Effect of litter size on herbage intake at pasture by ewes and their progeny

Vulich, S. A.; O’Riordan, Edward G.; Hanrahan, J. P.

doi:10.1017/s0003356100020110

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Ewe breed cross had no effect on OMI. Vulich et al (1990) found that adult ewes from breeds of a large mature size had higher intake per unit of body weight than ewes from breeds of a small mature size. There are, however, relatively few measurements on the effect of ewe breed on herbage intake at pasture.…”

Section: Animal Intakementioning

confidence: 90%

Effect of sward surface height on herbage intake and performance of lactating ewes lambed in winter and continuously stocked on pasture

et al. 1994

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S U M M A R YThirty-six 4-year-old Border Leicester x Romney (BR), Poll Dorset x BR (PBR) and Suffolk x BR (SBR) ewes balanced for litter size were assigned, 6 days after the mid-point of lambing (29 June 1989), to one of three sward surface height (SSH) treatments replicated twice (six ewes/1 ha paddock). The mean SSH during the 54 days of the trial were 2-6, 4-4 and 7-8 cm. Herbage organic matter intake (OMI) was measured using intraruminal chromium controlled release capsules during weeks 3, 4, 7 and 8 of lactation. Ewe OMI was not influenced by SSH during week 3 of lactation. During weeks 4 and 7 of lactation, ewe OMI increased with SSH up to a SSH of 78 cm. In week 8 of lactation there was no significant difference in OMI between ewes grazing the 4-4 or 7-8 cm SSH treatments, suggesting maximum intake at this stage of lactation is reached at 4-4 cm SSH. A maximum OMI of 2-6±01 and 3 0 ± 0 1 kg OM/ewe per day (P < 005) was reached in week 4 of lactation on the 4-4 and 7-8 cm SSH treatments, respectively. Ewes grazing the 2-6 cm swards had a relatively constant OMI throughout the experiment (range 1-8 ±0-1 to 20 + 0-1 kg OM/ewe per day). However, these ewes lost 10-5 kg of liveweight while those on the 4-4 and 7-8 cm SSH treatments maintained a constant liveweight. Sward surface height had no effect on ewe midside wool growth rate or mean fibre diameter (measured at day 60 of lactation) or on lamb liveweight gain. Ewe breed cross had no effect on ewe OMI or midside wool growth. Lambs reared by SBR ewes were heavier (20-4 + 0-5 kg) at day 60 of lactation than lambs reared by PBR (18-7±0-6 kg) or BR (18-4±0-6 kg) ewes (P < 005). These results suggest that for Winter(June)-lambing ewes in good condition a SSH of 40cm under continuous stocking should ensure near to maximum ewe and lamb performance. However, ewes in good body condition at lambing stocked on a SSH down to 3 cm will rear lambs to acceptable weaning weights but at the expense of ewe liveweight loss and possible long-term carryover effects on future production if compensatory weight gains are not achieved during the spring pasture growth period.

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Section: Animal Intakementioning

confidence: 90%

Effect of sward surface height on herbage intake and performance of lactating ewes lambed in winter and continuously stocked on pasture

et al. 1994

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“…Yb was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry with a nitrous oxide/acetylene flame (Varian spectraa-20, Varian France SA, Les Ulis, France) after calcination and digestion in nitric acid (94.5 g/l) as described by Siddons et al (1985). N-alkane concentrations in the feed and faeces were determined using gas chromatography according to Mayes et al (1986) after direct saponification (Vulich et al, 1991).…”

Section: Chemical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

N-alkanes v. ytterbium/faecal index as two methods for estimating herbage intake of dairy cows fed on diets differing in the herbage : maize silage ratio and feeding level

Pérez-Ramírez

Peyraud

Delagarde

2012

Animal

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The aim of this study was to compare the n-alkanes and the ytterbium (Yb)/faecal index techniques as two methods for estimating the herbage intake of dairy cows fed indoors on different herbage : supplement ratios and feeding levels. The supplement was a mixture of maize silage and soyabean meal (ratio of 87 : 13 on a dry matter (DM) basis). In all, four treatments were studied. The herbage : supplement ratio in the diet was 25 : 75, 50 : 50, 75 : 25 and 50 : 50 for treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Animals were offered for treatments 1, 2 and 3, 100% of ad libitum intake measured before the experiment and 70% of ad libitum intake for treatment 4. Cows were fed herbage in the morning and supplement in the evening. A total of six lactating Holstein dairy cows were used in a 4 3 4 Latin square with four 14-day periods. Herbage and supplement intakes, faecal output (FO), in vivo organic matter (OM) digestibility and faecal recovery of markers were measured on the last 5 days of each period. Intake was estimated with the two methods and from two faecal sampling techniques, that is, total faecal collection v. grab sampling during milking. Mean herbage intake as fed, or estimated from n-alkanes or from the Yb/faecal index was 7.7, 8.1 and 10.2 kg DM, respectively. The mean prediction error, expressed as a fraction of actual herbage intake, was 0.10 and 0.50 for the n-alkanes and Yb/faecal index methods, respectively. The n-alkanes method clearly showed much better accuracy than the Yb/faecal index method for estimating intake, irrespective of the faecal sampling method, herbage : silage proportion or feeding level. For the nalkanes method, herbage intake was slightly overestimated (7%) when herbage proportion in the diet was high, due to a ratio of faecal C 33 : C 32 recovery .1. The high bias for the Yb/faecal index was due to the cumulative effect of overestimation of FO (mean recovery of Yb 5 0.92) and underestimation of the diet indigestible fraction (28%). Between-treatment variations of FO were on average well estimated by Yb. Between-treatment variations of OM digestibility estimated using the faecal index technique were lower than those observed in vivo. It is concluded that intake of grazing dairy cows receiving high levels of maize silage supplement should be estimated using the n-alkanes method.

