Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T18:54:41.161Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A note on the feeding of fodder beet to dairy youngstock

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. J. Roberts  and
J. A. Bax
D. J. Roberts
Affiliation:
West of Scotland Agricultural College, Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries DG1 4SZ
J. A. Bax
Affiliation:
West of Scotland Agricultural College, Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries DG1 4SZ
Get access

Extract

Friesian/Holstein dairy heifers require an average daily live-weight gain of about 0·68 kg/day from birth to calving if they are o t reach a target live weight of 540 kg before first calving at 2 years of age. For autumn- born cattle the diet during their second winter is usually based on silage, hay or straw and the level of supplementation depends on the forage quality. When supplementation is necessary the aim should be to feed a least-cost diet. One possible supplementary food is fodder beet which, if grown without the use of purchased fertilizer (West of Scotland Agricultural College, 1984), can be a relatively cheap source of energy and compares favourably with other crops in yield per ha. In the two experiments reported here fodder beet was used for feeding dairy youngstock. The objective of experiment 1 was to evaluate the substitution of barley by fodder beet in straw-based diets. In experiment 2, fodder beet was fed as a partial substitute for silage.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 46 , Issue 2 , April 1988 , pp. 297 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1988

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

Alderman, G., Broster, W. H., Strickland, M. J. and Johnson, C. L. 1982. The estimation of the energy value of liveweight change in the lactating dairy cow. LivestockProduction Science 9: 665–673.Google Scholar
Alexander, R. H. and Mcgowan, M. 1966. The routine determination of in vitro digestibility of organic matter in forages — an investigation of the problems associated with c..inuous large-scale operation. Journal of the British Grassland Society 21 140–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, R. H. and Mcgowan, M. 1969. The assessment of the nutritive value of silage by determination of in vitro digestibility on homogenates prepared from fresh undried silage. Journal of the British Grassland Society 24: 195–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brabander, D. L. De., Aerts, J.V., Boucque, CH. V. and Buyssf, F. X. 1976. [The specific effect of fodder beets on the feed intake by dairy cow (2)] Revue de l'Agriculture 29: 593–606.Google Scholar
Huey, J. B. D. 1957. A comparison of the feeding value of fodder beet and cereals for calf feeding. Research and Experimental Record, Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland 6: 60–64.Google Scholar
Ministry Of Agriculture, Fisheries and FOOD 1985. Fodder beet. Nutrition Chemistry Feed Evaluation Report 1985/86, 4 pp.Google Scholar
Sabri, M. S., Roberts, D. J. and Offer, N. M. 1987. Effect of feeding fodder beet on food intake and dairy cow performance. Animal Production 44: 493–494 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Selman, M. 1984. Fodderbeet. Annual Review, Gleadthorpe Experimental Husbandry Farm, pp. 16–18.Google Scholar
West Of Scotland Agricultural College. 1984. Fodder beet. manuring trial. Table 66. Agronomy Department, Results of Experiments (1984). WSAC, Auchincruive, Ayr.Google Scholar