Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T01:16:48.719Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Soaking of complete fattening rations high in poor roughage 2. The effect of moisture content and of particle size of the roughage component on the performance of male cattle†

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Z. Holzer ,
H. Tagari ,
J. D. Levy  and
R. Volcani
Z. Holzer
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Regional Experiment Station, Haifa, Israel
H. Tagari
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Regional Experiment Station, Haifa, Israel
J. D. Levy
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Regional Experiment Station, Haifa, Israel
R. Volcani
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Regional Experiment Station, Haifa, Israel
Get access

Summary

Two levels of roughage in a complete fattening diet (25 and 45%), two particle sizes of the roughage component (6 and 12 mm diameter of sieve holes), and three levels of moisture (10, 50 and 75%) were examined in a feeding trial designed in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement.

Intact male Israeli-Friesian cattle were grown from an initial weight of about 300 kg to a slaughter weight of about 520 kg. Live-weight gains were 956, 1080 and 1025 g/day, and carcass gains were 516, 584 and 563 g/day for diet moisture contents of 10, 50 and 75%, respectively. The roughage content of the diet and particle size had no significant effects. Efficiency of conversion of metabolizable energy into live weight or carcass weight was directly related to the moisture content of the diet.

Weight of gut fill was directly related to the roughage content of the diet, to diet particle size and to moisture content. Animals on the moist diets had less carcass fat but more depot fat than those on the dry ration. Total volatile fatty acid concentration in the rumen liquor of animals fed on moist diets was significantly higher, and the acetate: propionate ratio was significantly lower than that of animals on the dry control diet.

The improvement in performance of animals fed on moist diets may be attributed to the accumulated effect of three factors, even though the effect of each separately may not be great: (a) Increased dry-matter intake; (b) Improvement in digestibility; and (c) Increased concentration of propionic acid and consequent reduction of the acetate: propionate ratio.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , February 1976 , pp. 41 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1976

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

Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2, Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
American Society of Agricultural Engineers. 1967. Recommendation ASAE R2461. Method of determining modulus of uniformity and modulus of fineness of ground feed. Yb. Am. Soc. agric. Engrs 1967, p. 301.Google Scholar
Armstrong, D. G. and Blaxter, K. L. 1957. The utilization of acetic, propionic and butyric acids by fattening sheep. Br. J. Nutr. 11: 413–425.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Armstrong, D. G., Blaxter, K. L., Graham, N. McC. and Wainman, F. W. 1958. The utilization of the energy of two mixtures of steam-volatile fatty acids by fattening sheep. Br. J. Nutr. 12: 177–188.Google Scholar
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1965. Official Methods of Analysis, 10th ed. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. 1960. Rumen digestion and herbage utilization. Proc. 8th int. Grassld Congr., Reading, pp. 528–533.Google Scholar
Balch, D. A. and Rowland, S. J. 1957. Volatile fatty acids and lactic acid in the rumen of dairy cows receiving a variety of diets. Br. J. Nutr. 11: 288–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L. 1967. The Energy Metabolism of Ruminants. 2nd ed. Hutchinson, London.Google Scholar
Chaturvedi, M. L., Singh, U. B. and Ranjhan, S. K. 1973. Effect of feeding water-soaked and dry wheat straw on feed intake, digestibility of nutrients and VFA production in growing Zebu and buffalo calves. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 80: 393–397.Google Scholar
Crown, R. M. and Damon, R. A. 1960. The value of the 12th rib cut for measuring beef carcass yields and meat quality. J. Anim. Sci. 19: 109–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ensor, W. L., Shaw, J. C. and Teixechea, H. F. 1959. Special diets for the production of low fat milk and more efficient gains in body weight. Dairy Sci. 42: 189–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garrett, W. N. and Hinman, N. 1969. Re-evaluation of the relationship between carcass density and body composition of beef steers. J. Anim. Sci. 28: 1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holzer, Z., Ilan, D. and Levy, D. 1973. The effect of the proportion of roughage in the diet, diethylstilboestrol implantation and space allowance on the performance of Israeli-Friesian intact male calves. Anim. Prod. 16: 31–35.Google Scholar
Holzer, Z., Levy, D., Tagari, H. and Volcani, R. 1975. Soaking of complete fattening rations high in poor roughage. 1. The effect of moisture content and spontaneous fermentation on nutritional value. Anim. Prod. 21: 323–335.Google Scholar
Kay, M., MacDearmid, A. and MacLeod, N. A. 1970. Intensive beef production. 10. Replacement of cereals with chopped straw. Anim. Prod. 12: 261–266.Google Scholar
Kay, M., MacDearmid, A. and Massie, R. 1970. Intensive beef production. 11. Replacement of cereals with ground straw. Anim. Prod. 12: 419–424.Google Scholar
Lamming, G. E., Swan, H. and Clarke, R. T. 1966. Studies on the nutrition of ruminants. I. Substitution of maize by milled barley straw in a beef fattening diet and its effect on performance and carcass quality. Anim. Prod. 8: 303–311.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: 325–330.Google Scholar
McCullough, T. A. 1970. A study of the effect of supplementing a concentrate diet with roughages of different quality on the performance of Friesian steers. 2. Growth rate, efficiency of food conversion and carcass yield. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 75: 337–345.Google Scholar
Pickard, D. W., Swan, H. and Lamming, G. E. 1969. Studies on the nutrition of ruminants. 4. The use of ground straw of different particle sizes for cattle from 12 weeks of age. Anim. Prod. 11: 543–550.Google Scholar
Putnam, P. A., Bovard, K., Priode, B. M. and Lehmann, R. 1965. Rumen volatile fatty acid and gains of record-of-performance bulls. J. Anim. Sci. 24: 166–167.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raun, N. S., Burroughs, W. and Woods, W. 1962. Dietary factors affecting volatile fatty acid production in the rumen. J. Anim. Sci. 21: 838–843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhodes, R. W. and Woods, W. 1962. Volatile fatty acid measurements on rumen contents of lambs fed rations of various physical form. J. Anim. Sci. 21: 483–488.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, J. H. B. 1970. The Calf. Vol. 2, Nutrition and Health. 3rd ed., p. 20. Iliffe, London.Google Scholar
Shaw, J. C., Ensor, W. L., Tellechea, H. F. and Lee, S. D. 1960. Relation of diet to rumen volatile fatty acids, digestibility, efficiency of gain and degree of unsaturation of body fat in steers. J. Nutr. 71: 203–208.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swan, H. and Lamming, G. E. 1967. Studies on the nutrition of ruminants. II. The effect of level of crude fibre in maize-based rations on the carcass composition of Friesian steers. Anim. Prod. 9: 203–208.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. T., Bradley, N. W. and Little, C. O. 1965. Ruminal volatile fatty acid concentrations and performance of steers fed different levels and forms of hay and grain. J. Anim. Sci. 24, 1179–1183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, T. W. and Reynolds, W. L. 1969. Various sources and levels of roughage in steer rations. J. Anim. Sci. 28: 705–710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar