Eighty-four calves were weaned at five weeks of age on to barley-based pellets containing 0, 2, or 4 per cent of mixed buffers. An additional treatment was to provide access or no access to straw chaff. Growth rates from six to twelve weeks of age were 0.94 and 0.71 kg day- 1 for calves with and without access to straw chaff. With 0, 2, and 4 per cent buffers in the pellets the growth rates after weaning were 0.79,1.00, and 1.02 kg day-1 respectively for calves eating chaff and 0.66,0.71 and 0.77 kg day-1 respectively for calves without access to chaff. There were two deaths due to bloat at each of the 0 and 2 per cent levels of buffers when chaff was not available. The responses to buffers and roughage are discussed in relation to saliva production and rumen function.

Eighty-four calves were weaned at five weeks of age on to barley-based pellets containing 0, 15 or 30 per cent oat pollards. An additional treatment was to provide access or no access to long straw. Growth rates from six to ten weeks were 0.75 and 0.50 kg day-1 for calves with and without access to long straw, respectively (P < 0.001 ). As the content of oat pollards in the pellets increased, pellet intake increased so that growth rates were maintained when calves had access to long straw, and increased when long straw was not available. However, the highest growth rate of calves without long straw was still 0.14 kg day-1 lower than the lowest average growth rates of calves with access to long straw. These results are discussed in relation to the buffering capacity of the rumen in young calves.

The dramatic change in the western world's economic environment is characterised by lower inflation, unserviceable indebtedness, lower commodity prices, greater environmental awareness and a complete readjustment of values and bank lending policies as an era of greater financial conservatism develops. An understanding of this historic turning point in economic developments, especially in Australia, brings into question many established concepts of management of our agricultural resources. This paper questions whether these changes demand a more dramatic rethink of the management of our western lands to ensure that the economic imperative of profit (the driving force for private occupancy of pastoral areas) can sit comfortably with the environmental responsibility being increasingly demanded by society.