The herbage Intake of grazing dairy cows can be estimated either directly from measurements made through the animal or alternatively from sward measurements. Of the animal-based techniques, the most widely adopted method used to estimate herbage intake is the faecal output-indigestlbillty ratio technique. More recently, animal energy requirements have been used as a basis to predict herbage Intake. The objective of the present study was to compare the two animal-based techniques for estimating herbage intake.

Two experiments were carried out during 1984 and 1985. In Experiment 1 a total of 42 lactacing British Friesian cows were allocated to three grazing treatments. Herbage Intakes were estimated over three twelve-day periods during the experiment. In Experiment 2, 40 cows were allocated to three grazing treatments and Intakes were again estimated over three twelve-day periods. Two methods were used to estimate the herbage Intake of the cows. Method 1 involved the estimation of herbage intake from animal energy requirements using both observed liveweight changes (Method 1a) and liveweight changes calculated from a regression analysis of llvewelghts over the experitmental period (Method 1b). With Method 2 intakes were estimated by the faecal output-indigestibllity ratio technique.

An automated method of monitoring the feeding and liveweight characteristics of dairy cows has been developed with the following properties.

1. 1 Minimal disturbance of animal behaviour

2. 2 Use of proven, commercially available components

3. 3 Easy to operate

4. 4 Records data on

1. i) forage intake

2. ii) concentrate intake

3. iii) liveweight

4. iv) frequency and duration of meals

Several expert committees have recommended reductions in intake of saturated fat for health reasons and in Britain this advice has been accepted by Government. There will be increasingly more fat-conscious consumers demanding leaner meat and in order to supply this demand retailers will select leaner carcasses and adopt new cutting methods. The trend within the beef industry is towards leaner cattle, coupled with increased production rates in abattoirs. This has led to concern about possible damage to eating quality.

A trial was carried out to investigate the eating quality of lean beef cuts produced from leaner animals or by more severe trimming and to investigate the possible compensatory effects of electrical stimulation on quick chilling.

At each of 20 abattoirs, 12 steers were selected and slaughtered together. Four were Hereford x Friesian, four were Continental x Suckler and four were Friesian/Holstein.

The recent COMA report has recommended that consideration be given to ways of reducing dietary salt intake. Common salt (NaCl) has traditionally been used as a preservative in the production of bacon and other cured meats and present official recommendations for curing result in bacon with around 4% NaCl in lean meat. With modern refrigeration and good hygiene such levels should be neicher necessary or desirable. The objective of this study was to measure the response of consumers to sliced bacon containing differing levels of salt using taste panels for initial screening followed by a consumer survey.

Bacon slices containing 2-7% NaCl in lean were grilled and assessed by 7 laboratory taste panels, each consisting of 12 judges, for saltiness and acceptability.

There has been growing discussion on the association of dietary factors with human health and disease. One such association which has been highlighted is that between saturated fat and heart disease. It is vital that both food producers and food processors are sensitive to consumer requirements in this context, and that they modify their production processes in response to changing consumer demand. At this stage, however, there is much uncertainty regarding the current and long term demands of consumers and in the degree of variation in such demand, for example, between different locations, age and social groups. Thus, in order to inform farmers and food processors it is necessary to determine consumer beliefs and attitudes regarding aspects of diet in order to get some measure of factors affecting demand now and in the future. This project set out to measure certain aspects of consumer attitude to fat in meat. The ultimate objective was to obtain information for decision takers in the meat industry.

The COMA report on “Diet and Cardiovascular Disease“ has stimulated government Initiatives which form the beginnings of a national food and health policy. Recommended changes to food consumption patterns are significant and refer principally to fat Intakes. COMA recommended an average decrease for saturated fatty acids of 25 per cent. The average recommended decrease for total fats is 17% (assuming P:S ratio of diet changes to 0.45) or 25% (If P:S ratio remains 0.23). This advice is of particular relevance to the animal production Industries as animal sources account for 55.3% of total fats in the British diet and 66% of saturated fatty acids. The implications of the COMA panel recommendations for British agriculture have been discussed elsewhere.

There is growing interest in healthy eating. Current trends are being reinforced by the supermarket chains, which now regard the trends towards healthy eating as a permanent shift in consumer attitudes to food rather than a passing fad.

The 1984 COMA report on “Diet and Cardiovascular Disease” recommended a 25% reduction In the consumption of saturated fats. It was suggested that this change could be made by reducing total fat intake but would be facilitated by an accompanying shift in the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio (P:S). For the average British diet with a P:S ratio of 0.23, fat Intake would need to be reduced by 25% but with a move to the recommended ratio of 0.45 the required reduction would he 17%. Milk fat is particularly implicated in these recommendations since it is moderately high In saturated fatty acids and very low in polyunsaturated fatty acids; the P:S ratio is approximately 0.03.

It is common practice to wean pigs at five weeks of age, or less, on to a high protein diet (>200g crude protein/kg). However, a transient hypersensitivity to the dietary protein may pre-dispose the pig to post weaning diarrhoea and the relatively high level of protein in both early weaner rations (Bertschinger, et al. 1979) and creep feeds (Miller et al. 1984) may exacerbate the problem.

We report here some preliminary results from a feeding trial at Terrington Experimental Husbandry Farm. Animals were allocated at 7 days of age, whilst still suckling, to one of four treatments. Groups 1 and 2 were fed a high protein (220 g CP/kg DM) diet and groups 3 and 4 were fed a low protein (160 g CP/kg DM) experimental diet. Both of the diets were balanced such that they provided 17.2 MJ/kg digestible energy with a lysine value of 16 g/kg CP. Neither diet contained any antibiotics. Groups 1 and 3 were fed the ration as a creep from 7 days. Animals were weaned at approximately 21 days into kennels maintained at 29°C for the first week, 28°C for the second week and gradually reduced to 20°C during the third week.

Oestradiol 17β (Compudose-365 ) is widely used as a growth promoter in steers and the daily gain response is well known. However, for bull beef production the efficiency of the hormone implant is not so well researched, particularly in Great Britain, where there is not yet a product licence for use in bulls. Work in the U.S.A. has shown that Oestradiol 17β implants in bulls stimulate daily gain and improve carcass shape, but at the same time increasing subcutaneous fat levels (Johnson et al, 1984). The trial described here was designed to study the effect of Oestradiol 17β under a range of farm conditions in Great Britain.

Sixteen groups of bulls on 14 farms, totalling 450 bulls, were selected. Fourteen of the groups were wholly British Friesian, the remainder Friesian/Holstein or Limousin cross. The bulls were weighed at 3-4 months of age and paired by weight. One of each pair was implanted subcutaneously in the ear with a silastic rubber implant containing 45 mg Oestradiol 17β (Compudose-365, Elanco Products Ltd.). The bulls were weighed after three and six months (mean 108 and 180 days respectively), and about half were weighed within four days of slaughter (mean 222 days).

The effect of growth promoting implants on liveweight gain in steers is well documented. However, there is less information available on their effects on carcases. Farm trials were conducted using steers either unimplanted as controls, or implanted with oestradiol 17β ([C]ompudose 365; Elanco products) and zeranol ([R]algro; Crown Chemicals) with and without trenbolone ([F]inaplix; Hoechst) . Carcase studies were carried out on a sample of animals.

Kirk and Cooper (1983) reported two experiments in which the growth performance and carcass conformation of intensively fed dairy-bred bulls was improved by sequential implantation with Zeranol®. Two further studies have been conducted in which there has been repeat implantation of Zeranol® and detailed carcass dissection to measure precisely the effects on carcass quality.

In trial A, 16 Holstein bull calves were purchased from pedigree breeders and weaned at eight weeks of age, when they were divided into two groups of eight, balanced by weight. From 8 to 12 weeks they were given commercial rearing pellets followed by a. commercial pencil and hay was given ad libitum. From 12 weeks onwards a cereal mix was offered ad libitum, formulated to give 13 MJ/kg dry matter, 160 g/kg crude protein. Hay was withdrawn from 14 weeks of age. At eight weeks of age, half the animals were implanted with 36 mg Zeranol® (Ralgro, Crown Chemical Company, Kent), and re-implanted a further three times every 70 days. Five blood samples were taken from all animals over a 15h period at about 8, 14, 33 and 43 weeks of age.

Compudose 200 (Elanco) is a silastic rubber ear implant for beef cattle containing 24 mg oestradiol 17B, Implants are 3 cms long and 4.8 mm in diameter. They are coated with oxytetracycline powder as a local antibacterial and packed in cartridges of 10. The cartridge is fitted to the side of the implanting tool and each Implant is moved into the barrel of the implanter by a “thumb press” on the cartridge. The objectives of the present study were (i) to measure the growth response to Compudose 200 in male calves, growing steers at pasture and housed finishing steers, (ii) to ascertain if there was an additive effect from the use of 300 mg trenbolone acetate (Flnaplix, Hoechst) with Compudose 200 in growing and finishing steers and (iii) to compare Compudose 200, alone or in combination with Finaplix, with other commonly used implant combinations.

The concept of using the concentrations of progesterone in milk for pregnancy testing became a commercial reality in 1975. Although this has proved to be a highly efficient method of identifying non-pregnant cows earlier than can normally be achieved by manual examination the results are not available in time for the first return-to-service period. The development of an enzymeimmunoassay technique by MAFF has resulted in the production of simple colour-change tests suitable for use in a practice laboratory or by the farmer in the convenience of his own office. The main advantage of an “on-farm” test is that the results are immediately available to the herdsman.

Checkmate is a herd fertility monitoring service based on information recorded on National Milk Records (NMR) operated by the Milk Marketing Board. The aims of Checkmate are:

In the year ending May 1985 322 herds have subscribed to Checkmate. The whole sample has been analysed and also two sub-samples, the top and bottom 10 per cent, selected by the days from calving to assumed conception. As there is no pregnancy diagnosis information on NMR conception Is assumed if no re-service date is recorded within 60 days of a service.

This experiment was designed to evaluate whether milk yields could be maintained while reducing concentrate feed intake, and therefore placing greater reliance on forage intake, and including sugar beet pulp as a source of highly digestible but non-starchy concentrate, and fish meal as a source of high quality, undegraded dietary protein. It was undertaken on a commercial farm as the continuation of similar experiments on two other commercial farms reported earlier (Pike et al 1984).

Two experiments have compared the effects of forages or concentrates offered to dairy cows, continuously stocked in late Summer at a low stocking rate in Experiment 1 or a higher stocking rate in Experiment 2.

In Experiment 1 (July - October 1984) 20 Spring calving British Friesian cows were allocated to a Latin square design with four, three week periods and four treatments, a control group, grazing only (TO), grazing with 5 kg dry matter fresh lucerne per day (TL), grazing with 5 kg dry matter hay per day (TH) and grazing with 4 kg DM concentrate per day (TC). In Experiment 2 (August -October 1985) 24 cows of similar calving dates were used in an incomplete Latin square design lasting eight weeks to compare treatments TO, TL, TS and TC where silage (TS) replaced hay. All supplements were offered for 1 hour after each of two milkings per day.

Whether they are planning to calve for the first time at two or three years old Many farmers choose to serve their maiden dairy heifers (animals not previously served, (M. A. F. F. 1985)) with a beef breed recognised for giving easier calvings .Often the heifer breeding programme is not well supervised and it is a matter of convienience to use a resident beef bull.

