A COMPARISON OF UREA AND ALFALFA CUBES AS A SOURCE OF PROTEIN ENSILED WITH CORN SILAGE

1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
L. J. FISHER

Sixteen Holstein cows in mid-lactation were randomly assigned for a 35-day period to either corn silage supplemented with urea (4.95 kg/tonne) or corn silage supplemented with alfalfa cubes (90 kg/tonne) at ensiling time. These treatments were then reversed during a 7-day changeover period and the trial continued for a further 35 days. The silages were fed ad libitum and grain was fed in the parlor at the rate of 1.0 kg/4.0 kg milk yield. The protein and acid detergent fiber contents of the urea–corn silage were 11.6 and 25.3%, while those of alfalfa–corn silage were 11.1 and 28.6%. Cows offered the urea–corn silage consumed less forage dry matter expressed as percent of body weight, 2.04 vs. 2.11 and produced less milk, 26.08 vs. 26.86 kg/day (P < 0.05). During the feeding of the alfalfa cube–corn silage, cows gained an average of 4.09 kg/35 days, but lost 3.68 kg/35 days when urea–corn silage was fed (P < 0.05). There was no effect of form of nitrogen supplementation on milk composition or rumen volatile fatty acids, but blood urea nitrogen and plasma glucose were significantly higher (P < 0.05) and plasma calcium lower for cows fed urea–corn silage than for those fed alfalfa cube–corn silage. Apparent dry matter and protein digestibilities were higher for the urea–corn silage than for cows fed alfalfa cube–corn silage but digestibility of acid detergent fiber fraction was greater for cows fed alfalfa cube–corn silage.

1976 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 894-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.J. Schingoethe ◽  
H.H. Voelker ◽  
G.L. Beardsley ◽  
J.G. Parsons

1981 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 935-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. K. FRANKLIN ◽  
J. E. WINCH ◽  
G. K. MACLEOD

A nylon bag technique was used to study the effect of concentrate feeding on the rate and extent of digestion of bromegrass constituents in eight fistulated sheep fed rations at or slightly above maintenance, at concentrate to bromegrass ratios of 3:97, 22:78, 44:56 and 66:34. The eight sheep were arranged in a double 4 × 4 latin square design with nylon bag incubation times of 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h. Rations containing 44 and 66% concentrate depressed rumen digestion of bromegrass dry matter at both 24- and 48-h incubation times. The extent of digestion depression varied among sheep and was related to the animal's ability to buffer increases in rumen acidity. Digestibilities of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and hemicellulose followed trends similar to that of dry matter. Rumen osmolality, total volatile fatty acids and ammonia levels appeared to have little relationship to bromegrass dry matter digestion. The apparent or total gut digestibility of cell wall components was not depressed. This suggested that additional digestion took place in the ileum, cecum and colon and that the proportion of concentrate supplementation may affect ruminal but not the total gut utilization of roughage at maintenance levels of intake.


1977 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Lee

Changes in the composition of digesta along the gastrointestinal tract of scouring sheep fed on wheat grain ad libitum were studied relative to sheep fed on lucerne hay ad libitum. Wheat engorgement significantly (P < 0.005) depressed the pH of the digesta in the reticulorumen and the digestive tract distal to the jejunum. A mean total volatile fatty acids concentration of 10.3mM in the caecum of scouring sheep was significantly lower than the mean of 51.6mM in sheep fed on lucerne hay. Net absorption of water was negligible in the colon of scouring sheep as digesta were only 13.7–14.7% dry matter, whereas in sheep fed on lucerne, the dry matter of digesta increased from 14.7% in the caecum to 27.9% at the rectum.


1973 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hi Shin Kang ◽  
Jane Leibholz

SUMMARYAn experiment was conducted with 50 male Friesian calves between 5 and 11 weeks of age. Milled wheat straw (0·95 cm screen) was included in a pelleted all-concentrate diet at concentrations of 0, 15, 30 or 45 %. The nitrogen content of the diets was maintained by the addition of urea. The diets were given alone or with a chaffed lucerne hay or wheat straw supplement ad libitum. All diets contained 2 % sodium bicarbonate.The feed intake and weight gains of the calves were increased significantly by the inclusion of 15 % milled wheat straw, but were reduced by 30 or 45 % straw. The supplements of chaffed wheat straw or lucerne hay ad libitum did not influence the performance of the calves. The inclusion of wheat straw in the diets reduced their dry-matter digestibility but the digestibility of acid detergent fibre was maximal with 27 % straw. The digestibility of nitrogen was significantly increased by 15% straw but reduced by further increases in straw.The inclusion of wheat straw in the diets did not influence the pH of the rumen contents or the concentration of total volatile fatty acids in the rumen. Increasing the level of straw in the diet caused a significant linear increase in the proportion of acetic acid and decreases in butyric, propionic and valeric acids.


1976 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. THORLACIUS

Manure from a commercial feedlot was dehydrated at an alfalfa dehydration plant. The manure contained, on a dry matter (DM) basis, 14.8% crude protein, 14% ash, 0.83% calcium, 0.69% phosphorus, 30.5% crude fiber, and 2.6% fat. About 45% of the DM in the manure was wheat straw bedding. Each of three pelleted rations: 50% hay 50% barley (HB); 50% manure 50% barley (MB); and 100% manure (M) was fed ad libitum to eight individually penned yearling wethers in a 38-day feeding trial. In addition to the manure pellets, lambs on ration M were fed 200 g/day alfalfa hay until intake of pellets exceeded 600 g/day, and 200 g/day barley during the first 28 days on test. A digestibility trial, five wethers per treatment, was conducted after the 38-day feeding trial. Mean daily DM intake during the feeding trial was 2,054, 1,714, 1,165 (pellets only) g and mean daily gain was 272, 148 and −57 g for rations HB, MB, and M, respectively. The corresponding values were 2,632, 2,277, and 2,050 g for DM intake during the final 10 days of the feeding trial, 62.7, 51.7, and 26.7% for DM digestibility, and 70.9, 62.6, and 42.2 for nitrogen digestibility. Molar percent volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid of lambs on ration M were similar to those normally observed for high roughage rations. Molar percent acetic in rumen fluid of lambs on ration HB was greater (P < 0.05) and percent valeric lower (P < 0.05) than on ration MB. It was concluded that sheep will consume rations containing large amounts of dehydrated manure, but low digestibility of manure severely limits its value as a ration ingredient.


1980 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 931-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. VEIRA ◽  
G. K. MACLEOD

Diets of corn and corn silage (80:20 dry matter (DM) basis) were fed to 48 male Holstein calves in an experiment of 2 × 2 factorial design to evaluate the effect of rolling or grinding corn and of the addition of 0 or 1.2% urea. The calves were fed for 105 days and had an initial weight of 92.6 kg. The physical form of the corn had no effect on performance of the calves. The inclusion of urea increased dietary protein from9.5to 12.8% and growth rate (P < 0.05) from 0.72 to 1.06 kg/day and improved feed efficiency (P < 0.05) from 4.68 to 3.69 kg feed DM/kg gain. Digestibilities of DM and N were increased by urea supplementation (P < 0.05) but not affected by the physical form of the corn (P > 0.05). In a subsequent experiment, the effects of physical form of corn and urea supplementation on rumen volatile fatty acids and ammonia and plasma urea were examined in calves. The physical form of the corn had no effect (P > 0.05), whereas urea supplementation increased rumen ammonia (P < 0.05) and reduced pH (P < 0.05). The only volatile fatty acids affected by treatments were propionate and butyrate which were increased (P < 0.05) and decreased (P < 0.05), respectively, on the urea-ground corn combination. The results indicate that with 100- to 200-kg growing calves, rolled or ground corn was equally well-utilized when fed with 20% corn silage and that with urea as the only supplementary source of N, growth rates of 1 kg/day were achieved.


