Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-sh8wx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-21T08:32:38.978Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Milk-fed calves: 1. The effect of milk intake upon the herbage intake and performance of grazing calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. D. Baker ,
Y. L. P. Le Du  and
J. M. Barker
R. D. Baker
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5LR
Y. L. P. Le Du
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5LR
J. M. Barker
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5LR
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Two trials were conducted, using 18 and 30 castrated male calves respectively, to investigate the importance of milk in the diet of calves during the first 8 months of life and its effect on herbage intake and live-weight change. Reconstituted milk substitute was fed in a manner that simulated the supply of milk for lactation, yields of 2101, 1635 and 1165 kg (Expt 1) and 1906, 1609, 1304, 1005 and 701 kg (Expt 2) over a 240-day period. Calves were purchased in mid-February, when approximately 1 week old, and housed individually until turned out to graze at 10 weeks of age. At pasture, the calves were strip grazed on swards of Lolium perenne cv. S. 23 or S. 24 and given a daily herbage allowance of 60 g D.m./kg live weight.

The live-weight gain response to milk consumption was 81 g/kg milk fed during the housed period and 50 g during the grazing season. Herbage and milk intake per unit live weight were inversely related but because the grazing season responses were confounded with the treatments during the housed periods, it was not possible to determine true replacement rates. Herbage intake per head increased with time but there was no general trend when intake was expressed per unit live weight.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 87 , Issue 1 , August 1976 , pp. 187 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 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

REFERENCES

A.O.A.C. (1965). Official Methods of Analysis, 10th ed.Washington, D.C.: Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.Google Scholar
Back, H. L., Aider, F. E. & Gibbs, B. G. (1969). An evaluation of an electronic instrument for pasture yield estimation. 2. Use of double sampling for regression estimation. Journal of the British Grassland Society 24, 168–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christian, K. R. & Coup, M. R. (1954). Measurement of feed intake by grazing cattle and sheep. VI. The determination of chromic oxide in the faeces. New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology 36, 328–30.Google Scholar
Corbett, J. L., Greenhalgh, J. F. D. & McDonald, A. P. (1958). Paper as a carrier for chromium sesquioxide. Nature, London 182, 1014–16.Google Scholar
Gifford, W. (1953). Reoords-of-performance tests for beef cattle in breeding herds. Milk production of dams and growth of calves. Arkansas Agricultural Experimental Station Bulletin, no. 531.Google Scholar
Gleddie, V. M. & Berg, R. T. (1968). Milk production in range beef cows and its relationship to calf gains. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 48, 323–33.Google Scholar
Gkeenhalgh, J. F. D. (1970). The effects of grazing intensity on herbage production and consumption and on milk production of strip-grazed dairy cows. Proceedings of 11th International Grassland Congress, pp. 856–60.Google Scholar
Heyns, H. (1960). The growth of the Africaner calf in relation to the production and consumption of the milk of its dam. 2. The milk production of the dam and growth of the calf. South African Journal of Agricultural Science 3, 517–30.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. & Rodriguez Capriles, J. M. (1971). The measurement of herbage intake in grazing studies. Annual Report Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, 1970, pp. 132–40.Google Scholar
Jeffery, H. B., Berg, R. T. & Hardin, R. T. (1971). Factors affecting preweaning performance in beef cattle. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 51, 561–77.Google Scholar
Jamieson, W. S. (1975). Studies on the herbage intake and grazing behaviour of cattle and sheep. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
Le Du, Y. L. P. (1974). The herbage intake of milk fed calves. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
McManus, W. R., Arnold, G. W. & Hamilton, F. J. (1962). Improved techniques in oesophageal fistulation in sheep. Australian Veterinary Journal 38, 275–81.Google Scholar
Rodriguez Capriles, J. M. (1973). The herbage intake of young grazing cattle. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
Roy, J. H. B. (1959). Some nutritional and physiological aspects of calf rearing. Outlook on Agriculture 2, 219–28.Google Scholar
Tilley, J. M. A. & Terry, R. A. (1963). A two-stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. Journal of the British Grassland Society 18, 104–11.Google Scholar
Wistrand, G. C. & Riggs, J. K. (1966). Milk production of Santa Gertrudis cows as measured by calf nursing and machine milking methods. Journal of Animal Science 25, 263–4.Google Scholar
Wood, P. D. P. (1969). Factors affecting the slope of the lactation curve in cattle. Animal Production 11, 307–16.Google Scholar