bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comparison of long and shredded cereal straw for beef cattle
Authors: Mira J. J. F. , Kay M. , Hunter E. A. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThirty Hereford × Friesian steers initially weighing 320 kg were used in two experiments, to compare the effects of mechanical processing of barley straw and the amount of rolled barley offered on intake and live-weight gain. The straw was offered ad libitum either in the long form or shredded through a 40 mm screen and supplemented with 20, 35 and 50 g barley DM per kgW"75 per day (L, M and H respectively). A solution providing 12 g urea per kg straw dry matter (DM) was sprayed onto the straw and all the animals were offered daily 480 g of soya bean meal with minerals and vitamins. In the first experiment, which had a change-over design, the animals were weighed at the beginning and the end of each period. The daily consumption of shredded straw (kg DM) was L 3·38, M 3·29 and H 3·00 and of long straw L 3·94, M 4·02 and H 3·56 (s.e. of difference, 0·29). There were significant differences in straw intake between steers offered the long and the shredded straw (P < 0·001) but no differences in intake when different amounts of barley were offered within the same physical form of straw. The mean daily live-weight gains for treatments L, M and H respectively were 0·25, 0·66 and 0·80 kg for steers given shredded straw and 0·32, 0·62 and 0·87 kg (s.e. of difference, 0·1) for those offered long straw. At the end of the first experiment the same animals were kept for a further 10 weeks on the same straw treatment but only treatments L and H were continued, the steers from treatment M being distributed between L and H. The straw intakes and live-weight gains were in agreement with those observed in the first experiment
Performance of Friesian cows with high and low breeding indexes 2. Energy and nitrogen balance experiments with lactating and pregnant, non-lactating cows
Authors: Grainger C. , Holmes C. W. , Moore Y. F. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTSix lactating Friesian cows (three high and three low breeding index cows) were subjected to a total of 28 complete energy and nitrogen balances during early and late lactation. In addition, 12 non-lactating Friesian cows (six high and six low breeding index cows) were offered individually pasture indoors for 62 days, beginning at approx. 180 days of pregnancy. Cows within each genotype were randomly allocated to feeding levels which were nominally equivalent to their requirements for maintenance or twice maintenance. Eight of the 12 cows (four high and four low breeding index) were each subjected to two energy balance periods at approx. 210 (period 1) and 230 (period 2) days of pregnancy.When offered pasture ad libitum during lactation, cows with high breeding indexes consumed significantly more gross energy per unit of metabolic live weight (P < 0·05) than did cows with low breeding indexes, but the two genotypes did not differ in their ability to metabolize the gross energy of the food, or in the individual losses of energy in faeces, urine or methane.There were no significant differences between genotypes in their heat production at a common energy intake except during restricted feeding in early lactation when high breeding index cows produced less heat than did low breeding index cows (P < 0·05). During lactation high breeding index cows retained a higher proportion of their total energy retention (milk + body tissue energy) as milk in late lactation (P < 0·01) but not in early lactation.For non-lactating cows, both genotypes required similar amounts of metabolizable energy to maintain zero maternal body energy retention, 0·79 and 0·80 MJ/M0·75 for periods 1 and 2 respectively. The efficiency with which metabolizable energy was converted to net energy (kg) was similar for both genotypes at both stages of pregnancy, the mean value being 0·52. The metabolizable energy required to maintain body condition was estimated to be 0·78 and 0·71 MJ/M0·75 for high and low breeding index cows respectively. The metabolizable energy required in excess of maintenance to promote a gain of one unit of body condition was estimated to be 2290 MJ. This is equivalent to 27 MJ energy retained per kg live-weight gain.For lactating and non-lactating cows the differences between genotypes in their utilization of nitrogen were small and inconsistent.
Efficiency of food utilization in traditional and sex-controlled systems of beef production
Authors: Taylor C. S. , Moore A. J. , Thiessen R. B. , Bailey C. M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTAn empirically based equation for voluntary food intake, obtained from a multibreed cattle experiment, was used to develop formulae for evaluating the overall efficiency of food utilization of beef production n i a production unit consisting of a dam and her progeny. With these formulae the dependence of overall efficiency on degree of maturity at slaughter was studied, with reproductive rate, dam food costs, terminal sire size and number of calvings per dam allowed to vary.The formulae were used to study efficiency of food utilization in a traditional beef production system. Maximum efficiency values ranged from 2·3 to 3·5 g of lean tissue per MJ of metabolizable energy. These maximum values were affected to a small extent when progeny were slaughtered much earlier or later than the optimal degree of maturity. In a single-sex, bred-heifer (SSBH) system, the maximum value that could be attained with high technological efficiency and a reproductive rate of unity was 5·2 g, which was 0·5 times more efficient than the highest achievable traditional value. With a reproductive rate of 0·85, the highest efficiency value in an SSBH system was 4·8 g.Overall efficiency of food utilization was also examined in a sex-controlled system where all offspring for slaughter were male and in a modified traditional system where every surplus female was bred once. Both these systems could give higher efficiency (up to 1·08 times) than in a traditional system, but neither could compete with a well-operated SSBH system.Formulae to deal with multiple births, partial sex control and other factors are given in the APPENDIX.
Genetic selection to produce lines of sheep differing in plasma copper concentrations
Authors: Wiener G. , Woolliams J. A. , Woolliams Carol , Field A. C. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTMale lambs were selected annually at 18 and 24 weeks of age for high or low concentrations of copper in plasma to produce two closed lines. The difference between the high and low lines increased to approx. 0·5 mg/1 after 5 years when the experiment ended, indicating appreciable additive genetic variation for the concentration of Cu in plasma. The selection lines were derived from a population of Scottish Blackface × Welsh Mountain crosses which had been interbred for many generations. The two parental breeds contributing to the cross normally differ in a number of aspects of Cu status with that of the Welsh higher than that of the Blackface. Both pure breeds were kept as controls. In the final year, Cu concentrations of the high selection line exceeded the values of the Welsh and the low selection line had values below those of the Blackface. Differences between the selection lines persisted at all ages.There were indications of changes in the frequency of the Hb alleles, associated with the selection for Cu concentrations, but there were no correlated changes in body weight, reproductive performance or lamb mortality during the 5-year selection period when dietary supplies of Cu were not particularly restrictive.
Effects of source and level of protein on milk yield and reproductive performance of high-producing primiparous and multiparous dairy cows
Authors: Bruckental I. , Drori D. , Kaim M. , Lehrer Hanna , Folman Y. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTNinety primiparous and 150 multiparous Israeli-Holstein dairy cows were allotted at random into three groups. One group (LSBM) was given 170 g crude protein (CP) per kg dry matter (DM). The two other groups were given 210 g CP per kg DM with the extra 40 g CP per kg DM supplied either by soya-bean meal (HSBM) or by fish meal (HFM). Roughage supplied proportionately 0·20 of the dietary DM and was maize silage with groundnut hay in the winter and wheat silage with oat grass in the summer. The primiparous and multiparous cows were offered the experimental diets for 16 and 24 weeks, respectively.Milk, milk fat and milk protein production (kg/day), for treatments LSBM, HSBM and HFM, were: 39·3, 40·0, 40·8 (P > 0·05); 1·12, 118, 1·06 (P < 0·05) and 1·21, 1·23, 1·26 (P > 0·05) for multiparous cows and 29·4, 31·2, 33·4 (P < 0·05); 0·89, 1·07, 0·93 (P < 0·01) and 0·92, 0·98, 1·05 (P < 0·05) for primiparous cows, respectively. Cows of high yield potential responded more to increasing dietary protein level than did cows of low yield potential. Average live-weight gains on treatments LSBM, HSBM and HFM were (g/day): 220, 160 and 310 (P < 0·05) in multiparous cows and 220, 170 and 230 (P < 0·05) i n primiparous cows, respectively. Pregnancy rates, 16 weeks after parturition, were 0·65, 0·52 and 0·72 (P < 0·05), in the LSBM, HSBM and HFM groups, respectively. The decrease in pregnancy rate in the HSBM cows, occurred in primiparous cows and cows in their fourth or later lactation but not in cows in their second or third lactation. The milk production of primiparous and multiparous cows in relation to the level and source of dietary CP and the utilization of energy and protein for milk production is discussed.
