Effects of duration of introductory feeding and barley content of pelleted diets on the feed intake and liveweight of export sheep

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 169 ◽  
Author(s):  
MH Round
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum

The liveweights and feed intakes of 409 adult wethers, from 2 pastoral sources, were measured in an experiment that simulated the assembly and shipping stages of the export of live sheep. The sheep were held separately with 17 wethers per group, and were introduced in outdoor yards to pelleted diets containing 0, 25 or 50% barley for either 5 or 9 days (adaptation) during which time lucerne hay or oaten hay were also fed. The wethers were then housed in intensive indoor pens (0.33 m21wether) for 14 days and fed the pelleted diets ad libitum without hay. During indoor feeding, wethers fed pellets containing 50% barley ate less pellets than did other sheep (1127 v. 1376 g DM/day, s.e.m. = 25.2, P<0.001). They had similar intakes of digestible organic matter (DOM) (732 v. 757 g/day, s.e.m. = 15.6), but lost more liveweight than did other sheep (- 1.88 v. -0.54 kg, s.e.m. = 0.200, P< 0.001). Increasing adaptation from 5 to 9 days significantly reduced the liveweight loss of wethers fed the diets containing 0% (-1.22 v. -0.20 kg, s.e.m. =0.283, P<0.05) and 25% barley (-1.35 v. 0.63 kg, s.e.m. = 0.283, P< 0.001) but had no effect on wethers fed diets containing 50% barley. Wethers fed lucerne hay during adaptation lost less liveweight indoors than wethers fed oaten hay (-0.66 v. -1.31 kg, s.e.m. = 0.163, P<0.01). Wethers fed lucerne for 9 days tended (P< 0.06) to eat more pellets indoors than other sheep (1386 v. 1262 kg, s.e.m. = 17.9). The wethers had an estimated intake of 37.9 g digestible organic matter/kg0.75 liveweight, which greatly exceeded expected requirements for maintenance and may be partly due to stress associated with intensive housing of the wethers.

Stimulation of wool growth by thyroxine implantation. II. Feed intake of grazing Merino wethers treated repeatedly with thyroxine.

1964 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 676 ◽  
Author(s):  
LJ Lambourne
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Maintenance Requirements ◽  
Substantial Rise ◽  
Stimulation Of

Estimates have been made of the feed intake of wethers that received implantations of 60 mg thyroxine every 3 months, and of untreated sheep, grazing together. The estimated intake of digestible organic matter (D.O.M.) by treated wethers was higher than that of controls in 24 out of 27 measurement periods. The difference in feed intake was least in the iirst month after implantation, when the treated sheep lost weight, and greatest in the second and third months when the treated sheep were regaining weight. The overall increase in intake resulting from thyroxine treatment (20–25%) was greater than the increase in wool production (7% greasy weight, 3-7 % clean weight), and the efficiency of wool production was therefore lower in thyroxinetreated wethers. From the relationships between feed intake and rate of weight change it was concluded that in the month after implantation, when pulse rates indicated a substantial rise in metabolic rate, the maintenance feed requirement was raised from about 560 g to about 780 g D.O.M. per day. Observations in two winters with recently shorn sheep gave estimates of maintenance requirements for untreated wethers ranging from 850 to 1300 g D.O.M. per day. During recovery from repeated thyroxine implantation the wethers gained in weight no more efficiently than the controls. The mechanism of action of exogenous thyroxine is discussed in the light of these and other data.

Influence of clipping regime and silage quality on the performance of pregnant and lactating ewes

1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 ◽  
pp. 55-55
Author(s):  
Heather J Black ◽  
D H B Chestnutt
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Silage Quality ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Additional Influence ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

Winter clipping of breeding ewes has given variable increases in lamb birth weight associated mainly with increased ewe voluntary food intake (Rutter, Laird and Broadbent, 1972; Vipond, King, Inglis and Hunter, 1987). The requirement for energy is greatest during the last six weeks of pregnancy but increasing uterine occupation of rumen volume may limit the ewe's ability to increase intake after clipping in late pregnancy. The additional influence of forage quality on intake after clipping is not clear. The present experiment was designed to study the independent and interacting effects of clipping regime and silage quality on lambing performance.Sixty Greyface ewes of uniform age were individually penned 14 weeks before lambing. Precision chop silage offered ad libitum was either early cut [188.3 g dry matter (DM)/kg, 155.7 g crude protein (CP)/kg DM, 740 g digestible organic matter (DOM)/kg DM] or late cut (184.5 g DM/kg, 100.9 g CP/kg DM, 689 g DOM/kg DM). For all treatments concentrate feeding was introduced 7 weeks before lambing, on an increasing scale to provide a total of 21 kg/ewe. Silage type was factorially arranged with 6 clipping regimes.

Lablab (Lablab purpureus) and lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) seeds as supplements for sheep fed low quality roughage

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
R. M. Dixon ◽  
E. S. Garcia ◽  
J. A. Domingo ◽  
J. H. G. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Synthetic Fibre ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Lupinus Angustifolius ◽  
Lablab Purpureus ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum

Summary. The seeds of lablab (Lablab purpureus) and lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) were investigated as supplements for young sheep. In experiment 1, rumen-cannulated sheep were offered low quality roughage ad libitum alone or supplemented with about 5, 10 or 20 g/kg liveweight whole lupin or lablab seed. Rumen ammonia concentrations were increased by each level of both supplements, and the increases were greater with lupins than with lablab. The pH of rumen fluid was decreased by both supplements, particularly when the higher levels were fed. Dry matter of broken seeds of both legume species rapidly disappeared from synthetic fibre bags incubated in the rumen. Roughage dry matter disappearance from synthetic fibre bags decreased (P<0.05) when 20 g/kg liveweight lupins was fed, and this level of both supplements reduced (P<0.05) roughage intake. Total dry matter intake was increased more by lablab than by lupins, but dry matter and organic matter digestibility tended to be increased to a lesser extent by lablab. Overall, digestible organic matter intake and liveweight gain were increased to similar extents by both supplements. Wool growth was lower (P<0.05) with lablab than lupins, particularly at the highest level of supplementation, suggesting that availability of some amino acids was lower with lablab supplement. In experiment 2, rumen-cannulated sheep were fed low quality roughage ad libitum and supplemented with about 10 g/kg liveweight of either lupin or lablab seed. Lectins and protease inhibitors present in the lablab seed disappeared rapidly from synthetic fibre bags incubated in the rumen. In conclusion the nutritional value of lablab seed as a supplement for sheep fed low quality roughage was similar to that of lupin seed for liveweight gain, but was lower for wool growth.

Effects of substitution of barley with citrus pulp on diet digestibility and intake and production of lactating ewes offered mixed diets based on ammonia-treated barley straw

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Castrillo ◽  
A. Barrios-Urdaneta ◽  
M. Fondevila ◽  
J. Balcells ◽  
J. A. Guada
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Microbial Protein ◽  
Citrus Pulp ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Lamb Growth

AbstractTwenty-eight lactating ewes (mean 48 (s.e. 0·37) kg live weight) were used from days 12 to 52 after lambing to evaluate the effects on digestibility and production performance of replacing barley grain with citrus pulp in diets based on ammonia-treated barley straw. Concentrates included 0·82 to 0·83 of different barley to citrus pulp proportions: 100: 0 (T1); 66: 33 (T2); 33: 66 (T3) and 0: 100 (T4), 0·115 of soya-bean meal, and urea to make diets isonitrogenous. Ewes were adapted to a common diet for 11 days after lambing, and then were given 850 g/day of each experimental concentrate together with 850 g/day of chopped barley straw for 14 days and milk production and lamb growth were recorded. During the following 14 days ewes received the same amount of concentrate but the straw was offered ad libitum and straw intake was recorded as well as milk production and lamb growth. After completing both periods, four ewes per treatment were used for total collections of faeces and urine. Apparent digestibility of organic matter and neutral-detergent fibre increased linearly (P < 0·05) with increasing levels of citrus pulp although no differences were found in the digestible organic matter content of dry matter of diets because of differences in ash content. Urinary excretion of allantoin and purine derivatives per unit of digestible organic matter intake tended to decrease with increasing inclusion of citrus pulp (proportionately by 0·15), suggesting a decrease in microbial protein synthesis, though this effect was not significant (P > 0·05). Faecal excretion of purine bases also decreased (P < 0·05) as citrus pulp inclusion increased. No treatment effect (P > 0·05) on ewe live weight, milk composition or serum glucose and 3–OH butyrate was observed when a 1: 1 straw to concentrate ratio was given, but milk production and lamb daily gain decreased linearly (P < 0·05) with increased proportions of citrus pulp in the concentrate. Similar responses were detected when straw was given ad libitum and differences among treatments in terms of straw intake were not identified. It is concluded that a lower microbial protein flow might explain in part the reduction in milk production observed when barley was replaced with citrus pulp.

Factors limiting the intake of feed by sheep. IV. The intake and digestion of mature ryegrass

1968 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
RH Weston ◽  
JP Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Alimentary Tract ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Additional Protein ◽  
Ryegrass Hay ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Ad Libitum Intake ◽  
Daily Gain

Intake and digestion studies were conducted with sheep fed on ryegrass hay containing 6% crude protein and having an organic matter digestibility of 58%. The intake of ryegrass was little affected when additional protein was provided both as a dietary supplement and as an infusion per abomasum. When supplements containing adequate amounts of protein and minerals were given, the intake of the hay was still comparatively low at 780 g organic matter per day. Grinding and pelleting the diet of hay + supplements permitted a higher feed intake. It was concluded that feed intake was limited by the resistance of the organic matter of the hay to removal from the rumen. Digestion studies were conducted at a level of feeding equal to approximately 90% of the ad libitum intake. The quantity of organic matter apparently digested in the stomach was equal to 60% of the organic matter digested in the alimentary tract; about 80% of the digestion of fibre took place in the stomach. There was a net daily gain of 7.5 g of nitrogen during the passage of digesta through the stomach, and part of this gain appeared to be due to the passage of endogenous nitrogen into the rumen. The apparent digestibility in the intestines of nitrogen that left the stomach in digesta was 73%; 1.6 g of nitrogen was apparently digested in the intestines per 100 g organic matter intake. Values of certain parameters relating to the movement of digesta through the stomach were similar to those previously recorded with a low quality cereal hay.

The performance of early-weaned calves offered a high dry-matter silage supplemented with concentrates or dried grass

1975 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
High Dry Matter ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum

SUMMARYIn two experiments a high dry-matter silage (36·8% DM) was offered ad libitum, together with a supplement of a conventional concentrate or cobs of dried grass, to young British Friesian castrated male (steer) calves. The silage was readily acceptable to the calves and was preferred to the dried grass. Intakes of silage DM were significantly higher (P<0·001) when supplemented with dried grass than when supplemented with concentrates, but daily gains were significantly (P<0·001) lower by 0·15 kg. The lower daily gains supported by the silage/dried grass diet were related to lower intakes of digestible organic matter (DOM); efficiency of utilization of silage/dried grass DOM was similar to that of concentrate/silage DOM. The results are discussed in relation to recommended levels of production for calves in a semi-intensive beef system.

The comparative nutritive value for weaner sheep of stubble and grain of pea, vetch and lupin crops

1977 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
GW Arnold ◽  
SR Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Nutritive Values ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Wheat Chaff ◽  
Linear Regressions

Weaner Merino wethers were used in three experiments to compare the nutritive value of lupin, pea and vetch grains and stubbles. In the first experiment, grain was offered either as the sole ration at 250 g day-1 or as a supplement of 0, 250 or 750 g day-1 to wheat chaff which was offered ad libitum. The grains were pea, vetch, lupin, barley and a 311 mixture of barley and lupin. The mixed grain was not offered as the sole ration, nor was barley offered as a supplement at more than 250 g day-1. There were only small differences in the nutritive value of the grains. The sheep ate less chaff when offered lupin or barley plus lupin grain than when offered pea or vetch grain. However, because the digestibility of the diets was higher with lupins, digestible organic matter intakes were similar within a level of feeding for the three legume grains. Substitution of barley for 75% of the lupins resulted in a lower intake of digestible organic matter than occurred with 100% lupins. In the second and third experiments the three legume grains were offered at 160 and 500 g day-1 respectively, in combinations with chaff of lupin, pea or vetch stubble offered ad libitum. Some differences in the value of the chaffs were found, but the grains had similar nutritive values when offered with any particular chaff. There were significant linear regressions between digestible organic matter intakes and liveweight gain, which were similar for the three experiments, with no differences between type of grain or type of chaff.

The utilization of spear grass (Heteropogon contortus). I. Factors limiting intake and utilization by cattle and sheep

1972 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
BD Siebert ◽  
PM Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Total Organic Matter ◽  
Mineral Supplement ◽  
Heteropogon Contortus ◽  
Total Intake ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Maintenance Requirements ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

The addition of 13.6% lucerne to a diet of spear grass increased the total intake of digestible organic matter of cattle by nearly 30%. Further additions (24.5 and 44.9%) increased the total organic matter intake, but decreased the spear grass intake. In cattle, the digestibility of the spear grass portion of the diet appeared to decrease as lucerne was added to the diet. Sheep consumed and digested spear grass poorly, although an addition of 14.4% legume increased both digestibility and intake. Further additions of legume slightly decreased the digestibility of the spear grass. The addition of urea alone did not influence digestion or feed intake by either cattle or sheep. When cattle were fed on spear grass, urea, and minerals, the quantity of organic matter digested was not significantly different from that with a diet of spear grass and 20% lucerne. The digestibility of the spear grass was not influenced by urea and minerals, whereas it decreased with the addition of lucerne. Increased feed consumption was maintained when various components of the mineral supplement were withdrawn, excepting nitrogen and sulphur. The energy derived from diets of spear grass and lucerne or spear grass and minerals appears to be above the maintenance requirements of cattle, but below those of sheep.

The feeding value for beef cattle of lucerne cobs differing in maturity and date of harvest

1977 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-226
Author(s):  
G. M. J. Horton ◽  
W. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Latin Squares ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
Ad Libitum

SUMMARYThe feeding value of four batches of dried lucerne cobs was compared in two experiments with beef cattle. The cobs were prepared from primary growths, cut early (LI) and late (L2), and from second-cut (L3) and third-cut (L4) material.In Experiment 1, intakes and digestibilities of the four cuts, offered as the sole feed, were measured using six British Friesian steers in two (3 × 3) Latin squares. The intake of lucerne cobs decreased as the digestibility of organic matter and cellulose increased, to result in similar intakes of digestible organic matter for all treatments.In Experiment 2, 32 beef cattle were given rolled barley and the lucerne cobs in the ratio of 1: 2 at two levels, plus barley straw ad libitum. The treatments were compared in eight (4 × 4) Latin squares. Similar daily gains were supported by diets containing LI, L3 and L4. Performance on diets containing L2 was significantly poorer at both levels of feeding.

Effect of divergent selection for weaning weight on liveweight and wool growth responses to feed intake in Merino ewes

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 699 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Herd ◽  
VH Oddy ◽  
GJ Lee
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Divergent Selection ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Weaning Weight ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Response To Change

During a 6-week experiment, the feed requirements for maintenance of liveweight (LW) by adult Merino ewes were measured in 2 flocks selected over 32 years for divergent weaning weight. Also examined were the net efficiency of LW gain and wool growth in response to change in feed intake, and the ability to digest dietary organic matter. Ewes selected for high weaning weight (W+) were 31% heavier than those selected for low weaning weight (W-) at the start of the experiment. To maintain LW, W+ ewes ate 24% more digestible organic matter (DOM) per day than W- ewes. There were no differences (P>0.2) in the net efficiency of feed use for LW gain. The W+ ewes digested more (P<0.01) dietary organic matter, by 1.8 percentage units, than W- ewes and, consequently, required only 22% more dry feed to maintain their heavier LW. Ewes from the 2 flocks did not differ (P>0.4) in the amount of wool grown, and as W+ ewes were larger, they produced less (P<0.01) wool per kg LW for the same DOM intake.

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