Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T15:12:28.634Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth and rumen digestion characteristics of steers grazing autumn grass supplemented with concentrates based on different carbohydrate sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

P. French ,
A. P. Moloney ,
P. O’Kiely ,
E. G. O’Riordan  and
P. J. Caffrey
P. French*
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland Department of Animal Science and Production, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
A. P. Moloney
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
P. O’Kiely
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
E. G. O’Riordan
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
P. J. Caffrey
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Production, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
*
†Address for correspondence.
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects on animal performance and rumen digestion characteristics of supplementing cattle grazing autumn grass offered at two levels of allowance, with concentrates formulated from different carbohydrate sources. Seventy-two steers (494 (s.e. 38·4) kg) were assigned to one of six treatments which were arranged in a two grass allowances (5·5 or 11 kg grass dry matter (DM) per head per day) by three concentrate types (starch, starch + fibre or fibre-based diets) factorial design. The experiment commenced on 22 August and had a mean duration of 84 days. Concentrates were formulated to have similar metabolizable energy and crude protein and animals were offered 5 kg per head daily. Grass allowances were offered daily and concentrates were offered individually. Six rumen fistulated steers were used concurrently in a Latin square design to determine the effect of the diets on rumen digestion characteristics. Grass and concentrates degradabilities were measured using the nylon bag technique. The concentrate DM was degraded at 0·189, 0·102 and 0·094 per h for the starch, starch + fibre and fibre-based diets, respectively. Concentrate carbohydrate source and grass allowance did not affect (P > 0·05) degradation rate of grass DM or nitrogen in the rumen, rumen fluid pH, rumen fluid concentration of volatile fatty acids, total lactic acid or ammonia concentration or plasma concentration of glucose, urea or beta-hydroxybutyrate. Animals offered the low grass allowance had larger (P < 0·05) diurnal variation in the rumen fluid acetate: propionate ratio than those offered the high grass allowance. Increasing grass allowance increased (P < 0·01) carcass gain whereas concentrate type had no effect. There was no interaction between concentrate carbohydrate source and grass allowance on any of the production variables measured. It is concluded that the rumen environment in cattle grazing autumn grass buffered the effects of concentrate carbohydrate degradability such that similar productivity was achieved with each concentrate.

Keywords

autumncarbohydratesconcentratesgrass intakerumen digestionsteers
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 72 , Issue 1 , February 2001 , pp. 139 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

