Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T08:19:58.920Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Relationship between dry matter, fibre and nitrogen degradation characteristics of silage and silage intake of steers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

L.E.R. Dawson  and
R.W.J. Street
L.E.R. Dawson
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
R.W.J. Street
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
Get access

Abstract

A study was carried out to examine the relationship between silage intake and rumen degradability characteristics of silage. The dry matter (DM), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid-detergent fibre (ADF), hemicellulose and nitrogen (N) degradability characteristics of 136 silages were determined using polyester bags in three rumen fistulated beef cross steers. The bags were incubated for 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. Intakes of these silages, by steers, were reported by Steen et al., 1998. The relationships between silage DM intake (g/kg metabolic live weight) and DM, fibre and N degradability characteristics of the silages were poor (R2 < 0·32). Degradability characteristics of the silages were highly negatively correlated with fibre concentration of the silages (R < –0·82) and highly positively correlated with the soluble N minus ammonia concentration (R < 0·77). Some of the degradability characteristics were highly correlated with organic matter digestibility, particularly the proportion of DM, fibre and N degraded after 72 h (R = 0·75 to 0·85). In view of the poor relationship between silage intake and degradability, the results of this study question the rôle of degradation characteristics of DM, fibre and N in the rumen on silage intake.

Keywords

food intakerumen fermentationsilagesteers
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 70 , Issue 3 , June 2000 , pp. 537 - 546
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2000

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

Aitchison, E.M., Gill, M., Dhanoa, M.S. and Osbourn, D.F. 1986. The effect of digestibility and forage species on the removal of digesta from the rumen and the voluntary intake of hay by sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 56: 463–476.Google Scholar
Bruchem, J. van, Bosch, M.W., Lammers-Wiehoven, S.C.W. and Bangma, G.A. 1991. Intake, rumination, reticulo-rumen fluid and particle kinetics, and faecal particle size in heifers and cattle fed on grass hay and wilted grass silage. Livestock Production Science 27: 297–308.Google Scholar
Bryant, M.P. and Robinson, I.M. 1963. Apparent incorporation of ammonia and amino acid carbon during growth of selected species of ruminai bacteria. Journal of Dairy Science 46: 150.Google Scholar
Campling, R.C. 1966. The intake of hay and silage by cows. Journal of the British Grassland Society 21: 41–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carro, M.D., Lopez, S., Gonzalez, J.S. and Ovejero, F.J. 1991. The use of the rumen degradation characteristics of hay as predictors of its voluntary intake by sheep. Animal Production 52: 133–139.Google Scholar
Clancy, M.J. and Wilson, R.K. 1966. Development and application of a new chemical method for predicting the digestibility and intake of herbage samples. Proceedings of the Xth international grassland congress, Helsinki, pp. 445–452.Google Scholar
Cushnahan, A., Mayne, C.S. and Unsworth, E.F. 1995. Effects of ensilage of grass on performance and nutrient utilization by dairy cattle. 2. Nutrient metabolism and rumen fermentation. Animal Production 60: 347–359.Google Scholar
Fahey, G.C. and Merchen, N.R. 1987. Analytical procedures associated with estimation of feed intake: the detergent system of analysis. In Feed intake by beef cattle (ed. Owens, F.N.), pp. 41–61. University of Oklahoma.Google Scholar
Hovell, F.D. deB., Nǵambi, J.W.W., Barber, W.P. and Kyle, D.J. 1986. The voluntary intake of hay by sheep in relation to its degradability in the rumen as measured in nylon bags. Animal Production 42: 111–118.Google Scholar
McDonald, I. 1981. A revised model for the estimation of protein degradability in the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96: 251–252.Google Scholar
McLeod, M.N. and Minson, D.J. 1988. Breakdown of large particles in forage by simulated digestion and detrition. Journal of Animal Science 66: 1000–1004.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mehrez, A.Z. and Ørskov, E.R. 1977. A study of the artificial fibre bag technique for determining the digestibility of feeds in the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 88: 645–650.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mertens, D.R. 1985. Effect of fibre on feed quality for dairy cows. Proceedings of the 46th Minnesota nutrition conference, pp. 209–224.Google Scholar
Mertens, D.R. 1987. Predicting intake and digestibility using mathematical models of ruminai function. Journal of Animal Science 64: 1548–1558.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1979. The analysis of agricultural materials. Technical bulletin no. 27, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Nandra, K.S., Hendry, A. and Dobos, R.C. 1993. A study of voluntary intake and digestibility of roughages in relation to their degradation characteristics and retention time in the rumen. Animal Feed Science and Technology 43: 227–237.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E.R., Hughes-Jones, M. and McDonald, I. 1980. Degradability of protein supplements and utilisation of undegraded protein by high producing dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Haresign, W.), pp. 17–130. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E.R. and McDonald, I. 1979. The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 90: 499–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E.R., Reid, G.W. and Kay, M. 1988. Prediction of intake by cattle from degradation characterisitics of roughage. Animal Production 46: 29–34.Google Scholar
Phillip, L.E., Buchanan-Smith, J.G. and Grovum, W.L. 1980. Effect of ensiling whole plant corn on voluntary intake, rumen fermentation, retention time and rate of digestion in steers. Journal of Animal Science 51: 1003–1010.Google Scholar
Steen, R.W.J., Gordon, F.J., Dawson, L.E.R., Park, R.S., Mayne, C.S., Agnew, R.E., Kilpatrick, D.J. and Porter, M.G. 1998. Factors affecting the intake of grass silage by cattle and prediction of silage intake. Animal Science 66: 115–127.Google Scholar
Teller, E., Vanbelle, M. and Kamatali, P. 1993. Chewing behaviour and voluntary grass silage intake by cattle. Livestock Production Science 33: 215–227.Google Scholar
Teller, E., Vanbelle, M., Kamatali, P. and Wavreille, J. 1989. Intake of direct cut or wilted silage as related to chewing behaviour, ruminal characteristics and site and extent of digestion by heifers. Journal of Animal Science 67: 2802–2809.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thiago, L.R.L., Gill, M. and Dhanoa, M.S. 1992. Studies of methods of conserving grass herbage and frequency of feeding in cattle. 1. Voluntary feed intake, digestion and rate of passage. British Journal of Nutrition 67: 319–336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thornton, R.F. and Minson, D.J. 1973. The relationship between apparent retention time in the rumen , voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of legume and grass diets in sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 24: 889–898.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ulyatt, M.J., Dellow, D.W., John, A., Reid, C.S.W. and Waghorn, G.C. 1986. Contribution of chewing during eating and ruminating to the clearance of digesta from the reticulorumen. In Control of digestion and metabolism in ruminants (ed. Milligan, L.P., Grovum, W.L. and Dobson, A.), pp. 498–515. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P.J. 1976. Laboratory methods for evaluating energy value of feedstuffs. In Feed and energy sources for livestock (ed. Swan, H. and Lewis, D.). Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Welch, J.G. 1982. Rumination, particle size reduction and passage from the rumen. Journal of Dairy Science 69: 2750–2754.Google Scholar
Welch, J.G. and Smith, A.M. 1969. Forage quality and rumination time in cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 53: 797–800.Google Scholar