Feeding behavior and dry matter digestibility in sheep fed first and second cut reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.)

Author(s):  
N. Tokita, ◽  
I. Yoshimura ◽  
T. Tokita

We investigated the intake and digestibility of different reed canarygrass (RCG) growth stages by sheep. RCG was cultivated in an experimental field and harvested at the first and second cuts at each pre-blooming stage. Feeding behavior was monitored on adult female sheep, fed 3 kg each of fresh RCG three times daily. While the crude protein content and dry matter digestibility of RCG were significantly higher in leaf than in stem tissue of both first and second cut in harvesting times, neutral and acid detergent fiber contents were higher in stem than in leaf. The dry matter intake of RCG at the second cut (296.1g) was significantly higher than at the first cut (214.1 g). The eating time for consumption of RCG on dry matter at the second cut (54.9 min) was shorter than at the first cut (69.4 min). Consequently, at the second cut, the rate of biting (54.6 bites/min) was lower than at the first cut (64.8 bites/min). Bite size, expressed as dry matter intake per bite, ranged from 0.05 g at first cut to 0.10 g at second cut.

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 923 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Moate ◽  
D. E. Dalley ◽  
J. R. Roche ◽  
C. Grainger

Summary. The effect of herbage allowance (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 kg DM/cow. day) on the consumption of nutrients from herbage and milk production by cows in early lactation, was examined. The experiment was conducted on rainfed perennial ryegrass pastures in September and October 1997 in south-eastern Victoria, Australia. The herbage on offer comprised 64% perennial ryegrass, 21% other grasses, 1% white clover, 5% weeds and 9% dead material on a dry matter (DM) basis. The average pregrazing herbage height was 13 cm, at an estimated pregrazing herbage mass of 3.6 t DM/ha. The herbage on offer was of high quality containing 11.6 MJ metabolisable energy/kg DM, 202 g crude protein/kg DM and 525 g neutral detergent fibre/kg DM. Concentrations of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and chloride were 4.4, 2.2, 4.4, 31.2, 3.5, 2.7 and 11.4 g/kg DM, respectively. As daily herbage allowance per cow increased, dry matter intake increased curvilinearly (P<0.01) from 11.2 to 18.7 kg DM/cow. day. This was associated with a decrease in utilisation of herbage from 54 to 26% and an increase in milk production from 25.9 to 29.1 kg/cow. day. The cows on all treatments grazed for less than 8.7 h/day. The increase in intake was achieved by an increase in the rate of herbage intake from 1.5 to 2.2 kg DM/h for herbage allowances of 20 and 70 kg/cow.day, respectively. Irrespective of herbage allowance, cows selected a diet that was approximately 10% higher in in vitro dry matter digestibility and 30% higher in crude protein than that in the herbage on offer. The neutral detergent fibre content of the herbage selected was lower (P<0.05) than that on offer. The herbage consumed contained more (P<0.05) magnesium, potassium and sulfur, the same amount of calcium and phosphorus and less (P<0.05) sodium and chloride than the herbage on offer. For rainfed perennial pastures in spring, herbage allowance is an important factor in determining voluntary feed intake and production of dairy cows. To achieve 30 L from herbage, without supplementation, high herbage allowances are required. The increase in herbage intake, with increasing herbage allowance, resulted from an increase in rate of dry matter intake and not an increase in grazing time. No relationship was evident between herbage allowance and the selection differentials for in vitro dry matter digestibility, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre. Selection differentials for rainfed perennial pastures in spring are similar to those reported for irrigated perennial pastures in northern Victoria in spring and autumn. When determining nutrient requirements it is important to consider the interaction between herbage intake and nutrient concentration in the herbage.


Author(s):  
Carlos Augusto de Almeida Targino ALCOFORADO ◽  
Aianne Batista LIRA ◽  
Carla Giselly de SOUZA ◽  
Edson Mauro dos SANTOS ◽  
Safira Valença BISPO ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Here in this study we assessed dairy heifers kept in tropical grasslands during spring and summer seasons to observe the effects of two supplementation strategies upon their performance. Sixteen dairy heifers (Holstein 5/8 x Gyr 3/4) with 135.25 kg of body mass were randomly assigned in two supplementation treatments (e.g., mineral salt and protein salt supplement) during spring and summer seasons, divided into two groups of eight animals that represented 4.29 animal unit ha. Initial and final fasted weights (i.e., feed and water withheld for 16h) were obtained before to start and at the end of each grazing cycle (28 days), and then the weight gain (kg animal-1) per grazing cycle was calculated by the difference between final and initial weights. There was no significant effect (P <0.05) on the intake of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, and dry matter digestibility, between treatments (P <0.05). However, there was a significant effect (P <0.05) between seasons; e.g., respective means of dry matter intake (kg day-1,% BW g / kg 0.75), intake of crude protein (g day-1 g / kg 0.75), ether extract (g day-1), neutral detergent fiber (g day-1 and% BW) were 3.95 and 2.88 kg, 2.54 and 1.65%, 89.27 and 59.56 g kg0.75, 429.89 and 298.43 g day-1, 9.72 and 6.18 g kg0.75, 118.79 and 84.07 g day-1, 2.90 and 2.05 kg day-1, 1.86 and 1.18%, for Spring and Summer seasons. Moreover, the dry matter intake (% BW and g kg 0.75 of DM) were higher (P < 0.05) during the spring season (e.g., 2.53 vs 1.64 % BW; and 89.26 vs 59.56 g kg0.75 DM).


ZOOTEC ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 328
Author(s):  
Nancy W.H. Tuwaidan ◽  
M. R. Waani ◽  
Rustandi - ◽  
S. S. Malalantang

ABSTRACT INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY OF YELLOW MANADO AND JAYA 3 HYBRID CORN SRAWS FOR ONGOLE GRADE CATTLE. Experiment was conducted to determine the intake capacity and digestibility of Manado yellow corn straw (MYCS) and Jaya 3 hybrid corn straw (J3HCS) as single feed for Ongole grade cattle (OGC). Five female OGC were used in this experiment, applied into two periods. The animals were fed with MYCS in the first stage and J3HCS in the second stage. The measured variables were including dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), digestibility of crude protein (DCP) and digestibility of Neutral Detergent Fiber (DNDF). The data were analyzed by T test. The results showed that treatment significantly affected (p <0.05) the DMI, DMD, DCP and DNDF. It can be concluded DMI, DMD, DCP and DNDF of MYCS were higher than those of J3HCS.   Key words: Dry matter Intake, Digestibility, Corn straw, Ongole grade cattle.  


1959 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Troelsen ◽  
J. B. Campbell

Hays from stands top-dressed with 150 pounds of ammonium nitrate (33.5 per cent nitrogen) per acre and unfertilized stands of crested wheat-grass, Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn., intermediate wheatgrass, A. intermedium (Host.) Beauv., streambank wheatgrass, A. riparium Scribn. and Smith, and Russian wild ryegrass, Elymus junceus Fisch., as well as hay from unfertilized stands of tall wheatgrass, A. elongatum (Host.) B. P., reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea L., and Ladak alfalfa, Medicago media Pers., were fed to 70-pound wethers in digestion stalls in a randomized incomplete-block experiment.Chemical analyses of the hays indicated differences in percentage organic matter, crude protein, and nitrogen-free extract, while feed-feces ratios showed differences in the percentage digestibility of crude protein, nitrogen-free extract, and crude fibre. Despite these results no differences were established in nutritive values as estimated by digestible dry matter, total digestible nutrients, digestible energy or starch equivalents.Calculations demonstrated that the nutrient intake of crested wheatgrass, streambank wheatgrass, Russian wild ryegrass, and Ladak alfalfa were sufficient to provide at least a maintenance ration, but that the voluntary nutrient intake of intermediate wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass, and reed canary grass did not do so.Top-dressing did not increase the digestibility nor the apparent palatability of any feed; apparently consumption was determined by species characteristics rather than fertilizer treatment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Nunes PARENTE ◽  
Michelle de Oliveira Maia PARENTE ◽  
Ruan Mourão da Silva GOMES ◽  
Wesclley de Jesus dos Santos SODRÉ ◽  
Miguel Arcanjo MOREIRA FILHO ◽  
...  

SUMMARY The objectives of this research were to determine the effects increasing levels of concentrate on nutrients digestibility, performance, economic viability of diets and ingestive behavior of lambs. Fifteen crossbred lambs were used in a randomized complete block design according to initial body weight and age. Lambs were penned individually during 55 days, being 10 days for adaptation of diets and 45 days for data collection. The treatments consisted in three isonitrogenous diets with increasing levels of concentrate: 40, 60, or 80%, in dry matter basis. No effect (P>0.05) were observed on dry matter intake, crude protein intake, crude protein digestibility and neutral detergent fiber digestibility, whereas the dry matter digestibility was lower (P<0.01) for lambs fed diets with 40% of concentrate. The addition of 80% concentrate decreased (P<0.05) neutral detergent fiber intake, however this treatment provided higher average daily gain, followed by 60 and 40% of concentrate. In relation to feeding behavior, the animals fed80% concentrate spent more time with feeding (P<0.05) compared to the other treatments. It is concluded that supplementation of concentrate between 60 to 80% improves dry matter digestibility and performance of crossbred lambs without relevant affect dry matter intake and ingestive behavior. A diet with 80% concentrate provides positive gross margin of profit.


1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (120) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
RW Hodge ◽  
B Bogdanovic

Crossbred lambs [Poll Dorset x (Border Leicester x Merino)] were offered pasture hay (12% crude protein, 55.3% dry matter digestibility) ad libitum and supplemented with four levels of cereal (oats) or legume (peas) grains; 0, 250, or 500 g/head.d, or ad libitum in individual pens or in groups of 30 (feedlot). Increasing the level of supplementation of peas of the individually fed lambs from 0 to ad libitum increased total dry matter intake from 22 1 to 1041 g/head.d (P< 0.01), liveweight gain from - 70 to 263 g/d and wool growth from 13.1 to 38.3 mg clean wool/cm2. The corresponding results for oats were: total intake from 22 1 to 3 15 g/head.d (P> 0.05), liveweight gain from -70 to 52 g/d (P < 0.01) and wool growth from 13.1 to 15.2 mg clean wool/cm2 (P> 0.05). The intake of hay by the lambs supplemented with peas was not depressed until the peas were offered ad libitum but there was a significant decrease in the intake of hay (P< 0.01) at the lowest level of supplementation of oats. A similar pattern of response for total intake, intake of hay and liveweight gain was observed with the feedlot lambs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (12) ◽  
pp. 2329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Dini ◽  
J. I. Gere ◽  
C. Cajarville ◽  
Verónica S. Ciganda

Enteric methane (CH4) emissions are directly related to the quantity and type of feed intake. Existing mitigation strategies, for example, the addition of legumes to grass-based diets and increased use of grains, have been thoroughly researched and applied in different production systems. In this paper, we propose a need to expand the capacity to mitigate enteric CH4 emissions in cattle under grazing conditions. The objective of this paper was to contribute to evaluate a mitigation strategy under grazing conditions of using contrasting levels of pasture quality. The study was performed with 20 heifers twice during the year: winter and spring. Each season, the study employed a crossover design with two treatments and two 5-day measurement periods. The treatments were two pastures with different nutritional values, including a pasture with a low quality (70% of neutral detergent fibre, 1% of ether extract, 8% of non-fibre carbohydrates), 9% of crude protein, 35% of dry matter digestibility and a pasture with a high quality (42% neutral detergent fibre, 1.3% ether extract, 24% non-fibre carbohydrates, 21% crude protein and 63% dry matter digestibility). Enteric CH4 emissions were measured with sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique. The dry matter intake (kg/day) was measured indirectly using titanium dioxide as an external marker. CH4 emissions from animals grazing the high-quality pasture were 14% lower expressed as % of gross energy intake, and 11% lower expressed by unit of dry matter intake (g CH4/kg). These results quantitative showed the alternative to mitigate CH4 emissions from grazing bovines exclusively through the improvement of the forage quality offered.


1968 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kay ◽  
H. B. Bowers ◽  
G. McKiddie

1. Two growth trials and digestibility trials were carried out with 54 steers given diets containing either 11%, 14% or 17% crude protein in the dry matter and the same concentration of metabolisable energy.2. There were no significant differences in either dry-matter intake or live-weight gain by the steers given the diets containing 14% or 17% crude protein. Dry-matter intake was lower for the steers given the diet containing 11% crude protein and their live-weight gain was lower up to 250 kg live weight. Beyond 250 kg live weight their live-weight gain was similar to that of the steers on the two other treatments.3. Both dry-matter digestibility and apparent nitrogen digestibility were lowest for those steers given the diet containing 11% crude protein.


1973 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. Ahmed ◽  
J. H. Topps ◽  
D. G. Dempster

SUMMARY1. The digestibility of dry barley and acid-treated moist barley was studied with eight Friesian steers in two consecutive trials each of a duplicated, 2x2 factorial design. In the first trial the diet consisted of either dry or moist (30%) acid-treated barley in the rolled or whole form together with chopped hay; in the second trial rolled or whole, moist (24%) acid-treated barley was given with either chopped hay or silage.2. No significant difference between the diets in dry-matter intake was observed in the first trial, but in the second trial there was a significantly greater (P< 0·001) intake of dry matter with the hay than with the silage diets.3. For diets containing either of the moist barleys the digestibility of crude protein was higher when the grain was rolled than when it was whole, the differences being significant (P<0·05) for diets with the 24%-moisture barley. Dry-matter digestibility also was higher for diets containing rolled rather than whole, moist (24%) barley, the difference being significant (P < 0·05) for diets based on silage.4. Digestibility of starch was significantly greater (P<0·05) when acid-treated moist (24 or 30%) barley was given in the rolled rather than the whole form. Differences in starch digestibility between whole and rolled dry barley were not significant.5. For all diets the digestibility of crude fibre was greater when the barley was whole than when it was rolled, the difference being significant (P < 0·05) for diets containing hay.


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