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Herbage allowance and intake of cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

C. T. Dougherty ,
L. M. Lauriault ,
P. L. Cornelius  and
N. W. Bradley
C. T. Dougherty
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
L. M. Lauriault
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
P. L. Cornelius
Affiliation:
Departments of Agronomy and Statistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
N. W. Bradley
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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Summary

Rates of intake of herbage and grazing time of beef cattle are essential components of simulation models of grassland agroecosystems. We studied the effects of herbage allowance on rates of intake and ingestive behaviour of twelve 2-year-old Angus heifers (Bos taurus)(364 ± 12 kg) grazing pastures of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). A balanced change-over design and a novel tethering technique were used to estimate direct, residual and permanent effects of three herbage allowances on intake per bite, rate of biting and rate of intake. Herbage dry matter (D.M.) allowances, which were established by varying tether lengths, were 5, 9 and 13 kg (1·4, 2·5 and 3·6 kg/100 kg of live weight) and made available in circular plots of 15, 27 and 38 m2, respectively, for a single measured 2 h grazing session each day. Heifers grazing Kenhy tall fescue swards, composed of vegetative tillers and free from the endophyte Acremonium coenophialum, with herbage D.M. masses (> 5 cm) of 2000 kg/ha and D.M. allowances of 9 and 13 kg/2 h per heifer, ingested D.M. at 1·9 kg/h by taking bites averaging 800 mg D.M. at 38 bites/min. Allowances of 5 kg/2 h per heifer slowed the rate of intake to 1·3 kg/h by limiting D.M. intake per bite to 654 mg and biting rate to 35/min. Rate of D.M. intake of cattle grazing vegetative temperate grass swards appears to be ca. 0.5% of live weight per hour when allowance and availability of herbage are not limiting.

Type
Review
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 112 , Issue 3 , June 1989 , pp. 395 - 401
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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