Performance and body composition of young steers given stack-ammoniated hay with or without a supplement or untreated hay with a supplement
Authors: Gibb M. J. , Baker R. D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTAn experiment was carried out to investigate the performance of young steers given either ammoniated hay alone (TA), or supplemented daily with either 112 g fish meal (TF) or 2 kg barley (TB) or 2 kg barley-based concentrate (TC), compared with untreated hay supplemented with either urea (UU), to raise the nitrogen content of the diet to that of the ammoniated hay, or with 2 kg concentrate (UC). Serial slaughter of animals was carried out to examine the effects on body composition during the winter feeding period and subsequent grazing season.Ammoniation of the hay significantly increased the in vivo digestibility of organic matter, acid-detergent fibre, neutral-detergent fibre and cellulose fractions (0·672 v. 0·643, 0·740 v. 0·670, 0·758 v. 0·638 and 0·826 v. 0·741, respectively). When offered with 2 kg concentrate, intake of ammoniated hay was higher than that of the untreated hay. Empty body weight gains (EBWG) during the winter period were affected by treatment (174, 225, 293, 590, 631 and 692 g/day for treatments UU, TA, TF, UC, TB and TC, respectively), and were highly correlated with total gross energy intakes (56·0, 61·0, 62·9, 74·5, 73·2 and 83·1 MJ/day, respectively). As the rate of EBWG increased, the fat proportion (g/kg EBW) at turn-out also increased. During the grazing season animals which had been on treatments UU, TA and TF showed a marked degree of compensatory growth (759, 686 and 640 g/day EBWG, respectively) compared with treatments UC, TB and TC (623, 572 and 601 g/day EBWG, respectively), and differential rates of tissue gain. This resulted in reduced, though still significant, differences in EBW, although body composition (g/kg EBW) at final slaughter was similar for all treatments. Thus, whilst short-term advantages in intake and performance can be obtained by ammoniation of hay, the benefits so achieved may not persist due to subsequent compensatory growth at pasture.
An assessment of carcass probes for use in Great Britain for the EC pig Carcass Grading Scheme
Authors: Cook G. L. , Chadwick J. P. , Kempster A. J. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTTo gain approval for use in the revised European Community (EC) Pig Grading Scheme to be introduced in 1989, methods of estimating carcass lean proportion must be shown to do so with a coefficient of determination greater than 0·64 and a residual s.d. of less than 25 g/kg. A trial was carried out to assess a number of methods for use in the EC Scheme as applied in Great Britain. Subcutaneous fat and m. longissimus depths at the head of the last rib and at the third/fourth from last rib were measured using the optical probe (OP), the Fat-O-Meater (FOM), the Hennessy Grading Probe II (HGP) and the Destron PG-100 Probe (DST) on a broad sample of 162 commercial carcasses representative of the ranges in fatness and weight found nationally. The left side of each carcass was separated into component tissues. Although the instruments all achieved similar levels of accuracy in predicting carcass lean proportion, some differences were found. The DST just failed to reach the required statistical criteria for approval in the EC Scheme. The results for the other three instruments were submitted to Brussels as evidence of suitability and they have been approved.Using the regression relationships found between carcass composition and fat thickness together with results from earlier studies, it was estimated that the carcass separable fat proportion of British slaughter pigs has fallen at the annual rate of 7 g/kg since 1975.
