The ability to produce high quality beef carcasses cost-effectively in an 18-month finishing system is partly determined by the feeding regime during winter and the subsequent response to grass during the finishing period. Animals fed on grass silage throughout winter have been shown to develop fatter carcasses (Baker et al., 1985). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of altered carcass composition at the end of a winter store period on composition at the end of a summer grazing period.

Diets for growing-fattening pigs are normally low in fat and based on cereals, which supply approximately two thirds of the total energy required by pigs. Restricted concentrations of oil (between 2 and 10% of total dry matter) have been used to improve growth rate and feed efficiency. Palm oil and oil palm by-products have been used as the main energy source in the growth cycle as substitutes for cereals (Ocampo and Lean 1999). The objective of this experiment was to evaluate three oils as dietary substitutes for maize grain in growing-fattening pigs, based on growth performance and carcass characteristics using ultrasonic measurements.

Commercial housing conditions are known to have an effect on the eating quality of bacon. Significant differences have been shown between pigs reared on solid concrete floors or straw-bedded accommodation (Maw et al. In press). Also high levels of dietary Vitamin E have been shown to improve pigmeat quality (Buckley et al., 1995). This experiment was carried out to examine whether the effects of housing could be eliminated or reversed by altering housing conditions or reduced by dietary supplementation with Vitamin E.

Many cases of food-borne illness in the UK are related to the consumption of contaminated meat products. This has highlighted the importance of adopting hygienic procedures throughout the meat production chain, including the farm environment (Pennington, 2000). Many factors are known to affect the hygienic condition of finished cattle (Davies et al., 2000) and various husbandry practices may be used to improve cleanliness at slaughter. Feed withdrawal, for example, may be used to reduce faecal output and improve the visible cleanliness of hides. However, the extent to which this impacts upon microbiological contamination of the hide, and its effects on pathogen levels following transport to the abattoir remain to be determined. This study investigated the interactive effects of feeding a straw-only diet prior to transport and journey time on the microbiological status of cattle faeces and hides.

According to the lambing distribution more than 90% of the Latxa flocks existing in the Spanish Basque Country can be classified into four typologies (Oregui et al., 1996, Ruiz et al., 1997). Generally speaking, flocks located in the highlands or mountainous areas (Groups 1 and 2) usually concentrate the lambing season at the end of winter. As winter conditions are less severe, lambings tend to begin before (early-winter or late-autumn) and follow a more scattered pattern (Groups 3 and 4). The objective of this analysis was to study the possible relationship between lambing distribution and solids composition of bulk tank milk, which affects cheese-making performances at the farm.

Fresh forages may result in the loss of up to 40% of dietary nitrogen as rumen ammonia, as the microbial population is unable to utilise all the non-protein nitrogen released from rapidly degradable plant proteins. This may be due to the characteristically low levels of readily available energy released in the rumen, primarily as a result of the low levels of water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) in traditional forages. In a previous experiment Lee et al, (1999) found an increase in liveweight gain of pre-weaned lambs grazing Lolium perenne selected for high WSC concentrations. This study examined whether the enhanced performance on high WSC grass may be related to increased supply of nitrogen to the small intestine.

Compared to grass silage, pea/wheat bi-crops produce higher dry matter (DM) yields, higher feed intakes and nitrogen (N) retention (Adesogan et al., 2000). The improved performance of animals fed bi-crops may be due to a postulated synchronous supply of readily fermentable energy and protein for ruminal microbial protein synthesis. This study attempted to validate this theory by measuring the rumen degradability of grass silages and pea/wheat bi-crop silages containing different pea varieties. To determine if grass silage-fed animals could be used to determine the degradability of bi-crops, the effect of host animal diet on rumen degradation was also examined.

Wilting grass before ensiling has become a firmly established practice, since it provides economic advantages due to the increment of the dry matter content of the forage before ensiling. Most forage crops contain less than 20 per cent of dry matter when they are cut thus reduction of the weight of crop to be transported provides advantages (Gordon et al., 1999). Also, research has shown that such practices yield improved and reduced effluent loss from the silo and higher feeding value of the silage. Wilting of grass prior to ensiling has been widely adopted as a means of reducing effluents produced and improving the fermentation quality of silage. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of differing wilting periods and silage moisture levels of silage quality and microbial growth levels.

The fresh weight, dry matter (DM) contents and nutritional quality in maize vary considerably with variation in varieties, stages at which harvested, climatic conditions and agronomic factors. Recently, agronomists, nutritionists, and dairy producers have placed increased emphasis on factors affecting the nutritive value of maize. However, very little information is available on quantitative variability of the feed value of maize fodder as affected by such factors. This study was, therefore, carried out to assess the effect of harvesting of six different maize varieties at two stages (dates) of grain maturity on quality of both the stover and cobs.

There is increased interest in using forages other than grass hay as the basal diet for equines in the UK. Whilst a range of short-chopped dehydrated alfalfa based forages may be used as alternatives to grass hay in equine diets, there is very little information available on their likely intake characteristics, apparent digestibilities or their nutritive values. The objectives of the current experiment were:- 1) to determine the voluntary feed intake (VFI) characteristics of three alfalfa based forages when offered ad libitum to ponies, 2) to determine the in vivo apparent digestibility, digestible energy (DE) and digestible crude protein (DCP) contents of these forages and 3) to compare the actual energy and protein intakes with theoretical energy and protein requirements.

The accurate analysis of forage is paramount if the nutritive value to the ruminant animal is to be estimated. NIRS has the potential to accurately and rapidly evaluate the chemical and biological parameters of fresh silage. In many laboratory situations the pressure of proximate and specialized chemical analyses means that routinely, fresh forages have to be stored frozen (–20°C) before analysis. Research by MacRae et al., (1975) has shown that although the physico-chemical composition of high quality forages changed upon freezing and subsequent thawing there were no differences in the apparent digestibilities and total nitrogen remained relatively constant. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of freezing and thawing fresh silage on NIRS predictions.

In the UK metabolisable energy (ME) system (AFRC, 1993) it is recommended that dietary ME concentration is reduced by proportionately 0.018 per unit increase in feeding level (FL) above maintenance. This factor was reported by Van Es (1975) two decades ago. At this Institute a total of 33 silages have been offered to sheep as a sole diet at maintenance for measurements of energy intake and outputs in faeces and urine. These silages were also fed to cattle, together with concentrates, at production level for determination of energy metabolism data in calorimetric chambers. The objective of the present study was to use these data to evaluate the combined effects of animal species and level of feeding on ME and digestible energy (DE) concentrations in diets.

Grass silage forms the basal forage for the majority of dairy and beef cattle during the winter indoor feeding period. However its feeding value, as determined by intake potential and digestibility can differ dramatically at farm level as indicated by the Hillsborough Feeding Information System (HFIS). For example, for 7000 silages which were offered to dairy and beef cattle during the 1999/2000 indoor feeding period in Ireland and analysed through the HFIS, dry matter digestibility (DMD) varied from 540 to 830 g/kg DM (Keady, 2000). Many models used to predict feed intake by dairy cattle include a digestibility component (Keady and Mayne, 2000). However some models use DMD whereas others use digestible organic matter digestibility (DOMD). Furthermore commercial laboratories in Ireland measure silage digestibility as DMD while in the UK it is measured as DOMD. To facilitate the use of different models to predict food intake by dairy cattle, often it is necessary to be able to predict DMD from DOMD or vice versa. The present study was undertaken to develop a relationship between DMD and DOMD to facilitate the use of different models for the prediction of food intake when digestibility is available only either as DMD or as DOMD.

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, acquired by sheep through the action of foraging, are the most pervasive challenge to their survival and reproduction. The eggs of many GI parasite species are deposited on pasture in faeces where they develop into infective stage larvae that contaminate surrounding swards. We test the hypotheses that (1) faeces and hence parasite avoidance behaviour of sheep creates a grazing trade-off between nutrition and parasitism and (2) the relative costs and benefits of the trade-off in relation to animal state of infection (parasitized, non-parasitized, immune) determines their subsequent grazing behaviour.

The success of any farm business relies on allocating resources optimally across all farming activities. This is particularly important for disease prevention activities because of their potential impact on farm business viability, the temptation to reduce such activity when funds are scarce and the possible implications for animal welfare and food safety. The objective of the current study was therefore to explore the relative impact of alternative disease prevention strategies under a range of different circumstances. This was done by example, using the case of BVD in a typical Scottish beef herd.

There have been many studies of genetic variance in somatic cell score (SCS). Reported estimates of heritability (h2) range from 0.02 to 0.16, the lowest h2 obtained in the 1st parity and increased in the later lactations (Mrode and Swanson 1996). The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of introducing Holstein-Friesian genes in the Hungarian native breed on the inheritance of sample test-days SCS.

The genetic and phenotypic relationship between somatic cell score (SCS) and milk production has been reported as both negative, positive, whereas phenotypic correlations have been mainly negative (Mrode and Swanson 1996). The aim of the present study is to investigate the variation in associations of test-day SCS with daily milk yield (DY) in six genetic groups of Holstein- Friesian (HF) and Native Hungarian Breed (NHB).

Bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae enter the animal feed chain as normal contaminants of raw materials used in the manufacture of animal feeds. The family Enterobacteriaceae encompasses 30 established genera, including Salmonella spp, Escherichia spp, Shigella spp and Yersinia spp. Many of the genera exhibit pathogenicity towards man, animals, insects and plants and many of the pathogenic forms produce toxins. A number of the genera in this family occur regularly in association with animals; they are found as indigenous members of the gut microflora where they may either produce no harmful effects, or are capable of causing disease in both endothermic and ectothermic animals. There is a recognised association between the risk of isolation of salmonella and degree of Enterobacteriaceae contamination (Veldman et al. 1995). This has led to the consideration of recording Enterobacteriaceae contamination levels in feed stuffs as an indicator of feed hygiene and potential limits to the degree of contamination being set by the major retailers. This paper sets out data gathered from the routine analysis of feed raw materials examined for Enterobacteriaceae contamination.

Raw materials used in feed manufacture are contaminated with high (>104 cfu/g) levels of enterobacteriaceae indicating the potential for contamination with pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella (Wood et al. 2001). There is urgent need to reduce the contamination of animal feed with zoonoses such as salmonella and campylobacter. During manufacture of feedingstuffs, heat and moisture are used to process and sterilise feed but this can also provide conditions for microbial growth. High temperature treatment used to sterilise feed will not protect feedingstuffs from recontamination, if residual microbial contamination remains in the feed mill. It is essential to understand the influence of feed processing and the feed mill environment on the microbial contamination of feed.

Lactobacillus probiotics have consistently shown in vitro properties of key importance in the prevention of diarrhoea at weaning. However, these probiotics have shown variable results in pigs in vivo, and it is important to determine the reasons for this variability if the efficacy of the preparations is to be improved. Hillman et al. (1993) reported that there are significant oxygen levels along the piglet intestine. As Lactobacillus spp. are primarily anaerobic bacteria, and are isolated and examined in vitro under anaerobic conditions, it is possible that the presence of oxygen along the piglet intestine could be exerting a detrimental action on their probiotic effectiveness. This experiment was set up to examine the influence of oxygen on two porcine Lactobacillus spp which have been previously demonstrated to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli K88 in vitro (Hillman and Fox, 1994).