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“…The decline in herbage DM yield of 54.2 kg/ha per day delay in grazing after early December has a significant impact on spring grass availability. Using the data of Vulich et al (1991), a decline of 54.2 kg DM/ha is equivalent to 20 grazing days for ewes rearing twin lambs from birth to weaning. However, whilst delaying grazing reduced herbage yield, it increased feed value as indicated by ME concentration due to a reduction in fibre concentration, but did not impact water-soluble carbohydrate or CP concentrations.…”

Section: Keady and Hanrahanmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of allowance and frequency of allocation of deferred herbage, and grass silage feed value, when offered to ewes in mid-gestation on ewe and lamb performance and subsequent herbage yield

Keady¹,

Hanrahan²

2009

Animal

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The effects of (i) herbage allowance, (ii) frequency of allocation and (iii) grass silage feed value on ewe and lamb performance were studied in mid-gestation ewes. Furthermore, the effects of (i) herbage allowance, (ii) frequency of allocation and (iii) grazing date and their interactions on subsequent herbage yield and feed value were also evaluated. Swards, which had a cut of silage removed on 6 September, received fertiliser nitrogen (34 kg/ha) for extended (deferred) grazing between 6 December and 1 February. Two grass silages differing in feed value were ensiled either precision chopped or in big bales from predominantly perennial ryegrass swards, respectively. In experiment 1, a completely randomised study involving 120 crossbred mid-gestation ewes (Belclare 3 Scottish Blackface) that had been mated in October was undertaken to evaluate the effects of extended grazed herbage allowance (1.0 and 1.8 kg dry matter (DM)/day), frequency of herbage allocation (daily and twice weekly) and grass silage feed value (low and medium) on ewe and subsequent lamb performance. The six diets were offered from days 63 to 120 of gestation. From day 120 of gestation to parturition all ewes were housed and offered the medium feed value silage ad libitum. All ewes received 19 kg concentrate prior to lambing. Increasing herbage allowance increased forage intake ( P , 0.05), lamb birth weight ( P , 0.01), weaning weight ( P , 0.05) and growth rate from birth to weaning ( P , 0.05), decreased herbage utilisation ( P , 0.05) and tended to increase ewe condition score at lambing ( P 5 0.06). Frequency of herbage allocation or grass silage feed value did not alter ( P . 0.05) ewe or subsequent lamb performance. In experiment 2, the effect of extended grazed herbage allowance (1.0 and 1.8 kg DM/ewe daily), frequency of allocation (daily and twice weekly) and grazing date (6 to 12 December, 27 December to 3 January and 17 to 23 January) on herbage yield at two harvest dates (27 April and 25 May) was examined in a split plot design study consisting of 72 plots. Delaying grazing date decreased herbage yield ( P , 0.01) whilst delaying harvest date increased herbage yield ( P , 0.05). Frequency of herbage allocation did not alter ( P . 0.05) subsequent herbage yield. It is concluded that for ewes in mid-gestation 1.0 kg of low feed value silage DM had the same feed value, as determined by weaned lamb weight, as 1.3 kg herbage DM allowance. Each 1-day delay in grazing date reduced herbage DM yield by 54.2 kg/ha.

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Effect of litter size on herbage intake at pasture by ewes and their progeny

Cited by 21 publications

References 17 publications

Effect of sward surface height on herbage intake and performance of lactating ewes lambed in winter and continuously stocked on pasture

Effect of sward surface height on herbage intake and performance of lactating ewes lambed in winter and continuously stocked on pasture

N-alkanes v. ytterbium/faecal index as two methods for estimating herbage intake of dairy cows fed on diets differing in the herbage : maize silage ratio and feeding level

The effects of allowance and frequency of allocation of deferred herbage, and grass silage feed value, when offered to ewes in mid-gestation on ewe and lamb performance and subsequent herbage yield

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