The effect of interaction of ewe and lamb genotype on milk production of ewes and on growth of lambs to weaning
Authors: Doney J. M. , Peart J. N. , Smith W. F. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTSingle and twin purebred Scottish Blackface lambs born to Blackface ewes, and Suffolk cross lambs born to East Friesland × Blackface ewes, were removed from their dams at birth and cross-fostered to give all combinations of breed of ewe, breed of lamb and number of lambs suckled, with no ewe rearing her own lamb.Milk production was measured on 1 day/week for 14 weeks. The effect of ewe breed was significant in all weeks, with the East Friesland cross ewes having a higher peak and a more sustained level of production than the Blackface ewes. Ewes suckling twins produced more milk than those suckling singles. Breed-of-lamb effect was significant during the first 5 to 6 weeks of lactation, with crossbred lambs inducing a higher milk output than Blackface lambs, irrespective of the breed of ewe suckled. Beyond this stage, lactation potential of the ewe replaced demand by the lamb as the first limiting factor.Food intake by ewes during the first 6 weeks differed slightly with both ewe and lamb breed but there were larger differences associated with number of lambs suckled.The data suggest that lambs on higher milk intake consume a smaller proportion of solid feed but that, in all groups, live weight at 14 weeks of age was closely related to milk intake.
The contribution of fat mobilization to the regulation of fat deposition in growing Large White and Piétrain pigs
Authors: Metz S. H. M. , Dekker R. A. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe contribution of fat mobilization to the regulation of fat deposition was investigated in intensively fed, rapidly growing pigs of the breeds Large White and Pietrain. The results indicate that no quantitative differences in fat mobilization parameters existed between the breeds. In both breeds the concentration of non-esterified fatty acids i n blood serum, measured 8h after a meal, was very low, and the fatty acid composition of the non-esterified fatty acids did not reflect the variation in fatty acid composition of the body fat that existed between groups of pigs within each breed. Additionally, the fraction of body fat that was mobilized per day was calculated to be zero for both breeds. It is concluded from these results that the observed differences in fat deposition between Large White (195g/day) and Pietrain (130g/day) were definitely not the consequence of fat mobilization.
The effect of copper glycine injections on the live-weight gains of suckling beef calves
Authors: Morgan D. E. , Clegg A. , Brooksbank N. H. , McCrea C. T. 
Published: September 2010

(1) Two trials on the effect of copper glycine injections on the live-weight gains of suckling beef calves under commercial conditions are described.(2) One injection supplying 120 mg. of copper increased live-weight gains by approximately 10% during the suckling and grazing period. A second injection given two months after the first gave a further positive but not statistically significant response.
Some optimum age structures and selection methods in open nucleus breeding schemes with overlapping generations
Authors: Hopkins I. R. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTDesigns of open nucleus breeding schemes, which comprise a nucleus having the best males and females and a base comprising the remainder, with some base-born individuals used in the nucleus and vice versa, are studied.Steady-state genetic responses, optimum transfer rates between nucleus and base in both sexes, and genetic differences between nucleus and base are estimated for a range of age structures, selection either within or among age groups (selection methods), nucleus sizes, mating ratios, fertility rates and survival rates appropriate to sheep and cattle populations. With optimum transfer rates between layers maximum or near maximum genetic responses are obtained with nucleus sizes varying from 2 to 15% of the population. Optimum transfer rates are fairly stable for nucleus sizes larger than about 5% and where the same selection procedures are used in both layers. However, a small nucleus with more efficient age structures and selection procedures and more accurate selection than in the base is economically desirable, and then almost no base-born females should be selected as nucleus replacements and up to 70% of male replacements for the base should come from the base. Optimum age structures differed markedly between selection methods.Although few ‘rules of thumb’ about optimum age structures and transfer rates are sufficiently robust to be widely recommended in commercial situations, the nucleus breeding system behaves according to a few basic principles that can be used to predict the direction if not the magnitude of effects of changes in structure.
A note on forage evaluation for buffalo by various techniques
Authors: Kishan J. , Singh U. B. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe relative efficiency of voluntary consumption, chemical composition, digestibility in vitro and in vivo, was tested for predicting the nutritive value of five forages: berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum); green oat (Avena sativa); oat hay; cow pea (Vigna spp.) and maize (Zea mays). The digestibility coefficients of dry matter (DM), crude protein, acid-detergent lignin and energy were significantly correlated with DM intake. Digestibilities in vitro of DM and cellulose after 12-h incubation were significantly related to digestibilities in vivo of DM and energy. The values for cellulose digestibility in vitro at 24 h were similar to those for digestibility of energy in vivo. Significant correlations were obtained between the crude protein content of forages and the voluntary DM intake and digestibility of nutrients. Increased cellulose and acid-detergent fibre contents were each related with decreased DM intake and digestibility of nutrients.
