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The effect of concentrate level on performance of dairy sheep offered grass silage ad-libitum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

C. Ewbank ,
C.M. Minter  and
R.G. Wilkinson
C. Ewbank
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Science, Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Shropshire. TF10 8NB
C.M. Minter
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Science, Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Shropshire. TF10 8NB
R.G. Wilkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Science, Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Shropshire. TF10 8NB
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Extract

The response of dairy cows offered grass silage to increases in the level of concentrate supplementation is well documented. However little information exists for dairy sheep. The aim of this trial was to assess the impact of concentrate level on silage dry matter intake, milk production and quality and daily liveweight change in milking ewes.

After weaning at 8 weeks, 24 mature Friesland ewes were individually penned. Ewes were offered precision chopped grass silage: (dry matter (DM) 203 g/kg; ph 3.4; ammonia nitrogen 58 g/kg total N; crude protein (CP) 164 g/kg DM; metabolisable energy (ME) 10.9 MJ/kg DM) ad-libitum and concentrate DM (CP 194) g/kg DM; ME 12.8 MJ/kg DM) at daily rates of 0; 0.7, 1.4 and 2.1 kg/day with no more than 0.6 kg per feed. Water was available ad libitum. All animals were milked twice daily through a Fullwood parlour and weighed weekly. Silage was fed daily and refusals removed twice weekly. The experiment lasted 6 weeks and was analysed as a random block design.

Type
Silage
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1994 , March 1994 , pp. 127
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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