Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-04T20:13:58.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Milk-fed calves:4. The effect of herbage allowance and milk intake upon herbage intake and performance of grazing calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. D. Baker  and
J. M. Barker
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

The effect of herbage allowance and milk intake upon herbage intake and performance was investigated using 48 Hereford × Friesian calves purchased at 10–12 days of age and reared on reconstituted milk substitute. Groups of 24 calves were fed low (L) or high (H) daily quantities of milk normally associated with 240-day lactation yields of 1000 or 2000 kg. Six calves on each milk treatment were allocated to four daily herbage allowances during the grazing season. These were 20, 40, 60 or 80 g/kg herbage dry matter/kg live weight.

There was no effect of herbage allowance before day 95; thereafter both herbage intake and live-weight gain of the L20 and H20 groups were depressed. The effect was greatest for the L calves. Additional milk consumption reduced herbage intake at all herbage allowances. Milk intake influenced the extent to which calves were buffered from the effects of a low herbage allowance.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 90 , Issue 1 , February 1978 , pp. 31 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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

Baker, K. D., Le Du, Y. L. P. & Barker, J. M. (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
Broster, W. H., Tuck, V. J. & Balch, C. C. (1963). Effect of rationing grass on the growth rate of dairy heifers and on output per acre, with a note on its significance in experimental design. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 60, 321–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Combellas, J. J. & Hodgson, J. (1975). The influence of the level of milk yield established at the start of the grazing season upon the response of springcalving dairy cows to variations in herbage allowance. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production 4, 113–14.Google Scholar
Gibb, M. J. & Treacher, T. T. (1976). The effect of herbage allowance on herbage intake and performance of lambs grazing perennial ryegrass and red clover swards. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 86, 355–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, C. H., Derbyshire, J. C., Alexander, C. W. & McCloud, D. E. (1966). Effects of grazing pressure on the performance of dairy cattle and pastures. Proceedings of IQth International Grassland Congress, pp. 470–5.Google Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D. (1970). The effects of grazing intense on herbage production and consumption and on milk production in strip-grazed dairy cows. Proceedings of 11th International Grassland Congress, pp. 856–60.Google Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Reid, G. W. & Aitken, J. N. (1967). The effects of grazing intensity on herbage consumption and animal production. II. Longer-term effects on strip-grazed dairy cow. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 69, 217–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, J., Tayler, J. C. & Lonsdale, C. R. (1971). The relationship between intensity of grazing and the herbage consumption of and growth of calves. Journal of the British Grassland Society 26, 231–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hull, J. L., Meyer, J. H. & Kroman, R. (1961). Influence of stocking rate on animal and forage production from irrigated pasture. Journal of Animal Science 20, 46–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jamieson, W. S. (1975). Studies on the herbage intake and grazing behaviour of cattle and sheep. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
Langlands, J. P. & Bennett, I. L. (1973). Stocking intensity and pastoral production, II. Herbage intake of merino sheep grazed at different stocking rates. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81, 205–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Du, Y. L. P., Baker, R. D. & Barker, J. M. (1976 a). Milk-fed calves. 2. The effect of length of milk feeding period and milk intake upon herbage intake and performance of grazing calves. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 87, 197–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Du, Y. L. P., Baker, R. D. & Barker, J. M. (1976 6). Milk-fed calves. 3. The milk intake, herbage intake and performance of suckled calves. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 87, 205–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloyd Davies, H. & Greenwood, E. A. M. (1972). Live weight and wool growth of sheep in response to the quantity and botanical composition of annual pasture induced by nitrogen fertiliser and stocking treatments. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 1101–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, R. C. G., Biddicombe, E. F. & Stern, W. R. (1972). Evaluation of five Mediterranean annual pasture species during early growth. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 703–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tayler, J. C. (1966). Relationships between the herbage consumption or carcass energy increment of grazing beef cattle and the quantity of herbage on offer. Proceedings of 10th International Grassland Congress, pp. 463–70.Google Scholar
Wilkinson, J. M. & Prescott, J. (1970). Beef production from grass and silage with autumn born calves. 1. The influence of grazing intensity on efficiency of herbage utilisation and liveweight gain of cattle. Animal Production 12, 433–42.Google Scholar