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Growth and rumen digestion characteristics of steers grazing autumn grass supplemented with concentrates based on different carbohydrate sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

P. French ,
A. P. Moloney ,
P. O’Kiely ,
E. G. O’Riordan  and
P. J. Caffrey
P. French*
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland Department of Animal Science and Production, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
A. P. Moloney
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
P. O’Kiely
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
E. G. O’Riordan
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
P. J. Caffrey
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Production, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
*
†Address for correspondence.
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Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects on animal performance and rumen digestion characteristics of supplementing cattle grazing autumn grass offered at two levels of allowance, with concentrates formulated from different carbohydrate sources. Seventy-two steers (494 (s.e. 38·4) kg) were assigned to one of six treatments which were arranged in a two grass allowances (5·5 or 11 kg grass dry matter (DM) per head per day) by three concentrate types (starch, starch + fibre or fibre-based diets) factorial design. The experiment commenced on 22 August and had a mean duration of 84 days. Concentrates were formulated to have similar metabolizable energy and crude protein and animals were offered 5 kg per head daily. Grass allowances were offered daily and concentrates were offered individually. Six rumen fistulated steers were used concurrently in a Latin square design to determine the effect of the diets on rumen digestion characteristics. Grass and concentrates degradabilities were measured using the nylon bag technique. The concentrate DM was degraded at 0·189, 0·102 and 0·094 per h for the starch, starch + fibre and fibre-based diets, respectively. Concentrate carbohydrate source and grass allowance did not affect (P > 0·05) degradation rate of grass DM or nitrogen in the rumen, rumen fluid pH, rumen fluid concentration of volatile fatty acids, total lactic acid or ammonia concentration or plasma concentration of glucose, urea or beta-hydroxybutyrate. Animals offered the low grass allowance had larger (P < 0·05) diurnal variation in the rumen fluid acetate: propionate ratio than those offered the high grass allowance. Increasing grass allowance increased (P < 0·01) carcass gain whereas concentrate type had no effect. There was no interaction between concentrate carbohydrate source and grass allowance on any of the production variables measured. It is concluded that the rumen environment in cattle grazing autumn grass buffered the effects of concentrate carbohydrate degradability such that similar productivity was achieved with each concentrate.

Keywords

autumncarbohydratesconcentratesgrass intakerumen digestionsteers
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 72 , Issue 1 , February 2001 , pp. 139 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

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