Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T19:22:39.748Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of time of supplementary feeding on intake, apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation of grass hay by sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. D. Carro ,
A. R. Mantecón ,
I. A. Wright  and
I. J. Gordon
M. D. Carro
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
A. R. Mantecón
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
I. A. Wright
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
I. J. Gordon
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
Get access

Abstract

Effects of time of supplementation on forage intake, nutrient apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation were studied with 12 mature castrated male sheep (wethers) offered grass hay from 16.30 h to 09.30 h and supplemented with a cereal-based concentrate given at either 09.30 or 16.00 h. Voluntary intake of hay organic matter (OM) was decreased by feeding the concentrate (P < 0·01). Offering concentrate at 09.30 h after hay was available, increased intake of hay and total OM compared with offering it at 16.00 h before hay was available (P < 0·05). Daily pattern of hay intake was not changed when concentrate was offered at 09.30 h compared with feeding hay alone, but concentrate given at 16.00 h resulted in a lower hay intake between 16.30 and 18.00 h. Sheep offered concentrate at 09.30 h had higher rumen ammonia levels than those offered concentrate at 16.00 h, but there were no differences in the apparent digestibility of the nutrients, rumen pH and molar proportions of the main volatile fatty acids. There were also no differences between groups in the blood plasma concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate (30HB), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose. It is concluded that feeding supplement after rather than before a period of intake of forage or a bout of grazing may offer a means of minimizing reduction of forage intake as a consequence of feeding concentrate.

Keywords

concentratedigestioneating patternhaysheep
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 59 , Issue 2 , October 1994 , pp. 217 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allden, W. G. 1981. Energy and protein supplements for grazing livestock. In Grazing animals (ed. Morley, F. H. W.), pp. 289–307. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Annison, E. F. 1960. Plasma non-esterified fatty acids in sheep. Australian Journal of Agriculture Science 11: 58–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arnold, G. W. 1981. Grazing behaviour. In Grazing animals (ed. Morley, F. H. W.), pp. 79–104. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
DelCurto, T., Cochran, R. C, Harmon, D. L., Beharka, A. A., Jacques, K. A., Towne, G. and Vazant, E. S. 1990. Supplementation of dormant tallgrass-prairie forage. I. Influence of varying supplemental protein and (or) energy levels on forage utilization characteristics of beef steers in confinement. Journal of Animal Science 68: 515–531.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
French, N. and Kennelly, J. J. 1990. Effects of feeding frequency on ruminal parameters, plasma insulin, milk yield, and milk composition in Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 68: 1857–1863.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Günzel, R. and Giesecke, D. 1974. Der Einfluss der Fütterung, des Fastens und des Phlorhizindiabetes auf die Beziehungen zwischen Freien Fettsäuren und Glucose im Blut von Schaffen. Zentralblatt Veterinärmedizin A 21: 279–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goering, M. K. and Van Soest, P. J. 1970. Forage fiber analysis (apparatus, reagents, procedures and some applications). Agricultural handbook, US Department of Agriculture no 379.Google Scholar
Howard, M. D., Muntifering, R. B., Howard, M. M. and Hayek, M. G. 1992. Effects of time and level of energy supplementation on intake and digestibility of low-quality tall fescue hay by sheep. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 72: 51–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufmann, W. 1976. Influence of the composition of the ration and the feeding frequency on pH-regulation in the rumen and on feed intake in ruminants. Livestock Production Science 3: 103–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milligan, L. P. 1971. Energetic efficiency and metabolic transformations. Federations Proceedings 30: 1454–1458.Google ScholarPubMed
Ottenstein, D. M. and Bartley, D. A. 1971. Separation of free acids C2-C5 in dilute aqueous solution column technology. Journal of Chomatographic Science 9: 673–681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmquist, D. L., Smith, L. M. and Ronning, M. 1964. Effect of time of feeding concentrates and ground, pelleted alfalfa hay on milk fat percentage and fatty acid composition. Journal of Dairy Science 47: 516–520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, T. 1977. A modification of the Trinder Autoanalyser method for glucose. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry 114: 223–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1982. User's guide: statistics. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Stewart, C. S. 1977. Factors affecting cellulolytic activity of rumen contents. Applied Environmental Microbiology 33: 497–502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sutton, J. D., Hart, J. C, Broster, W. H., Elliott, R. J. and Schuller, E. 1986. Feeding frequency for lactating cows: effects on rumen fermentation and blood metabolites and hormones. British journal of Nutrition 56: 181–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitehead, R., Cooke, G. H. and Chapman, B. T. 1967. Problems associated with the continuous monitoring of ammoniacal nitrogen in a river water. Technicon symposium 1967, vol. 2, pp.377–380.Google Scholar
Zivin, J. A. and Snarr, J. F. 1973. An automated colorimetric method for the measurement of 3-hydroxybutyrate concentration. Analytical Biochemistry 52: 456–461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed