Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T09:20:51.115Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Anhydrous ammonia-treated whole-crop barley for beef steers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. E. V. Williams
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
A. Macdearmid
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
G. M. Innes
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access

Abstract

Whole-crop barley (cv. Midas) was harvested when the grain dry matter (DM) reached 640 g/kg and was treated with either anhydrous ammonia at 40 g/kg DM or propionic acid (30 g/kg DM) and stored in polythene-lined tower silos. Anhydrous ammonia and propionic acid preserved the early harvested barley whole crop but distribution of ammonia through the silos was not uniform. Coefficients of DM and starch losses from whole grains separated from the ammonia- or propionic acid-treated whole crops or from rolled barley grains and suspended in the rumen of steers in nylon bags weqe, after 42 h incubation 0.73,0.85,0.26,0.21 and 0.78,0.96 respectively. Coefficients of digestibility of the ammonia-treated (AWC), of the propionic acid-treated (PWC) whole crops and of a diet of rolled barley and ammonia-treated straw (RB) with the same grain to straw DM proportion as that in the whole crops were 0·62 (AWC), 0·55 (PWC) and 0K57 (RB). Daily live-weight gains (kg/day) of 350 kg Hereford × Friesian steers offered the diets for up to 100 days were 0·33 (AWC), ·0·61 (PWC) and 0·74 (RB) and DM feed intakes (kg/day) were 4·7,3·4 and 7·6 respectively.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1983

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

Ahmed, F. A., Topps, J. H. and Dempster, D. G. 1973. The digestibility by Friesian steers of dry and acid-treated moist barley offered either whole or rolled in diets containing roughage. Anim. Prod. 17: 157162.Google Scholar
Davidson, J., Mathieson, J. and Boyne, A. W. 1970. The use of automation in determining nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method, with final calculations by computer. Analyst, Lond. 95: 181193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horton, G. M. J. and Steacy, G. M. 1979. Effect of anhydrous ammonia treatment on the intake and digestibility of cereal straws by steers. J. Anim. Sci. 48: 12391249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krall, J. L. 1972. High moisture barley harvesting, storing and feeding. Bull. Mont, agric. Exp. Stn, No. 625.Google Scholar
Low, S. and Kelloway, R. C. 1980. Ammonia treatment ot whole wheat grain for cattle. Proc. Nutr. Soc. Aust. 5: 189 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Macdearmid, A., Innes, G. M., Williams, P. E. V. and Kay, M. 1982. Kale for beef production. Anim. Prod. 34: 191196.Google Scholar
Morgan, C. A. and Campling, R. C. 1978. Digestibility of whole barley and oat grains by cattle of different ages. Anim. Prod. 27: 323329.Google Scholar
Nordin, M. and Campling, R. C. 1976. Digestibility studies with cows given whole and rolled cereal grains. Anim. Prod. 23:305315.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Barnes, B. J. and Lukins, B. A. 1980. A note on the effect of different amounts of NaOH application on digestibility by cattle of barley, oats, wheat and maize. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 94:271273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ølrskov, E. R., Barnes, B. J., Macdearmid, A., Williams, P. E. V. and Innes, G. M. 1981a. Utilization of alkali-treated grain. 3. Utilization by steers of NaOH-treated and rolled barley in silage-based diets. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 6: 355365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Hovell, F. D. DeB. and Mould, F. 1980. The use of the nylon bag technique for the evaluation of feedstuffs. Trop. Anim. Prod. 5: 195213.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Soliman, H. S. and Macdearmid, A. 1978. Intake of hay by cattle given supplements of barley subjected to various forms of physical treatment or treatment with alkali. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 90: 611615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R.Tait, C. A. G. and Reid, G. W. 1981b. Utilization of ammonia- or urea-treated barley straw as the only feed for dairy heifers. Anim. Prod. 32: 388 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Petchey, A. M., Greenhalgh, J. F. D and Mendoza, R. F. 1980. Alkali treatment of whole-crop barley. Anim. Prod. 30: 489 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Sundstøi, F., Coxworth, E. and Mowat, D. N. 1978. Improving the nutritive value of straw and other low-quality roughages by treatment with ammonia. WldAnim. Rev. 26: 1321.Google Scholar
Thivend, P., Mercier, C. and Guillot, A. 1965. Estimation of starch in complex media. Annls Biol. anim. Biochim. Biophys. 5:513526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar