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Effects of rumen stimulatory licks on reproductive performance and live-weight gain of beef cattle in Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

B. S. Capper ,
D. Pratchett ,
T. W. Rennie ,
D. Light ,
A. Rutherford ,
M. Miller ,
N. G. Buck  and
J. C. M. Trail
B. S. Capper
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
D. Pratchett
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
T. W. Rennie
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
D. Light
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
A. Rutherford
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
M. Miller
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
N. G. Buck
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
J. C. M. Trail
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
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Summary

The effects of supplementary feeding of licks containing non-protein nitrogen on the reproductive performance of beef breeding cows and on the live-weight gain of growing stock in Botswana is described. The trials involved 1375 breeding cows at five artificial insemination centres, and 360 breeding cows and 269 growing stock under ranch conditions. These licks increased the percentage of pregnancies in cows under lactation stress by up to 20%, but had no effect on the reproductive performance of dry cows or cows with a calf older than 5 mo. In growing animals the provision of rumen stimulatory licks increased live-weight gain by an average of 12%, but was of doubtful economic value.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , February 1977 , pp. 49 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1977

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References

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