Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T01:26:32.041Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Intake by and performance of early-weaned calves offered unwilted or wilted silage supplemented with a cereal and protein concentrate or dried grass

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. Marsh
R. Marsh
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down
Get access

Summary

Forty-two British Friesian castrated male calves of 1 to 3 weeks of age were offered ad libitum unwilted or wilted silage made from the same sward for 21 consecutive weeks. Both silages were supplemented with a cereal and protein concentrate at two restricted levels of intake or with dried grass cobs offered ad libitum. There was little difference i n the chemical composition ofthe two silages except for DM content. Dry-matter intake of wilted silage was slightly but not significantly greater than that of unwilted silage. Differences between silages in daily gain or final live weight were not significant.

An increase in the intake of the cereal and protein concentrate led to a significant decrease (P < 0·001) in silage DM intake and a significant increase (P < 0·001) in daily gain andfinallive weight. Calves offered dried grass as a supplement to silage ate similar quantities of silage DM to calves offered an equal amount of the cereal and protein supplement but gained significantly less (P < 0·001) live weight. When intakes were presented on a unit metabolic live-weight basis, calves ate significantly more (P < 0·001) silage when supplemented with dried grass than calves offered the cereal and protein supplement.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , June 1976 , pp. 311 - 320
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1976

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

Agricultural Development and Advisory Service. 1974. Profitable Farm Enterprises. Booklet 2. Methods of BeefProduction using Dairy-Bred Calves. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Pinner, Middlesex.Google Scholar
Alder, F. E., McLeod, D. St L. and Gibbs, B. G. 1969. Comparative feeding value of silages made from wilted and unwilted grass and grass/clover herbage. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 24: 199–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drennan, M. J. and Lawlor, M. J. 1976. Evaluation of pelleted dried grass as a supplement to grass silage for fattening steers. Anim. Prod. 22: 97–103.Google Scholar
Forbes, T. J. and Jackson, N. 1971. A study of the utilization of silages of different dry-matter content by young beef cattle with or without supplementary barley. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 26: 257–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinks, C. E., Edwards, I. E. and Henderson, A. R. 1976. Beef production from formic-acid-treated and wilted silages. Anim. Prod. 22: 217–223.Google Scholar
Jackson, N. 1967. The composition and quality of grass silages made in Northern Ireland. An analysis of seven years results (1960–66). Rec. agric. Res., Belfast 16: 157–168.Google Scholar
Jackson, N. and Forbes, T. J. 1970. The voluntary intake by cattle of four silages differing in dry matter content. Anim. Prod. 12: 591–599.Google Scholar
Jackson, N., O'Neill, S. J. B. and Dawson, R. R. 1974. The composition and quality of grass silages made in Northern Ireland. An analysis of six years results (1967–1972). Rec. agric. Res., Belfast 22: 45–50.Google Scholar
McCullough, T. A. 1972. The effect on fattening steers of supplementing silage with dried grass or rolled barley. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 27: 115–118.Google Scholar
Marsh, R. 1974. The performance of early-weaned calves offered concentrates or artificially dried grasses. Anim. Prod. 18: 201–210.Google Scholar
Marsh, R. 1975. The performance of early-weaned calves offered a high dry-matter silage supplemented with concentrates or dried grass. Anim. Prod. 21: 21–30.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1971. Beef Production: An Intensive Grassland System Using Autumn-born Calves. Handbook No. 1. Meat and Livestock Commission, Bletchley, Bucks.Google Scholar
Tayler, J. C. 1970. Dried forages and beef production. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 25: 180–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tayler, J. C. and Aston, K. 1974. Dried grass as a dairy concentrate with silage fed ad libitum. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. 3: 90–91 (Abstr.).Google 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: 104–111.Google Scholar
Wernli, C. G. and Wilkins, R. J. 1971. The voluntary intake of grass silage supplemented with dried grass or barley. Anim. Prod. 13: 397 (Abstr.).Google Scholar