Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:39:55.916Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Milk-fed calves: 2. The effect of length of milk feeding period and milk intake upon herbage intake and performance of grazing calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Y. L. P. Le Du ,
R. D. Baker  and
J. M. Barker
Y. L. P. Le Du
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5LR
R. D. Baker
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5LR
J. M. Barker
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5LR
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Forty-eight Hereford × Friesian steer calves purchased at 7–10 days of age were reared on reconstituted milk substitute and groups of 12 were weaned at 86, 128, 170 or 212 days. Six calves at each weaning age were fed high (H) and low (L) quantities of milk normally associated with 240-day lactation yields of 2000 or 1000 kg. Calves were housed until day 63 of the experiment and then strip-grazed on swards of Loliun perenne with a daily allocation of herbage dry matter equivalent to 60 g/kg LW.

Herbage intake per unit live weight prior to weaning was consistently greater for the calves receiving low quantities of milk. Following weaning there was a rapid rise in herbage intake towards a maximum of 30 g OM/kg LW when sward conditions were non-limiting. The amount of milk fed prior to weaning affected herbage intake after weaning, and H groups did not achieve similar intakes to their L contemporaries until some weeks after weaning. The H groups grew faster from birth to weaning than the L groups but they experienced a more severe check in live-weight gain after weaning which nullified the advantage of better weight gains between the start of the grazing period and weaning. In consequence, there was no significant effect of the quantity of milk consumed prior to weaning upon live-weight gain during the grazing season. The results indicate a marked benefit from distributing a given quantity of milk over a longer feeding period as similar growth rates occurred for the H86 v. L128, H128 v. L170 and H170 v. L212 groups. Calves receiving milk consumed less herbage and spent a smaller proportion of the day grazing than weaned contemporaries, which suggests that metabolic rather than physical or behavioural factors are likely to limit their intake.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 87 , Issue 1 , August 1976 , pp. 197 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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

REFERENCES

Baile, C. A. (1975). Control of feed intake in ruminants. Proceedings of 4th International Symposium of Ruminant Physiology, Sydney, 1974, 333–50.Google Scholar
Baker, R. D., Le Du, Y. L. P. & Barker, J. M. B. (1976). Milk-fed calves. 1. The effect of milk intake upon the herbage intake and performance of grazing calves. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 87, 187–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davies, D. A. R. & Owen, J. B. (1967). Intensive rearing of lambs. 1. Some factors affecting performance in the liquid feeding period. Animal Production 9, 501–8.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. (1968). A study of some of the factors influencing the intake of solid food by young calves. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leeds.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. (1971a). The development of solid food intake in calves. 4. The effect of addition of material to the rumen, or its removal from the rumen, on voluntary food intake. Animal Production 13, 581–92.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. (1971 b). The development of solid food intake in calves. 5. The relationship between liquid and solid food intake. Animal Production 13, 593–8.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J., Tayler, J. C. & Lonsdale, C. R. (1971). The relationship between intensity of grazing and the herbage consumption and growth of calves. Journal of the British Grassland Society 26, 231–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Fraser, C. & Gill, J. C. (1973). A note on the effect of time of weaning and weight at slaughter on feed utilization of intensively fed lambs. Animal Production 16, 311–14.Google Scholar
Penning, P. D. & Treacher, T. T. (1975). The effects of quantity and distribution of milk substitute on the performance and carcass measurements of artificially reared lambs. Animal Production 20, 111–21.Google Scholar
Powell, T. L. (1973). Factors affecting silage intake in store rations for weaned suckled calves. Experimental Husbandry 24, 114–19.Google Scholar
Rodriguez Capriles, J. M. (1973). The herbage intake of young grazing cattle. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
Taylek, J. C. (1966). Relationships between the herbage consumption and carcass energy increment of grazing beef cattle and the quantity of herbage on offer. Proceedings 10th International Qrassland Congress, Helsinki, 1966, 463–70.Google Scholar
Weston, R. H. (1971). Factors limiting the intake of feed by sheep. VI. Feed intake in the ruminant lamb in relation to the administration of a nutrient solution per abomasum. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 22, 469–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar