed in milk production.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 11-11
Author(s):  
Laine Zammit ◽  
Jermey G Powell ◽  
Reagan N Cauble ◽  
Toby D Lester ◽  
Callan Lichtenwalter ◽  
...  

Abstract Internal parasitism inevitability prompts economic loss in beef cattle production by decreasing growth performance and reproductive traits. Previous studies have conflicting results on the macrocyclic lactones (ML) efficacy against internal parasitism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of milbeymycin and avermectin sub groups of ML on cow performance. Multiparous fall calving, crossbred beef cows (n = 106) were allocated randomly to 1 of 3 anthelmintic treatments: 1) Negative control (CON), in which cows did not receive an anthelmintic, 2) Injectable moxidectin (MOX) and 3) Injectable extended release eprinomectin (ERE). Body weights (BW), body condition scores (BCS), and fecal egg counts (FEC) were taken throughout the duration of the calving season to weaning on d0, d80, d162, and d217, with weaning occurring on d217. Performance data were analyzed using the MIXED procedures of SAS, and pregnancy data were analyzed using the GENMOD procedures of SAS. Significance was fixed at P &lt; 0.05 and tendencies were established from 0.05 ≤ P ≤ 0.10. There was no effect of anthelmintic treatment on cow BW (P ≥ 0.57) or cow BCS (P ≥ 0.22) during the 217 d study; however, CON cows tended to have lower BCS (P = 0.08) throughout the duration of the study. Cows treated with ERE had fewer FEC compared to MOX and CON groups (P ≤ 0.001) and tended to improve pregnancy rates (c2 = 0.0546). Calf weaning weight was similar among treatments averaging 216, 225, and 223 kg regarding CON, MOX, and ERE cow treatments, respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 688-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Grusie ◽  
V. Cowan ◽  
J. Singh ◽  
J. McKinnon ◽  
B. Blakley

Cows were fed ration for 9 wk containing 5, 48, 201, and 822 μg kg−1 ergot alkaloids. The objective was to evaluate the impact of ergot consumption in beef cow–calf operations. Ergot alkaloids up to 822 μg kg−1 did not alter the weight of peripartum and postpartum beef cows (P = 0.93) or nursing calves (P = 0.08), rectal temperature (P = 0.16), or plasma prolactin concentrations (P = 0.30) at moderate ambient temperatures. Ergot did not influence the time (>1 ng mL−1; P = 0.79) or the progesterone concentration (P = 0.38) at the time of first postpartum rise or the size of the first (14 ± 0.6 mm; P = 0.40) and second (13 ± 0.5 mm; P = 0.41) follicles to ovulate. The maximum size of the first postpartum corpus luteum (CL) was 4 mm larger in the 822 μg kg−1 ergot group compared with the control (P = 0.03) for the first ovulation post partum, but not for the second (P = 0.11). There was no effect of ergot exposure on the number of days until the appearance of the first (43 ± 4 d; P = 0.95) or second (52 ± 4 d; P = 0.98) CL post partum. Ergot alkaloid concentrations up to 822 μg kg−1 did not affect pregnancy rates (X2 = 0.36). In conclusion, ergot alkaloid exposure for 9 wk to concentrations as high as 822 μg kg−1 did not alter performance in pregnant and postpartum beef cattle at moderate ambient temperatures.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Luciano Fernandes Moura ◽  
Pedro Felipe Sousa Teixeira ◽  
Franklin Aragão Gondim ◽  
Francisco Holanda Nunes Junior ◽  
Rifandreo Monteiro Barbosa ◽  
...  

Biodigesters have been used to convert biomass into biogas and biofertilizers. This energy use has been important for the reduction of solid waste pollution in the environment. This work aims to analyse the viability of the use of pig biofertilizer produced by an Indian biodigester prototype, monitored by a data acquisition system. The biodigester used was an Indian prototype built on a low cost material that is easy to acquire (polyvinyl chloride-PVC). After the biofertilizer production, we tested its efficiency and viability under conditions of vegetation house in the cultivation of sunflower plants. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial arrangement with 4 concentrations of biofertilizer (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha-1) × 4 harvest periods (14, 21, 25 and 29 days after sowing). We evaluated biometric and vigor parameters by measurements of stem diameter, height of the aerial part, number of leaves and production of fresh and dry matter of roots, aerial and total parts, as well as the relative chlorophyll content. We performed the experiment with five repetitions using two plants each and we submitted the data to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and polynomial regression using the statistical software Sisvar 5.4. The functional Indian biodigester prototype produced a biofertilizer of excellent quality and viability as a biofertilizer for the initial growth of sunflower plants. The biofertilizer served as a nutritional source in the sunflower crop, since it provided increases in all the growth parameters analyzed in relation to the control group (plants in the absence of biofertilizer), especially in the concentration of 120 kg N ha-1.


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