NUTRIENT VALUE OF HAY HARVESTED WITH MECHANICAL STACKING WAGONS, LARGE ROUND BALER AND CONVENTIONAL BALER

1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. THORLACIUS ◽  
W. COATES ◽  
M. FELDMAN

In 1972, crested wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, and bromegrass hay were harvested with a Hesston 30 stacking wagon, McKee 1000 stacking wagon, and conventional baler. Crested wheatgrass was stacked at 35 and 29% moisture, intermediate wheatgrass at 38 and 27% moisture, and bromegrass at 41 and 31% moisture. Crested wheatgrass was baled at 23 and 19%, intermediate wheatgrass at 27 and 22%, and bromegrass at 30 and 20% moisture. In 1973, the same grass species were harvested at two moisture levels, 20 and 12% for crested wheatgrass, 25 and 19% for intermediate wheatgrass, and 24 and 20% for bromegrass with a Hesston 10 stacking wagon, Vermeer 605 round baler, and conventional baler. Dry matter intake by lambs and digestibility measurements (in vivo 1972, in vitro 1973) indicated that with the exception of bromegrass harvested in 1972, harvesting machine had little effect on hay quality. In 1972, bromegrass harvested with the stacking wagons was inferior in quality to the baled hay. The effect of moisture level at harvest was dependent on species of grass, harvesting machine, and weather conditions during harvest.

1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. THORLACIUS

Digestibility and intake of diets containing 8, 28, 48 or 68% ground wheat straw plus ground crested wheatgrass and rapeseed meal, and diets containing 33, 48, 63 and 78% ground crested wheatgrass plus barley and rapeseed meal was measured with four yearling wethers per diet. Digestible energy (DE) content ranged from 2.07 to 2.95 kcal/g dry matter (DM) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) (%) from 48.7 to 71.1%. Regression of DE intake y (kcal/w0.75kg/d) on DE content (x) was curvilinear; y = −2,133 + 1,626x − 277.9x2, r = 0.996, P < 0.01, SE = ± 7.3. There was also a curvilinear relationship between diet density, as fed, (x) g (DM)/ml and DMD (%), y = 9.057 + 364.1x − 530.0x2, r = 0.970, P < 0.01, SE = ± 2.4. A linear regression equation was calculated over the DE range (2.07–2.52) for which there was an obvious increase in DE intake with increasing diet DE content; y = −700.6 + 361x, r = 0.994, P < 0.01, SE = ± 9.4, y = DE intake (kcal/w0.75kg/d), x = DE [kcal/g (DM)]. Using this regression equation and assuming a linear increase in DE intake with increase in diet DE content up to a point at which the apparent energy demand of the animal is satisfied gave a more accurate prediction of DE intake than when the curvilinear regression equation, y = −2,133 + 1,626x − 277.9x2, was used empirically. Accuracy of the prediction was further improved by expressing DE/unit ration volume instead of per unit DM. The sheep used in the present experiments had an apparent energy demand of 230 kcal/w0.75kg/day which was met at diet DE contents above 0.48 kcal/ml or 2.6 kcal/g (DM). There was a high correlation between in vivo DE content of the diet, y [kcal/g (DM)] and in vitro (x) digestible organic matter content, x, (%), r = 0.991, P < 0.01, y = 0.38 + 0.037x, SE = ± 0.04.


1998 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 172-174
Author(s):  
D. L. Romney ◽  
F. C. Cadario ◽  
E. Owen ◽  
A .H. Murray

Parameters from in vitro gas production techniques could have potential as predictors of dry-matter intake (DMI) and digestibility. Fermentation is usually carried out under conditions where nitrogen (N) is not limiting. Therefore where N supply is a constraint to intake and digestibility, prediction equations may be inaccurate. This study compared the use of N-free and N-rich media in an in vitro fermentation method (Theodorou et al., 1994) and studied the relationships between in vitro and in vivo parameters obtained using both media.


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. McMahon ◽  
W. Majak ◽  
T. A. McAllister ◽  
J. W. Hall ◽  
G. A. Jones ◽  
...  

