Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T00:32:25.700Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An analysis of cattle live-weight changes on tropical grass pasture during the dry and early wet seasons in northern australia: 1. The nature of weight changes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. W. McLean ,
R. L. McCown ,
D. A. Little ,
W. H. Winter  and
R. A. Dance
R. W. McLean
Affiliation:
C.S.I.R.O. Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, Cunningham Laboratory, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
R. L. McCown
Affiliation:
C.S.I.R.O. Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, Davies Laboratory, P.M.B. P.O. Aitkenvale, Townsville, Queensland 4814, Australia
D. A. Little
Affiliation:
C.S.I.R.O. Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, Cunningham Laboratory, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
W. H. Winter
Affiliation:
C.S.I.R.O. Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, Darwin Laboratory, Darwin, Northern Territory 5789, Australia
R. A. Dance
Affiliation:
Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Studies were conducted to elucidate the nature and cause of the drastic losses of live weight of cattle grazing buffel grass pastures after first rains at the end of the dry season in northern Australia. This paper examines trends in weight and body composition during the dry and early wet seasons; it shows that although most of the loss in fasted live weight occurred just after first rain, most of the loss of body solids, mainly fat, had already occurred by this time. Losses of body solids in the dry season were not fully reflected in live-weight losses because of increases in total body water and in gut ‘fill’. The greatly accelerated weight loss in the period following first rain appears to have been due mainly to a large reduction in gut contents. Empty-body weight actually increased during this period owing to increases in tissue water. Continuation of this trend in tissue water into the early wet season resulted in the rate of live-weight gain greatly exceeding that of body solids.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 101 , Issue 1 , August 1983 , pp. 17 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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

Balch, C. C. & Line, C. (1957). Weight changes in grazing cows. Journal of Dairy Research 24, 11–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carnegie, A. B., Tulloh, N. M. & Seebeck, R. M. (1969). Developmental growth and bodyweight loss of cattle. V. Changes in the alimentary tract. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 20, 405–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charles, D. D. (1964). Classifying trade beef by specifications. Australian Veterinary Journal 40, 27–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denis, J. P., Blancou, J. & Thiongane, P. I. (1979). Crise pondérale des zébus sahéliens lors de l'installation des premières pluies. Revue d'élevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux 32, 277–284.Google Scholar
Field, A. C., Suttle, N. F. & Gunn, R. G. (1968). Seasonal changes in the composition and mineral content of the body of hill ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 71, 303–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivins, J. D. & Morgan, J. T. (1957). Note on the extent and significance of losses in live weight of inwintered cattle on turning out to grass in spring. Journal of the British Grassland Society 12, 19–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, D. A. & McLean, R. W. (1981). Estimation of the body chemical composition of live cattle varying widely in fat content. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96, 213–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCown, R. L. (1981). The climatic potential for beef production in tropical Australia. III. Variation in the commencement, cessation, and duration of the green season. Agricultural Systems 7, 163–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCown, R. L., Jones, R. K. & Peake, D. C. I. (1980). A ley farming system for the semi-arid tropics. Proceedings of the Australian Agronomy Conference, Lawes, 1980, p. 188.Google Scholar
McCown, R. L. & McLean, R. W. (1983). An analysis of cattle live-weight changes on tropical grass pasture during the dry and early wet seasons in northern Australia. 2. Relations to trends in the pasture, diet and grazing behaviour. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101, 25–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, R. J. H., Howard, B. & MacFarlane, W. V. (1962). Interaction of nutrition and air temperature with water metabolism of Merino wethers shorn in winter. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 13, 320–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norman, M. J. T. (1965). Seasonal performance of beef cattle on native pasture at Katherine, N.T. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 5, 227–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norman, M. J. T. (1967). The ‘critical period’ for beef cattle grazing standing forage at Katherine, N.T. Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 33, 130–132.Google Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. (1964). Body composition in vivo. VI. The composition of ewes during prolonged under-nutrition. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 15, 771–787.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. & Till, A. R. (1963). Body composition in vivo. II. The composition of mature goats and its relationship to the antipyrine, tritiated water and N-acetyl-4-aminoantipyrine spaces. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 14, 926–943.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Payne, W. J. A. (1965). Specific problems of semi-arid environments. Qualitas Plantarum et Materiae Vegetabiles 12, 269–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siebert, B. D. (1971). Growth and water metabolism of cows and progeny on fertilized and unfertilized tropical pastures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 22, 415–428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siebert, B. D. & Kennedy, P. M. (1972). The utilization of speargrass (Heteropogon contortus). I. Factors limiting intake and utilization by cattle and sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 24, 35–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slatyer, R. O. (1960). Agricultural climatology of the Katherine area, N.T. C.S.I.R.O. Australia; Division of Land Research and Regional Survey Technical Paper No. 13.Google Scholar
Sykes, A. R. (1974). The prediction of the body composition of hill sheep from bodyweight, red cell volume and tritiated water space. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 269–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, A. R. & Field, A. C. (1972). Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. I. Body composition and mineral content of the ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 78, 109–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tayler, J. C., Alder, F. E. & Rudman, J. E. (1967). Fill and carcass changes of yard-fed and outwintered beef cattle turned on to spring pasture. Nature 179, 197–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vercoe, J. E. (1970). Fasting metabolism and heat increment of feeding in Brahman × British and British cross cattle. Publication of the European Association for Animal Production 13, 85–88.Google Scholar
Walker, B. (1969). Effects of feeding hay on the early wet season weight loss of cattle in western Tanzania. Experimental Agriculture 5, 53–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar