Possibilities of Using Bananas for the Feeding of Ruminants in Humid Tropical Regions

1969 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 516-525
Author(s):  
Michel Chenost ◽  
Francois Geoffroy ◽  
Pierre Bousquet ◽  
Michel Candau

The possibility of using green or ensiled bananas was studied with goats green-fed a tropical grass (Digitaria decumbens). Bananas increased both dry matter intake and digestible organic matter intake. Offered ad libitum bananas represented 50 to 70% of the diet of lactating or young growing goats without reducing milk production or growth rate. Provided the nitrogen level of the diet was balanced it was possible to reduce concentrate by 300 to 450 g/day/animal. It was also possible to fatten young goats with a complete diet composed of banana, cereal, bagasse, and urea simultaneously ensiled. Further study is needed to determine whether these types of diets are effective for cattle.

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
G. W. Reid ◽  
M. Kay

ABSTRACTFive different straws consisting of two varieties of winter barley, two varieties of spring barley and one variety of winter wheat were chosen due to differences in degradation characteristics determined by using nylon bags incubated in the rumen of cattle and describing the straw using the equation: p = a + b (1 – e–ct). To increase variation in degradability, batches of the same straws were also treated with anhydrous ammonia in a sealed oven.The straws were subsequently offered ad libitum to groups of steers given a daily supplement of 1·5 kg concentrate and untreated straws were supplemented with urea. The dry-matter intake (DMI) of the straws varied from 3·4 to 5·7 kg/day, the digestible DMI from 1·4 to 3·5 kg/day and growth rate from 106 to 608 g/day.By using multiple regression of a, b, c from the exponential equations characterizing degradability of the straw, the correlation coefficients with DMI, digestible DMI and growth rate were 0·88, 0·96 and 0·95 respectively.


1986 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 527
Author(s):  
JC Spragg ◽  
RC Kellaway ◽  
TJ Kempton

Effects of cottonseed meal and cereal grain supplements on intake and utilisation of alkali-treated wheat straw were studied with 45 Friesian heifers (250 kg liveweight) in individual pens. Responses were measured in terms of feed intake and growth rate over 60 days. The basal diet fed ad libitum was coarsely milled wheat straw which was alkali-treated, sprayed with a solution containing urea, sulfur, copper and cobalt and sprinkled with dicalcium phosphate. Animals were also fed 800 g/day of 1 of 5 supplements: cottonseed meal (CSM), whole barley (WB), cracked barley (CB), ammonia-treated whole barley (NB) and extruded barley (EB). Intakes of the basal diet did not differ significantly between groups. Digestible organic matter in dry matter (%) was 53.1, 51.7, 47.2, 47.7, and 48.7 with supplements CSM, CB, WB, NB and EB, respectively; values for CSM and CB were significantly higher than for the other supplements (P< 0.05). Liveweight gains were 891,761,639, 657 and 784 g/day with the respective supplements, and did not differ significantly between CSM, CB and EB. We concluded that CSM did not stimulate intake of roughage more than supplements of barley grain, and that growth of the cattle was limited primarily by intake of energy.


1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (63) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
J Clark ◽  
JI Watts

Forty, Friesian x Jersey bull calves were fed diets comprising factorial combinations of milk, either whole (4.0 per cent fat) or skimmed (0.1 per cent fat) milk, fed at the rate of 4.5 kg day-1 until the calves were ten weeks old, with crushed barley at four levels from two to 18 weeks of age. The four levels of barley were 0, 25, 50 and 75 per cent of the dry matter intake of the calves. The calves had access to hay ad libitum throughout the experiment. The restricted quantities of skimmed milk fed to the calves did not support rapid gains in liveweight, even when supplemented with high levels of barley. The addition of barley to the diet of the calves reared on whole milk produced no response in terms of growth rate (0.54 kg day-1). However, the calves reared on skimmed milk had greater growth rates when their diet contained 25 per cent barley than with no barley, 0.36 kg day-1 and 0.28 kg day-1 respectively. Further additions of barley did not produce additional responses in growth rate.


2001 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. French ◽  
E. G. O’Riordan ◽  
P. O’Kiely ◽  
P. J. Caffrey ◽  
A. P. Moloney

AbstractThe aim of this experiment was to quantify the relationship between autumn grass supply and concentrate supplementation level on grass intake and animal performance. One hundred and ten continental steers (567 kg) were assigned to 10 treatments. The experimental design was a three grass allowances (6, 12 and 18 kg dry matter (DM) per head daily) by three concentrate levels: (0, 2·5 and 5 kg per head daily) factorial with a positive control group offered concentrates ad libitum and no grass. Grass allowance was offered daily and concentrates were given individually. The experiment began on 22 August and all animals were slaughtered after a mean experimental period of 95 days. Grass intake was calculated using the n-alkane technique and diet digestibility using ytterbium acetate as an indigestible marker. There was an interaction (P < 0·05) between grass allowance and concentrate level for grass intake. At the low grass allowance there was no effect of offering animals supplementary concentrates on grass intake, at the medium and high grass allowances, supplementary concentrates reduced grass intake by 0·43 and 0·81 kg DM respectively per kg DM concentrate offered. Increasing grass allowance increased (P < 0·001) complete diet organic matter (OM) digestibility at all concentrate levels and supplementary concentrates increased (P < 0·001) complete diet OM digestibility only at the low grass allowance. Both offering animals supplementary concentrates (P < 0·001) and increasing daily grass allowance (P < 0·001) increased their carcass growth rate. Relative to the animals offered the low grass allowance and no concentrate, supplementing with concentrate increased carcass growth by 116 g/kg concentrate DM eaten whereas increasing the grass allowance, increased carcass growth by 38 g/kg DM grass eaten. As a strategy for increasing the performance of cattle grazing autumn grass, offering supplementary concentrates offers more scope than altering grass allowance.


1991 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-148
Author(s):  
C. B. Gallo ◽  
D. A. R. Davies

ABSTRACTThirty-seven Cambridge (C) and Suffolk (S) × C ewes and their lambs were housed and penned individually in family groups for 35 days post partum and then grazed on pasture until the lambs reached slaughter weight. Lambs were reared as twins (TR-TW). The lambs weaned at 35 days were artificially reared and formed the TR-AR group.Dry matter intake of the complete diet and hay offered ad libitum during the housing period was unaffected by rearing type. TR-TR and TR-TW ewes produced more milk at 10 days than TW-TW ewes, 4·4 and 4·2 v. 3·6 (s.e.d. 0·257) kg/day. From 35 days onwards the decline in milk yield tended o t be greater in the TW-TW and TR-TW ewes which also gained more condition than TR-TR ewes, 0·33 and 0·37 v. 0·01 (s.e.d. 0·139) of a score.TW-TW lambs grew faster than TR-TW and TR-TR lambs during the housed period, 336 v. 295 and 292 (s.e.d. 9·8) g/day but after 35 days TR-TW, TR-AR and TW-TW lambs had similar growth rates, 348, 350, and 348 (s.e.d. 14·2) g/day respectively whereas TR-TR lambs grew less quickly at 310 g/day. Forty-two male lambs were slaughtered. TR-AR lambs had a higher killing-out proportion and carcass fat content than naturally reared animals. In the latter group carcass fat content was negatively related to time reared as triplets and the kidney knob and channel fat weight was significantly lower in the TR-TR group. Crossbred lambs grew faster, had a higher killing-out proportion and greater weight of m. longissimus dorsi and m. psoas major in the half carcass.It is concluded that weaning one lamb at 35 days provides a suitable alternative system for rearing triplets and that it is possible to produce good quality carcasses with some desirable reduction in fat content from lambs reared as triplets throughout their life.


1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. G. Jenkins ◽  
C. L. Ferrell

ABSTRACTPost-weaning growth, dry-matter intake, carcass characteristics, chemical composition of the 9th to 11th rib section and food conversion efficiency were evaluated for Simmental bulls (15) and heifers (18) and Hereford bulls (17) and heifers (14) from approx. 240 days of age to 470 days of age. Within each breed × sex sub-class, animals were assigned to one of three energy intake levels: (1) ad libitum, (2) 795 kJ metabolizable energy (ME) per kg0·75 per day and (3) 544 kj ME per kg0·75 per day.Simmentals tended to exhibit higher post-weaning growth rate and consumed more dry matter than Herefords. At ad libitum intakes, efficiency estimates (gain/food) were greater initially but decreased more rapidly for Herefords than for Simmentals. No differences were observed in efficiency estimates between Herefords and Simmentals fed at 795 kJ ME per kg0·75 per day and both breeds fed at this level improved in efficiency as time on test increased.Bulls tended to have greater growth rate, and consume more dry matter than heifers. At ad libitum food intake, bulls were more efficient than heifers and the decrease in efficiency of the two sexes was parallel. Heifers fed at 795 kJ ME per kg0·75 per day had a constant efficiency throughout the test while bulls improved in efficiency.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 1293
Author(s):  
A. Ortiz-Rodea ◽  
M. González-Ronquillo ◽  
N. López-Villalobos ◽  
A. García-Martínez ◽  
R. Rojo-Rubio ◽  
...  