The effects of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on digestion of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Fresh alfalfa and sainfoin were incubated in an artificial rumen (Rusitec) in ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 (as-fed). Disappearances of dry matter and N from sainfoin were 77 and 65% of those from alfalfa, respectively. Protease and endoglucanase activities, NH3-N and methane production declined (P < 0.05) as sainfoin increased. Bacterial numbers and microbial outputs were unchanged (P > 0.05), but cells incorporated more 15NH3N as sainfoin in the diet increased. Chopped leaves (100:0, 95:5 and 90:10 alfalfa:sainfoin) were incubated for 48 h with diluted ruminal fluid containing 0 or 50 mg polyethylene glycol, which binds tannins. Gas and volatile fatty acid productions were similar (P > 0.05) across treatments, but including 10% sainfoin (without polyethylene glycol) reduced (P < 0.05) NH3 concentrations between 8 and 24 h. Sainfoin tannins reduced degradation of forage protein without affecting the digestibility of the nonprotein fraction. Alfalfa herbage was fed alone or with early- to full-bloom sainfoin herbage (at 10 or 20% of ad libitum alfalfa dry matter intake) or with sainfoin hay or pellets, to eight Jersey steers in crossover trials conducted over 4 yr. Including sainfoin in the diet reduced (P < 0.001) the incidence of bloat by 45 to 93% in 3 of 4 yr, irrespective of the form in which it was supplied. Co-feeding sainfoin can markedly reduce the incidence of bloat in ruminants consuming fresh alfalfa. Key words: Alfalfa, sainfoin, bloat, condensed tannins


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 719-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. KNOWLES

Six Eurasian temperate zone grasses, one mixture of these, and three North American wheatgrasses were compared in mainly nonfertilized tests from 1974 to 1983 in Saskatchewan, Canada. Introduced grasses outyielded natives at Saskatoon when cut once per season as hay with the following declining yield order (kg/ha): intermediate wheatgrass (3819), standard crested wheatgrass (2906), smooth bromegrass (2841), Russian wild ryegrass (2311), Fairway crested wheatgrass (2218), meadow bromegrass (2082), slender wheatgrass (2011), western wheatgrass (1919), and northern wheatgrass (1683). Much the same order of yield was observed when these grasses were clipped two to three times per season, although meadow bromegrass and western wheatgrass performed relatively better. At the Scott site, standard crested wheatgrass and northern wheatgrass performed relatively better than at Saskatoon. Slightly lower in vitro digestibility ratings were shown for natives than for introduced species and this appeared to be due to the more rapid senescence of natives. Stands at Saskatoon were maintained for 10 yr for all species except slender wheatgrass which lasted 5 yr. Weed control was best for meadow bromegrass and smooth bromegrass and poorest for slender wheatgrass, northern wheatgrass, and Fairway crested wheatgrass. Fertilizer applied to older stands showed a greater response for introduced grasses than for natives.Key words: Grass species, productivity, hay, pasture, longevity


1975 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
S. Tamminga ◽  
C.J. van der Koelen

1. Grass from the same sward was ensiled without additive, with 14.6 g formic acid/100 g crude protein or 10.8 g formic acid and 10.6 g formaldehyde/100 g crude protein. Similar grass was dried and pelleted. Drying or ensiling with the mixture reduced solubility of N in the preserved grass but formic acid increased it, and ensiling without additive increased it even more. Apparent digestibility of N in the rumen of cows tended to decrease with decrease in solubility. Digestibility in vitro of the mixed diet given to the cows, calculated from digestibility of the separate components, agreed well with the values in vivo for diets with silages, but was high for that with dried grass. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


1972 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
DC Brown ◽  
JC Radcliffe

Twenty experimental silages were made from seven pasture species at different stages of maturity. In vivo dry matter, organic matter, and energy ad libitum intakes and digestibilities of the silages were determined with standardized pairs of Merino wethers. The following chemical characteristics of the silages were measured: nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total titratable acids, acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acids, total volatiles lost during oven drying, lactic acid as a percentage of the total organic acids, pH, acid pepsin dry matter disappearance, dry matter content, and in vitro digestibility and rate of digestion. When all 20 silages were considered, energy intakes on a body weight basis were significantly related to silage pH (r = 0.55) and rate of in vitro digestion (r = 0.58). When the five legume silages were removed from the analysis and only the 15 grass-dominant silages were considered, dry matter intakes were significantly related to acetic (r = –0.57) and propionic acid (r = –0.55) concentrations. Multiple regression analyses did not significantly increase the accuracy of predicting intake. The results suggested that silage intake was negatively related to the degree of fermentation that occurred during the ensiling process.


1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 197-197
Author(s):  
R. Sanderson ◽  
S.J. Lister ◽  
A. Sargeant ◽  
M.S. Dhanoa

The objectives of this study were a) to examine the effect of particle size and silage dry matter (DM) content on the rate and pattern of fermentation of fresh silages in vitro as an aid to modelling the in vivo situation and b) to compare the rate and pattern of fermentation of fresh silage samples with those obtained for freeze-dried material.


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