Y. Folman

Effects of source and level of protein on milk yield and reproductive performance of high-producing primiparous and multiparous dairy cows

Ninety 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 P > 0·05) for multiparous cows and 29·4, 31·2, 33·4 ( P P P P P P

The effect of protein intake and lactation number on post-partum body weight loss and reproductive performance of dairy cows †

In three experiments 250 high-yielding dairy cows were fed for 18 weeks after parturition either a low-protein (LP) diet containing 150 to 160 g crude protein per kg or a high-protein (HP) diet containing 190 to 200 g crude protein per kg. In all three experiments cows were fed an average of 2·6 to 2·9 kg crude protein per day on the LP diet and 3·3 to 3·7 kg crude protein per day on the HP diet. Inclusive of maintenance, crude protein intake was, on average, 71 to 83 g crude protein per kg milk on the LP diet and 84 to 112 g crude protein per kg milk on the HP diet. Protein intake did not affect the post-partum decrease in body weight; however, cows in their 4th and later lactations lost significantly more weight than cows in their 2nd and 3rd lactations ( P P P P P P

Chemical processing of wheat straw and cotton by-products for fattening cattle. 1. Performance of animals receiving the wet material shortly after treatment

Two fibrous roughages, wheat straw and cotton hulls, were treated with 0, 40 and 80 g sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/kg roughage, applied in amounts of water calculated to bring the roughages to moisture contents of 30 and 60%. The effects of these factors on the nutritive values of the two roughages were examined using a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial design. Digestibility trials, in vitro and in vivo , and a 9-mo feeding trial were carried out with the roughages soon after treatment. Concentrates were limited to 6 kg/head per day throughout the animal experiments and roughages were offered ad libitum . Neutral detergent fibre decreased by 7·8 and 13·5% with the 40 and 80 g application rates of NaOH respectively. The treatment of both roughages with NaOH increased considerably their in vitro dry matter digestibility and total solubles after enzyme treatment, the increases being related to the rate of application of NaOH. Digestibility in vivo was improved only by the 40 g NaOH treatment. Treatment with NaOH reduced the voluntary intake of both roughages. Only the 80 g/kg treatment had a positive effect on rate of live- and carcass-weight gain. On the other hand, NaOH improved very significantly the efficiency of conversion of metabolizable energy into live and carcass weight and increased significantly the degree of fatness of the animals. These results indicate a marked improvement in the nutritional value of both roughages due to NaOH treatment. The reason for the small response in rate of gain may be explained by a shortage of protein owing to a possible reduction in its digestibility. Cotton hulls excelled wheat straw in almost every respect. Animals on NaOH-treated cotton hulls bloated chronically unless some long straw was given. Moisture level had practically no effect on performance. The effects of the treatments on rumen or blood constituents were small.

Contemporary comparisons between progeny by Finnish Landrace and Romanov rams out of Mutton Merino and Awassi ewes

Results based on contemporary comparisons of F1 progeny by Finnish Landrace and Romanov rams out of Mutton Merino and Awassi ewes are given. Within the four genotypes thus produced, the F1 females were mated to F1 males to produce F2 progeny. Mutton Merino crosses were carried through the first lambing and the Awassi crosses through two lambings. All animals were housed and lambs reared on ad lib. concentrates and hay. There were no significant differences between sire breeds in the performance of their F1 progeny except for wool traits. Awassi crossbred females at 1 year old exceeded the Mutton Merino crosses in proportion lambing (74 vs 65%); lambs born per ewe mated (1.15 vs 0.95); birth weight (5.1 kg vs 4.2) and 150-day weight (46 kg vs 43). Lamb mortality up to 150 days was similar at around 24%. For the Awassi crossbreds at the second lambing the F2 progeny with finn blood were heavier at birth and grew faster to weaning than those with Romanov blood (4.1 kg and 233 g/day vs 3.6 kg and 198 g/day). Romanov rams either introduced or greatly increased the incidence of pigmented and kemp-like fibres in the wool of their progeny; in the cross with Mutton Merinos they also adversely affected breed type, character and handle.

Chemical processing of wheat straw and cotton by-products for fattening cattle 3. Performance of animals receiving material in complete feeds

The fibrous roughages, wheat straw (WS) and cotton stalks (CS), were left untreated or treated with 30 g sodium hydroxide per kg, and residual alkali was either neutralized with sulphuric acid or left unneutralized. All roughages were pelleted and used either in complete feeds or separately. The effects of these treatments on the nutritive value of the roughages were examined in digestibility trials in vitro and in vivo , and in a 7·month feeding trial of a factorial arrangement of 2 × 3 × 2, in which the roughages constituted 350 g/kg of the diets. Approximately 150 g/kg of the neutral-detergent fibre (cell wall) constituents of both roughages was solubilized by sodium hydroxide treatment, while the changes in acid-detergent fibre components (cellulose and lignin) were much smaller, although evident. In vitro -dry matter digestibility of wheat straw was 22 % higher than that of cotton stalks, and its increase due to NaOH treatment was 50% and 30% for wheat straw and cotton stalks, respectively. In vivo digestibility of organic matter of wheat straw was increased from 0·47 to 0·59, and that of cotton stalks from 032 to 037. The increase was evident in all components except protein, in which digestibility was reduced. The increase in the metabolizable energy values of wheat straw from 6·86 to 7·45MJ/kg dry matter and that of cotton stalks from 4·77 to 5·10MJ/kg dry matter following sodium hydroxide treatment was not reflected in daily live-weight or carcass-weight gain in the feeding trial. The animals offered NaOH-treated roughages had significantly more fat trim, and more fat in the large depots. Including roughages in complete feeds revealed no advantage in metabolizable energy conversion into live weight.

Performance of fattening cattle and lactating beef cows on diets high in chemically treated wheat straw and poultry litter

Abstract Three experiments were carried out to study the effect of chemical treatment on the nutritive value of wheat straw (WS) and the effect of diets containing such treated straw and poultry litter (PL) on the performance of fattening cattle and lactating beef cows. The chemical treatment consisted of treating half of the wheat straw with 60 kg sodium hydroxide/t and the other with 60 kg sulphuric acid/t, and then mixing the two to give “Celephos”. The digestibility coefficient of organic matter was 68.0 and 41.7 for “Celephos” and untreated straw, respectively. For a long term feeding trial, two mixtures were formulated: (a) including 23% WS and 19% PL; (b) including 30% chemically treated WS and 16% PL. A conventional high grain fattening diet (c) served as control. The metabolizable energy concentrations in the above diets were 2.37, 2.38 and 2.78 Mcal/kg DM. Protein content of the diets was regulated by PL or soya bean meal. Liveweight gain was 1059, 1137 and 1180 g/day, metabolizable energy conversion ratio to liveweight was 22.8, 20.7 and 20.0 Mcal/kg, and carcass gain was 565, 606 and 656 g/day for treatment groups (a), (b) and (c), respectively. In a third trial, lactating beef cows were fed on long straw or Celephos, PL and 1.5 kg grain per head per day. Intake of Celephos was 28% higher than that of untreated straw and milk output was 3 kg/day higher. This was reflected in an increase of 67 g/day in gain of suckled calves.

The effect of floor space allowance on feedlot performance and on behaviour of Israeli-Friesian male cattle

Abstract Four groups of Israeli-Friesian male cattle were fattened in pens with concrete slatted floors from an initial live weight of 138 kg up to 450 kg at slaughter. Floor space per animal differed between groups, of which two were fed ad lib. and two restricted. One group had an adjoining uncovered yard. Both DM intake and daily gain different significantly from the 150th day to slaughter. The differences were directly related to floor space allowance per animal. Animals of the smaller space allowance had a significantly higher dressing percentage, but they were not significantly fatter.