There are however,considerable advantages to serving heifers with dairy bulls including an increased number of heifer calves for selection or the ability to serve older, nature cows (animals that have commenced at least their first lactation (M. A. F. F. 1985))with a continental beef breed giving large calves of higher market value. Because heifers tend to be calved as a group they provide a batch of calves which can be concentrated upon, easing management and improving control over performance.

If heifers are served by bulls of as higher genetic merit as would normally be used on cows then increased genetic turnover will raise the genetic index in the younger dam which should be reflected in her daughter’s performance.

It is important that lactating dairy cows have at least forage continuosly available to them if milk yields and health are to be maintained.

Shortfalls in silage stocks have to be made up by purchasing, possibly hay. brewers grains or such like. Another alternative is to feed more compound, this reduces the demand for silage but is obviously, costly.

Untreated straw is rarely considered as an alternative because of its low feed value. Methods of improving the feed value of straw with alkalis have long been available. However, improvements in feed values are variable although specific methods of treatment are recognised as giving consistently good results.

Ammonia treatment, leaves straw in its long form which is unsuitable for feeding in forage box or complete diet systems. Effective chopping and distribution of NaOH and consistent improvements in straw digestibility can be acheived with machines now available. Not only is the product palatable and easy to include in complete feeds but claims are made that, because its inclusion’ increases intake of the ration, milk yields will also increase,

There is a need to introduce objectivity into the management of grassland under continuous stocking so that management decisions can be taken in response to changing conditions, and at the same time allow the consequence of these decision to be predictable. There is much interest in using sward height as an objective criterion by which to manage grassland under continuous stocking. An experiment was conducted to examine the performance of spring calving cows and their calves when continuously grazing swards maintained at a range of sward heights.

Initially nine cows (four Hereford x Friesian and five Blue-Grey) and their Charolais cross calves which had been born in March - April were turned out in mid-May to each of five sward surface height treatments. Treatments 1, 3 and 5 were one field and Treatments 2 and 4 in another. The botanical composition of each treatment is shown in Table 1. Sward length was measured twice weekly using the H.F.R.O. Swardstick, and maintained by the addition and removal of non-experimental cows and calves. Because of excessive rainfall and very wet soil conditions the numbers of annuals were reduced below nine on some of the treatments, and the two lowest sward height treatments were abandoned in mid-August because of damage to soil structure. From mid-August until the end of September only the upper three treatments continued.

The winter feeding of beef cows represents a high, proportion of the costs of calf production. Attempts to minimise cost include the use of beef (♂) x dairy cows (♀) which have the ability to suckle two calves and to mobilise body reserves during periods of underfeeding in early lactation. Khan and Topps (1985) observed that cows in good condition at calving could maintain milk production and raise two good calves when given 110 MJ ME/day in a diet which included a source of undegradable protein. Subsequently a preliminary experiment was carried out with three single suckled and nine double suckled cows to examine the effect of energy level on the performance of cows and calves.

Three single suckled cows and nine double suckled cows i.e. six with a natural plus foster calf and three with twin calves produced by embryo transfer were used in this experiment. The levels of energy that were examined were 70 or 90, 80 or 100 and 90 or 110 MJ ME/day for single and double-suckled cows respectively, supplied in diets containing ammonia treated straw, barley and fishmeal. Nine of the cows were placed into trios according to calving date and age, with a trio consisting of a cow with a natural calf, a cow with a natural and foster calf, and a cow with twin calves. Each trio was allocated at random to one of the three levels of energy. Similarly, the remaining three cows with a natural and foster calf were allocated at random to 90, 100 or 110 MJ ME/day. The calves were given good quality hay ad libitum and free access to a concentrate mixture up to a maximum intake of 2 kg/head/day. The concentrate mixture consisted of (g/kg) 800 barley, 150 soyabean meal and 50 molassine meal. The experiment started on the 22nd day of lactation and was of 20 weeks duration for most of the cows.