Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T01:42:38.175Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effect of different proportions of dried grass and concentrates in the diet on voluntary intake and performance of calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

T. A. McCullough
Affiliation:
Loughry College of Agriculture and Food Technology, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland
Get access

Summary

Complete diets each containing (1) 0%, (2) 20%, (3) 40%, (4) 60% high-quality, (5) 20% and (6) 40% low-quality dried grass were given ad libitum to 48 British Friesian calves.

The performance of the animals was studied over the stages of growth from 50 to 100 kg and 150 to 200 kg live weight. At each stage of growth the live-weight gain was similar on all treatments while the daily intake of dry matter was significantly affected by the treatments. Over the stage of growth from 50 to 100 kg live weight the intake of metabolizable energy was greatest on treatment 2 and lowest on treatment 4. The conversion ratio of metabolizable energy decreased with increasing levels and with both qualities of dried grass over the weight range 50 to 100 kg.

When the calves reached 100 kg live weight, digestibility and N balance studies were carried out. The metabolizable energy (ME) expressed as a percentage of the gross energy decreased with increasing levels and with the lower quality of dried grass. Nitrogen retention was not significantly affected by treatment differences.

The relationships of the voluntary intake of dry matter, ME intake and the conversion ratio of ME with the ME expressed as a percentage of gross energy over the lower live-weight range are also presented.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

American Society of Agricultural Engineers. 1967. Methods of determining modulus of uniformity and modulus of fineness of ground feed. Yb. Am. Soc. agric. Engr. 1967, p. 298.Google Scholar
Andrews, R. P., Kay, M. and Ørskov, E. R. 1969. The effect of different dietary energy concentrations on the voluntary intake and growth of intensively-fed lambs. Anim. Prod. 11: 173185.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. 1951. Factors affecting the utilization of food by dairy cows. 1. The rate of passage of food through the digestive tract. Br. J. Nutr. 4: 361388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Clapperton, J. L. and Martin, A. K. 1966. The heat of combustion of the urine of sheep and cattle in relation to its chemical composition and to diet. Br. J. Nutr. 20: 449460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coombe, J. B. and Kay, R. N. B. 1965. Passage of digesta through the intestines of the sheep. Retention times in the small and large intestines. Br. J. Nutr. 19: 325338.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, M., Bowers, H. B. and McKiddie, G. 1968. The protein requirements of rapidly growing steers. Anim. Prod. 10: 3742.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lonsdale, C. R., Poutiainen, E. K. and Tayler, J. C. 1971. The growth of young cattle fed on dried grass alone and with barley. 1. Feed intake, digestibility and body gains. Anim. Prod. 13: 461471.Google Scholar
Marsh, R., McCullough, T. A. and McKeown, J. B. 1973. The feasibility of replacing part or all of a concentrate ration for calves with dried grass. Rec, agric. Res., Belfast (in press)Google Scholar
Montgomery, M. J. and Baumgardt, B. R. 1965. Regulation of food intake in ruminants. 1. Pelleted rations varying in energy concentration. J. Dairy Sci. 48: 569574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCullough, T. A. 1969. A study of factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cattle. Anim. Prod. 11: 145153.Google Scholar
McCullough, T. A. 1970a. The evaluation of artificially dried grass for the rearing and fattening of Friesian steers. Rec. agric. Res., Belfast 18: 111115.Google Scholar
McCullough, T. A. 1970b. A study of the effect of supplementing a concentrate diet with roughages of different quality on the performance of Friesian steers. 1. Voluntary food intake and food utilization. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 75: 327335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Preston, T. R., Whttelaw, F. G., MacLeod, N. A. and PHILIP, EUPHEMIA B. 1965. The nutrition of the early weaned calf. 8. The effect on nitrogen retention of diets containing different levels of fish meal. Anim. Prod. 7: 5358.Google Scholar
Tait, R. M. 1972. The utilization of dried grass by early weaned lambs. J. Br. GrassldSoc. 27: 217220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilley, J. M. A. and Terry, R. A. 1963. A two stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 18: 104111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wainman, F. W., Blaxter, K. L., Smith, J. S. and Dewey, P. J. S. 1970. Calorimetric studies of the nutritive value of dried grass. Proc. 5th Symp. Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals, Switzerland, pp. 1720.Google Scholar