Studies in sow reproduction. 3. The effect of nutrition between weaning and remating on the reproductive performance of multiparous sows
Authors: Brooks P. H. , Cole D. J. A. , Rowlinson P. , Croxson V. J. , Luscombe J. R. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYAn experiment was conducted using 176 sows at three centres to investigate the effect of post-weaning feed level on reproductive performance. At two centres sows weaned 35 to 56 days after farrowing received 1·8, 2·3, 3·6 or 4·5 kg food/day from the day following weaning until the day following the last mating at the post-weaning oestrus.At the third centre sows were rationed to 1·8, 2·3 or 3·6 kg food/day or given all they would consume in a single 1-hr feeding period each day. Reproductive performance of the sows was not significantly affected by post-weaning feed level.
A note on the straw intake of sheep given supplements of urea-molasses, soya bean meal, barley-urea or barley
Authors: Hadjipanayiotou M. , Louca A. , Lawlor M. J. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYIn the first of two trials, groups of 10 Chios lambs were fed on long or chopped straw for 13 weeks. They ate 0·61 and 0·65 kg per day, and lost a total of 7·6 and 8·5 kg body weight, respectively. Over the next 20 weeks, the supplementation of chopped straw with either 150 g of soya bean meal or a molasses-urea mixture given ad libitum increased straw intake. The decline in body weight was reversed and the lambs gained 0·04 kg/day on both treatments.In Trial 2, the intakes of straw by non-lactating ewes were 0·78, 0·78 and 0·70 kg/day with supplements of molasses-urea, barley-urea and barley only, respectively. Ewes on the barley and the barley-urea supplements gained 5·3 and 4·6 kg respectively over the 16-week period whereas those given the molasses-urea supplement lost 2·6 kg.
A case-study of fattening pigs in Belgian contract farming. Mortality, efficiency of food utilization and carcass value of growing pigs, in relation to environmental engineering and control
Authors: Geers R. , Berckmans D. , Goedseels V. , Wijnhoven J. , Maes F. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTMortality, efficiency of food utilization and carcass value of growing pigs were investigated in relation to engineering and control of the house environment. Data originated from contract farms and were made available by the Belgian Farmers' Association. The following parameters were investigated by means of analysis of variance and covariance: food conversion ratio, mortality, emergency slaughter rate and carcass values. Data were classified according to characteristics of the heating, air inlet and air outlet systems of the pig houses.Within the limitations of our project, the expected favourable effect of heating on mortality and efficiency of food utilization of growing pigs depended on the construction and the functioning of the air inlet and outlet systems. Pigs fattened in houses with mechanical ventilation had a higher proportion of carcasses in the higher carcass grades. Seasonal effects were observed with respect to mortality rate, emergency slaughter rate and efficiency of food utilization. Differences between food conversion ratio with respect to heating and no-heating were comparable with those between summer and winter conditions. Hence the seasonal influence was not completely buffered by the housing conditions.
A note on the preference of sheep for whole or crushed grains and seeds
Authors: Hutson G. D. , Wilson P. N. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTAn operant conditioning technique was used to determine whether the reinforcement value of grains and seeds preferred by sheep could be increased by crushing the food. Five sheep were trained to press a plate to receive a food reward. The rate of pressing on a progressive fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement was used as a measure of reinforcement value. Five foods were tested: barley, wheat, oats, lupins and peas. Crushing the foods had no effect on rate of pressing, whereas there was a great deal of variation between sheep and between foods. The preferred foods were wheat and barley.
A model of the energy system of lactating and pregnant cows
Authors: Bruce J. M. , Broadbent P. J. , Topps J. H. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT1. A deterministic model and computer program of the energy system of lactating and pregnant cows have been developed.2. Input data for cow, nutritional, management and environmental factors are required.3. The output of milk production, live weight and heat production is a time series, with a weekly time-step.4. Suckler and dairy cow examples are given to illustrate the use of the model to evaluate the effects of quality, quantity and pattern of food intake, and shelter.