Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T06:32:25.889Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cereal grains in complete diets for dairy cows: a comparison of rolled barley, wheat and oats and of three methods of processing oats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. B. Moran
J. B. Moran
Affiliation:
Kyabram Research Institute, Kyabram, Victoria, 3620, Australia
Get access

Abstract

Two experiments are described in which dairy cows in early lactation were individually offered ad libitum complete diets containing firstly rolled barley, wheat or oats comprising proportionately 0·6 of the total dry matter (DM) and seeondly, whole oats, rolled oats or whole oats soaked in sodium hydroxide comprising proportionately 0·5 of the total DM. Organic-matter (OM) digestibility was measured using chromium III oxide as an external faecal marker and production of milk, milk fat and milk protein were monitored. Rumen digestion rates of each grain type were measured in sacco using non-lactating cows.

In the first experiment, voluntary DM intakes did not differ between diets, OM digestibilities were, in decreasing order, wheat > barley > oats, and faecal starch concentrations were, in decreasing order, barley > wheat > oats. Cows given oats produced the most milk and milk fat while cows given wheat produced the most milk protein. Digested OM was used most efficiently by cows given oats and their greater productivity was attributed partly to higher levels of dietary fibre and lipid.

In the second experiment, cows fed alkali-treated oats had higher (though non-significant) DM intakes and produced the most milk, milk fat and milk protein. Excretion rates of whole grain from cows given treated or untreated whole oats did not differ, but grain weight loss in transit through the gut was higher with the alkali-treated grain. Food intakes and yields of milk and milk solids were similar in cows given either whole untreated or coarsely rolled oats.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , August 1986 , pp. 27 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1986

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

Anonymous. 1967. Method of determining modulus of uniformity and modulus of fineness of ground feed. Agricultural Engineers Yearbook, p. 301.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1980. Official Methods of Analyses. 13th ed. (ed. Horwitz, W.), pp. 222–223. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Bettenay, R. A. 1980. Comparison of caustic sodatreated barley and rolled barley in the ration of dairy cows. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 20: 394–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourget, S. J. and Kemp, J. G. 1957. Wet sieving apparatus for stability analysis of soil aggregates. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 37: 60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, T., Finn, P. C. and McGowan, A. A. 1982. Low cost pepsin - cellulase assays for prediction of digestibility of herbage. Grass and Forage Science 37: 147–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Darnell, A. L. and Copeland, O. G. 1936. Ground versus unground grain for lactating dairy cows. Bulletin of the Texas Agricultural and Experimental Station No. 530.Google Scholar
Fisher, L. J. and Logan, V. S. 1969. Comparison of corn and oats based concentrates for lactating dairy cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 49: 85–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gomez, O. R. 1975. The feeding value of cereal grains for dairy cows. M. Phil. Thesis, University of London.Google Scholar
Hale, W. H. 1973. Influence of processing on the utilization of grains (starch) by ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 37: 1075–1080.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodge, A., Ginaljo, M., Maguire, M. and Rogers, G. 1984. A comparison of crushed oats versus whole oats for milk production in dairy cows. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 15: 696.Google Scholar
Jeffery, H., Buesnel, R. J. and O'neill, G. H. 1976. Short-term studies on the response of grazing dairy cows to dietary supplementation. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 16: 445–451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kay, M., MacLeod, N. A. and Pavličević, A. 1972. The value of different cereals in diets for growing steers. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 31: 57A (Abstr.).Google ScholarPubMed
Kempton, T. J. and Hiscox, J. F. 1983. The effects of cracking, pelleting and dry extrusion on in vitro degradation. Characteristics of cereal grains used as ruminant feeds. In Feed Information and Animal Production (ed. Robards, G. E. and Packham, R. G.), Proceedings of the 2nd Symposium of the International Network Feed Information Centre, pp. 403–406.Google Scholar
Low Susan, G. and Kellaway, R. C. 1983. The utilization of ammonia-treated whole wheat grain by young steers. Animal Production 37: 113–118.Google Scholar
McDonald, C. A. and Hamilton, D. 1980. The effect of proportion of whole or rolled oats in steer rations on their digestibility. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 20: 268–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mertens, D. R. 1984. Using neutral detergent fibre to formulate dairy rations and estimate the net energy content of forages. Proceedings of the Cornell Nutrition Conference, pp. 60–68.Google Scholar
Moe, P. W., Tyrrell, H. F. and Hooven, N. W. 1973. Energy balance measurement with corn meal and ground oats for lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science 56: 1149–1153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moran, J. B. 1976. The grazing feed intake of Hereford and Brahman cross cattle in a cool temperate environment. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 86: 131–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moran, J. B. and Trigg, T. E. 1985. Full feeding of dairy cows on maize silage based diets. In Challenge: Efficient Dairy Production (ed. Phillips, T. I.), Australian Society of Animal Production, pp. 181–183. Albury, Wodonga.Google Scholar
Moss, B. R. and Prier, S. G. 1981. High levels of barley in rations for calves and lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science 64: Supplement I, p. 128 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Nordin, M. and Campling, R. C. 1976. Digestibility studies with cows given whole and rolled cereal grains. Animal Production 23: 305–315.Google Scholar
Nottlk, M. C. 1971. Digestible energy of wheat and oat grains when fed to sheep. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 11: 610–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oldham, J. D. and Sutton, J. D. 1979. Milk composition and the high yielding cow. In Feeding Stategy for the High Yielding Dairy Cow (ed. Broster, W. H. and Swan, H.), pp. 114–147. Granada Publishing, St Albans.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. 1980. Recent advances in the understanding of cereal processing for ruminants. In Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition — 1979 (ed. Haresign, W. and Lewis, D.), pp. 123–132. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and McDonald, I. 1979. The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92: 499–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., MacDearmid, A., Grubb, D. A. and Innes, G. M. 1981. Utilization of alkali-treated grain. I. Alkali-treated grain in complete diets for steers and lambs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 6: 273–283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and Reid, G. W. 1979. The effect of proportion of concentrate and method of cereal processing on types of rumen fermentation and milk quality in Friesian cows. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 38: 131A (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Perks, D. A. 1981. Whole-crop cereals and grain; development. Proceedings of the Seminar Upgrading of Crops and By-products by Chemical or Biological Treatment, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London, pp. 20–28.Google Scholar
Robertson, J. B. and Van soest, P. J. 1977. Dietary fiber estimation in concentrate feedstuffs. Journal of Animal Science 45: Suppl. I, p. 254 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Rowett Research Institute. 1975. Feedingstuff Evaluation Unit. First Report. Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Rowett Research Institute. 1978. Feedingstuff Evaluation Unit. Second Report. Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Sriskandarajah, N., Ashwood, A. and Kellaway, R. C. 1980. Effects of rolling and alkali treatment of barley grain supplements on forage intake and utilization by steers and lactating cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 95: 555–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toland, P. C. 1976. The digestibility of wheat, barley or oat grain fed either whole or rolled at restricted levels with hay to steers. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 16: 71–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toland, P. C. 1978. Influence of some digestive processes on the digestion by cattle of cereal grain fed whole. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 18: 29–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tommervik, R. S. and Waldern, D. E. 1969. Comparative feeding value of wheat, corn, barley, milo, oats, and a mixed concentrate ration for lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science 52: 68–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valentine, S. C. and Wickes, R. B. 1980. The production and composition of milk from dairy cows fed hay supplemented with whole, rolled or alkalitreated barley grain. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 13: 397–400.Google Scholar