1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-565
Author(s):  
L. J. FISHER

Sixteen Holstein cows in early lactation were assigned to a switch-back experiment consisting of two experimental periods 35 days in length separated by a 7-day changeover period. Treatments consisted of two feeding systems, alfalfa cubes ensiled with corn silage or alfalfa cubes fed with the corn silage. When cows were fed corn–alfalfa cube silage they consumed more forage, 2.26 vs. 2.16% of body weight per cow per day than when they were fed the alfalfa cubes with the silage. Fat-corrected milk yield was somewhat higher, 25.4 vs. 24.0 kg/day; fat percent and fat yield were greater, 3.13 vs. 2.70% and 918 vs. 814 g/day for corn–alfalfa cube silage as compared to cubes added at feeding time. However, milk yield was greater, 29.9 vs. 29.1 kg/day, and milk lactose percent was greater, 5.26 vs. 5.18% for cows fed cubes at feeding time compared to cows fed corn–alfalfa cube silage. There was no difference between feeding systems in blood minerals or metabolites with the exception of plasma urea nitrogen which was higher, 20.2 vs. 17.2 mg %, for the alfalfa cubes fed with the corn silage. Apparent dry matter and protein digestibility for the total ration were 68.1 and 71.6% when corn alfalfa cube silage was fed compared to 65.4 and 68.5% when the cubes were fed with the corn silage (P < 0.05). It was concluded from this study that alfalfa cubes ensiled with corn silage was an effective method of increasing the dry matter and protein content of corn silage and in improving the digestibility of the total ration.


1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. KUNG Jr. ◽  
B. W. JESSE ◽  
J. W. THOMAS ◽  
J. T. HUBER ◽  
R. S. EMERY

Whole barley was treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in laboratory trials. Dry matter disappearance from nylon bags in the rumen of whole barley treated with 2.5, 3.5, or 4.9% NaOH for 30 h was 59.6, 72.4, and 93.0%, respectively, compared with 82.2% for untreated ground barley. In a subsequent lactation trial, 24 Holstein cows (eight per treatment) were fed high moisture ground ear corn, high moisture rolled barley or high moisture whole barley treated with 3.5% NaOH. Milk persistencies tended to be greater for cows fed high moisture rolled barley, next for ground ear corn and least for NaOH-treated barley. Milk composition was similar for all treatments. Dry matter intake was greatest for cows fed ground ear corn and lower for those fed the barley diets. Alpha-linked glucose and pH of feces were similar for cows fed ground ear corn and high moisture rolled barley diets, but fecal pH was lower and alpha-linked glucose concentrations three times greater for NaOH-treated barley. Digestibility percents of dry matter, acid detergent fiber and nitrogen were 61.4, 25.3, 64.7 for ground ear corn; 64.4, 38.0, 67.1 for high moisture rolled barley; and 56.8, 43.2, 54.8 for NaOH-treated barley, respectively. Rumen grain turnover estimated by excretion of ytterbium in feces was greatest for NaOH-treated barley (9.09%/h), intermediate for ground ear corn (6.10%/h) and lowest for high moisture rolled barley (4.93%/h). Key words: Dairy, sodium hydroxide, high moisture grains


1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 721-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. FISHER ◽  
J. D. ERFLE ◽  
F. D. SAUER

Glutamate, succinate, propylene glycol, or glycerol were added to a basic concentrate at 3.3% of air-dry feed. Each concentrate was fed both ad libitum and in restricted amounts to four cows in early lactation. Dietary intake, milk yield and composition, molar proportions of rumen volatile fatty acids and blood glucose, ketones and plasma free fatty acids were used as criteria of effect of these supplements. Propylene glycol in the diet resulted in a lower intake of concentrate compared with glycerol (11.44 versus 14.30 kg/day) and significantly decreased (P < 0.05) rumen butyrate and plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate. Glutamate supplementation prevented the fall in milk fat content which occurred when the other three supplemented concentrates were fed ad libitum, and this effect may have been related to the constancy in the ratio of acetate to propionate in the rumen fluid.


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