Animal production in tropical regions is commonly limited by the low crude protein content and digestibility of pastures, particularly during the dry season. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of including Enterolobium cyclocarpum leaves (ECL) (0%, 15% and 30%) in diets as a partial replacement for lucerne on dry-matter intake (DMI), weight gain and nitrogen (N) balance in growing Saanen goats (12.6 ± 3.2 kg at 3 months of age) and the digestibility of the diet. Daily weight gain, DMI and digestibility were analysed in a 3 × 3 Latin square design replicated three times. The inclusion of ECL did not affect daily weight gain or DMI (P &gt; 0.05). There were no significant (P &gt; 0.05) differences for N intake among the diets, but the inclusion of 30% ECL significantly (P = 0.01) increased N excreted in faeces. These results suggest that ECL can be used as a partial substitute of lucerne in diets for growing goats, without affecting animal performance.


1976 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Tayler ◽  
K. Aston

SUMMARY1. Young adult and adult British Friesian female cattle (heifers and cows) which were lactating were individually fed ad libitum on ryegrass silage of high (HS) or low (LS) digestibility with one of two levels of a supplement of pellets of dried grass (H or L) in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with three heifer and seven cow replicates.2. The percentages of digestible organic matters in the dry matter (DM) in vitro were respectively 64·4, 57·5 and 69·0 for forages HS, LS and and the dried grass. The HS crop, however, was significantly lower in DM content, and after ensiling with formic acid additive had a higher lactic and total acid content than the LS crop.3. The dry-matter intake of the less acid silage LS was greater than that of HS (P<0·05) although the dry-matter digestibility of the LS diets was on average 6 units lower than the HS diets. The intakes of digestible dry matter (DDM) and digestible organic matter were greater (P<0·05) in mid lactation when HS was fed. DM and DDM intakes were significantly increased by the higher level of feeding of the dried grass supplement.4. The yield, composition and energy content of milk did not differ between silages but the yield and protein content of the milk increased significantly at the higher level of supplement feeding. The milk yields were respectively 19·35, 17·54, 19·49 and 17·97 ± 0·505 kg/head per day for treatments HSH, HSL, LSH and LSL on these all-grass diets over lactation weeks 4 to 20. Live-weight loss was greater (P<0·01) on the LS diets. Blood composition was normal and did not differ markedly between treatments.


1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 897-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. VEIRA ◽  
M. IVAN ◽  
G. BUTLER ◽  
J. G. PROULX

Following weaning at 6–7 mo of age, 36 beef steers were used to determine production responses when grass silage was supplemented with barley or fishmeal. The silage was made from direct-cut, formic- acid-treated grass harvested from a mixed sward and had a high nitrogen content but poor fermentation characteristics. The silage was fed ad libitum for 98 days either alone or supplemented with 500 g fishmeal or 500 g barley per day. Both fishmeal and barley increased total dry matter intake (P < 0.01) by an amount equivalent to the quantity of supplement offered but had no effect on silage intake (P > 0.05). Steers fed the fishmeal grew substantially faster than either the barley (0.53 kg/day) or unsupplemented (0.54 kg/day) groups (P < 0.01). Fishmeal supplementation resulted in a large reduction (35%) in the amount of feed required per kilogram of gain. Key words: Cattle, grass silage, fishmeal, growth


1985 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 483 ◽  
Author(s):  
JK Egan ◽  
PT Doyle

Six mature Merino sheep received three treatments in a randomized block design experiment. The treatments were: chopped oaten hay diet at 90% of ad libitum intake without urea (L); the ciet offered at the same level as for L with urea infused into the rumen at 11.5 g kg-1 dry matter intake (LU); and the diet offered at 90% of the ad libitum intake achieved with urea infused at 11.5 g kg-1 dry matter intake (HU). Sheep given HU consumed 37% more (P < 0.01) organic matter (OM) than those fed L or LU, but the apparent digestibility of OM did not vary (59.2-61.8%) between treatments. The addit onal food consumption was associated with c. 20% increase (P < 0.05) in the weight of OM in the reticulorumen and significantly higher (by 10-35%; P < 0.05) fractional outflow rates of most dietary and microbial constituents of digesta. The fractional digestion rate of potentially digestible plant cell walls was not affected by urea, but the flow of microbial non-ammonia nitrogen from the abomasum was enhanced (L, 7.0; LU, 8.2; HU, 12.5 g day-1; P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the stimulatory effect of urea upon food intake was associated with the provision of additional microbial protein for digestion in the intestines, rather than changes in the rate or extent of organic matter fermentation in the reticulorumen.


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