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

Aman, P. and Hesselman, K. 1984. Analysis of starch and other main constituents of cereal grains. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 14: 135–139.Google Scholar
Arriaga-Jordan, C. M. and Holmes, W. 1986. The effect of concentrate supplementation on high-yielding dairy cows under two systems of grazing. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 107: 456–461.Google Scholar
Beever, D. E. and Siddons, R. C. 1986. Digestion and metabolism in the grazing ruminant. In Proceedings of the sixth international symposium on ruminant physiology (ed. Milligan, L. P., Grovum, W. L. and Dobson, A.), pp. 479–497. Englewood, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Birch, G. G. and Mwangelwa, O. M. 1974. Calorimetric determination of sugars in sweetened condensed milk products. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 25: 1355–1362.Google Scholar
Cammell, S. B., Beever, D. E., Thomson, D. J., Austin, A. R., Losada, H. R., Evans, R. T., Spooner, M. C. and Terry, R. A. 1983. Energy and protein digestion, supply and utilization on two contrasting forages fed to growing steers. Animal Production 36: 501 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G. and Choung, J. J. 1995. The importance of rate of ruminal fermentation of energy sources in diets for dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 3–27. Nottingham University Press.Google Scholar
Czerkawski, J. W. 1986. An introduction to rumen studies. Pergamon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
European Communities (Marketing of Feedstuff) Regulations. 1984. Statutory instruments S.I. no. 200 of 1984. Google Scholar
French, P., O’Riordan, E. G., O’Kiely, P., Caffrey, P. J. and Moloney, A. P. 2001. Intake and growth of steers offered different allowances of autumn grass and concentrates. Animal Science 72: 000–000.Google Scholar
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. 1989. Ruminant nutrition, recommended allowances and feed tables (ed. Jarrige, R.). John Libbey Eurotext, London.Google Scholar
Kibon, A. and Holmes, W. 1987. The effect of height of pasture and concentrate composition on dairy cows grazed on continuously stocked pastures. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109: 293–301.Google Scholar
Langlands, J. P. and Sanson, J. 1976. Factors affecting the nutritive value of the diet and the composition of rumen fluid of grazing sheep and cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 27: 691–707.Google Scholar
Malestein, A., van’t Klooster, A. T. L., Prins, R. A. and Counotte, G. H. M. 1984. Concentrate feeding and ruminal fermentation. 3. Influence of concentrate ingredients on pH, on DL-lactic acid concentration in rumen fluid of dairy cows and on dry matter intake. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 32: 9–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meijs, J. A. C. 1986. Comparison of starchy and fibrous concentrates for grazing dairy cows. In Grazing (ed. Frame, J.), pp. 129–138. Occasional symposium, no. 19, British Grassland Society. Blackwell Scientific Publications, London.Google Scholar
Moloney, A. P., Wilson, R. K. and Moloney, B. C. 1994 Rumen fermentation and digesta passage in ruminants fed cimaterol. Animal Feed Science and Technology 46: 215–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muck, R. E., O’Kiely, P. and Wilson, R. K. 1991. Buffering capacities in permanent pasture grasses. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 129–141.Google Scholar
Munro, J. M. and Walters, R. J. K. 1986. The feeding value of grass. In Grazing (ed. Frame, J.), pp. 65–77. Occasional symposium, no. 19, British Grassland Society. Blackwell Scientific Publications, London.Google Scholar
Newbold, J. R. 1994. Practical application of the metabolisable protein system. In Recent advances in animal nutrition 1994 (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D.J. A.), pp. 231–264. Nottingham University Press.Google Scholar
O’Mara, F. 1996. A net energy system for cattle and sheep. Report submitted to the Department of Animal Science and Production, University College Dublin.Google 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.Google Scholar
Reed, K. F. M. 1978. The effect of season of growth on the feeding value of pasture. Journal of the British Grassland Society 33: 227–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rook, J. A. F. 1964. Ruminant volatile fatty acid production in relation to animal production from grass. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 23: 71–80.Google Scholar
Rowlands, G. J. 1980. A review of the variations in the concentrations of metabolites in the blood of beef and dairy cattle associated with physiology, nutrition and disease, with particular reference to the interpretation of metabolic profiles. World Review of Nutrition and Diet 33: 172–235.Google Scholar
Stakelum, G. K. N. 1993. Supplementary feeding and herbage intake of the dairy cow. Ph.D. thesis, National University of Ireland, University College Cork. Google Scholar
Steel, R. G. D. and Torrie, J. H. 1960. Principles and procedures of statistics. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Steg, A., Honing, Y. van der and Visser, H. de. 1985. Effect of fibre in compound feeds on the performance of ruminants. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D.J. A.), pp. 113–129. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stockdale, C. R., Callaghan, A. and Trigg, T. E. 1987. Feeding high energy supplements to pasture-fed dairy cows. Effect of stage of lactation and level of supplement. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 38: 927–940.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Bines, S. V., Morant, D. J., Napper, J. A. and Givens, D. I. 1987. A comparison of starchy and fibrous concentrates for milk production, energy utilisation and hay intake by Friesian cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109: 375–386.Google Scholar
Tilley, J. M. A. and Terry, R. A. 1963. A two-stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. Journal of the British Grassland Society 17: 104–111.Google Scholar
Twigge, J. R. and Gils, L. G. M. van. 1988. Practical aspects of feeding protein to dairy cows. In Recent developments in ruminant nutrition — 2 (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D.J. A.), pp. 196–212. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. 1963. Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds. III. A rapid method for the determination of fibre and lignin. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 46: 829–835.Google Scholar
Vuuren, A. M. van, Koelen, C. J. van der and Vroons-de Bruin, J. 1986. Influence of level and composition of concentrate supplements on rumen fermentation patterns of grazing diary cows. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 34: 457–467.Google Scholar
Vuuren, A. M. van, Tamminga, S. and Ketelaar, R. S. 1990. Ruminal availability of nitrogen and carbohydrates from fresh and preserved herbage in dairy cows. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 38: 499–512.Google Scholar