Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:30:17.440Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A study of factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

T. A. McCullough
T. A. McCullough
Affiliation:
Loughry Agricultural College, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland
Get access

Summary

Six diets providing ratios of concentrate to hay of 100 : 0, 95 : 5, 90 : 10, 80 : 20, 70 : 30 and 60 : 40 were given ad libitum to 24 British Friesian steers. The hay (in the long form) was offered separately from the concentrates. From 91 to 136 kg live weight, as the proportion of hay in the diet increased, daily dry-matter intake decreased. Over the weight range, 136 to 363 kg live weight, the addition of small amounts of hay to the concentrate diet caused an increase in intake. At 42 weeks of age a digestibility trial was carried out. Daily drymatter intake was maximal when the diet contained 80% concentrates. The apparent digestibility and mean retention time of the diets increased as the proportion of concentrates increased. Differences in estimated gut fill were not significant. The diet consisting of concentrate only resulted in the lowest concentration of acetic acid and the highest concentration of propionic and butyric acids in the rumen liquor. Net-energy intake tended to increase as the proportion of concentrates increased from 60 to 90% but then remained fairly constant.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , May 1969 , pp. 145 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1969

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

Balch, C. C. 1950. Factors affecting the utilization of food by dairy cows. 1. The rate of passage of food through the digestive tract. Br. J. Nutr. 19: 325–388.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. and Campling, R. C. 1962. Regulation of voluntary food intake in ruminants. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 32: 669–686.Google ScholarPubMed
Baumgardt, B. R. 1965. Practical approach to calculation of gastro-intestinal tract fill. J. Dairy Sci. 48: 619–620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. 1967. The Energy Metabolism of Ruminants. Hutchinson, London.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1964. The utilization of the energy of different rations by sheep and cattle for maintenance and for production. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 63: 113–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1966. The fasting metabolism of cattle. Br. J. Nutr. 20: 103–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L., Clapperton, J. L. and Martin, A. K. 1966. The heat of combustion of the urine of sheep and cattle in relation to its chemical composition and to diet. Br. J. Nutr. 20: 449–460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L., Graham, N. McC. and Wainman, F. W. 1956. Some observations on the digestibility of food by sheep, and on related problems. Br. J. Nutr. 10: 69–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L., Wainman, F. W. and Wilson, R. S. 1961. The regulation of food intake by sheep. Anim. Prod. 3: 51–61.Google Scholar
Campling, R. C. and Balch, C. C., 1961. Factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cows. 1. Preliminary observations on the effect, on the voluntary intake of hay, of changes in the amount of the reticulo-ruminal contents. Br. J. Nutr. 15: 523–530.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campling, R. C. and Freer, M. 1962. The effect of specific gravity and size on the mean time of retention of inert particles in the alimentary tract of the cow. Br. J. Nutr. 16: 507–518.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campling, R. C., Freer, M. and Balch, C. C. 1961. Factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cows. 2. The relationship between the voluntary intake of roughages, the amount of digesta in the reticulo-rumen and the rate of disappearance of digesta from the alimentary tract. Br. J. Nutr. 15: 531–540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coombe, J. B. and Kay, R. N. B. 1965. Passage of digesta through the intestines of the sheep. Retention times in the small and large intestines. Br. J. Nutr. 19: 325–338.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freer, M. and Campling, R. C. 1963. Factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cows. 5. The relationship between the voluntary intake of food, the amount of digesta in the reticulo-rumen and the rate of disappearance of digesta from the alimentary tract with diets of hay, dried grass or concentrates. Br. J. Nutr. 17: 79–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montgomery, M. J. and Baumgardt, B. R. 1965. Regulation of food intake in ruminants. 1. Pelleted rations varying in energy concentration. J. Dairy Sci. 48: 569–574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preston, T. R., Attken, J. N., Whitelaw, F. G., Macdearmid, A., Philip, Euphemia B. and MacLeod, N. A. 1963. Intensive beef production. 3. Performance of Friesian steers given low-fibre diets. Anim. Prod. 5: 245–249.Google Scholar
Rowett Research Institute. 1962. Beef and milk production. Mimeograph rep. (Cattle Section, Applied Nutrition Department).Google Scholar
Snedecor, G. W., 1957. Statistical Methods (5th edition) Iowa State College Press, Ames, Ia.Google Scholar
Wilson, R. F. and Tilley, J. M. A. 1964. Determination of organic acids in silage by silica gel chromatography. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 15: 203–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wise, M. B., Blumer, T. N., Craig, H. B. and Barrick, E. R. 1965. Influence of rumen buffering agents and hay on performance and carcass characteristics of steers fed allconcentrate rations. J. Anim. Sci. 24: 83–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wise, M. B., Blumer, T. N., Matrone, G. and Barrick, E. R. 1961. Investigations on the feeding of all-concentrate rations to beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 20: 561–565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar