Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-75dct Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-13T11:01:21.523Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The incorporation of alkali-treated straw in fattening rations for male cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Z. Holzer
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Animal Science, Nve Ya'ar Experiment Station, PO Haifa, Israel
D. Levy
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Animal Science, Nve Ya'ar Experiment Station, PO Haifa, Israel
Y. Folman
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Animal Science, Nve Ya'ar Experiment Station, PO Haifa, Israel
Get access

Abstract

The fattening process of male cattle was divided into three weight stages: 150 to 250kg, 250 to 400kg, 400 to 490kg. Seventy animals were fed either a control (C) diet containing 10·3 MJ/kg metabolizable energy and some hay, or an experimental (E) diet containing 8 4 MJ/kg, in which NaOH-treated wheat straw (450g/kg) and long straw (50 g/kg) were incorporated.

The diets were given during the three weight stages to five treatment groups as follows: 1. C-C-C. 2. E-E-E. 3. C-E-E, 4. C-E-C, and 5. E-E-C. The average daily gain and metabolizable energy conversion ratios were: 1344, 980, 1127, 1145, 1094g/day and 71·4, 90·6, 77·3, 73·7, 79·8 MJ/kg live weight, respectively. The saving of concentrates plus hay in groups 2 to 5 compared with group 1 was 1·33, 1·65, 0·84 and 0·91 kg/kg live weight respectively, and the concentrates plus hay by straw replacement ratio was 3·80, 2·12, 2·00 and 3·06, respectively. Dressing percentage and percentage of fat in the large depots of the animals in groups 1 to 5 were 57·2, 58·7, 58·3, 57·8, 57·9 and 3·88, 2·28, 2·52, 3·42, 2·81, respectively. The results suggest that it is not economical to feed the E-diet to animals before they reach a weight of 250 kg, and that termination of the feeding process by a highly concentrated diet is not advantageous.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1980

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

Braman, W. L. and Abe, R. K. 1977. Laboratory and in vivo evaluation of the nutrititive value of NaOH-treated wheat straw. J. Anim. Sci. 45: 496505.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buysse, F. 1970. Intensive beef production. In Nutrition. Proc. 8th int. Congr. Nutr., Prague, pp. 747749. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Cottyn, B. G. and Boucque, C. V. 1968. Rapid method for the gas-chromatographic determination of volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid. J. agric. Fd Chem. 16: 105107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duncan, D. B. 1955. Multiple-range and multiple-F tests. Biometrics 11: 142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garret, W. N., Walker, H. G., Kohler, G. O. and Hart, M. R. 1976. Feedlot response of beef steers to diets containing NaOH or NH3 treated rice straw. Proc. 15th California Feeders' Day, pp. 3947. University of California, Davies, Ca.Google Scholar
Holzer, Z., Levy, D. and Folman, Y. 1978. Chemical processing of wheat straw and cotton by-products for fattening cattle. 2. Performance of animals receiving material after drying and pelleting. Anim. Prod. 27: 147159.Google Scholar
Jackson, M. G. 1978. Treating straw for animal feeding and assessment of its technical and economic feasibility. Wld Anim. Rev. 28: 3843.Google Scholar
Levy, D., Holzer, Z. and Folman, Y. 1975. Effect of concentrate:roughage ratio on the production of beef from Israeli-Friesian bulls slaughtered at different live weights. Anim. Prod. 20: 199205.Google Scholar
Levy, D., Holzer, Z. and Folman, Y. 1980. Chemical processing of wheat straw and cotton by-products for fattening cattle. 3. Performance of animals receiving material in complete feeds. Anim. Prod. 31: 2733.Google Scholar
Levy, D., Holzer, Z., Neumark, H. and Folman, Y. 1977. Chemical processing of wheat straw and cotton by-products for fattening cattle. 1. Performance of animals receiving the wet material shortly after treatment. Anim. Prod. 25: 2737.Google Scholar
Levy, D., Holzer, Z. and Volcani, R. 1968. The effect of age and live weight on feed conversion and yield of saleable meat of intact Israeli Friesian male calves. Anim. Prod. 10: 325330.Google Scholar
Montgomery, M. J. and Baumgardt, B. R. 1965a. Regulation of food intake in ruminants. 1. Pelleted rations varying in energy concentration. J. Dairy Sci. 48: 569574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montgomery, M. J. and Baumgardt, B. R. 1965b. Regulation of food intake in ruminants. 2. Rations varying in energy concentration and physical form. J. Dairy Sci. 48: 16231628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Research Council. 1976. Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals. No. 4, Nutrient requirements of Beef Cattle. 5th ed. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.Google Scholar