Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-sv6ng Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-27T08:03:57.572Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of winter food level on compensatory growth of weaned, suckled calves grazed at two sward heights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. A. Wright ,
A. J. F. Russel  and
E. A. Hunter
I. A. Wright
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
A. J. F. Russel
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
E. A. Hunter
Affiliation:
AFRC Unit of Statistics, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
Get access

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with weaned, suckled calves to investigate the effect of feeding level during the post-weaning winter on their subsequent performance when continuously grazed on pasture maintained at two sward heights. Low, medium and high levels of winter feeding resulted in winter live-weight gains of 0·31, 0·58 and 0·79 (s.e. 0·027) kg/day (P < 0·001) during the 152-day winter in experiment 1 and 0·44, 0·69 and 0·84 (s.e. 0·029) kg/day (P < 0·001) for 189 days in experiment 2. During summer (93 days in experiment 1 and 87 days in experiment 2) there was a significant effect of winter food level on performance when live-weight gains were 1·10, 1·02, 0·87 and 1·35, 1·23 and 1·19 (s.e. 0·060) kg/day for the low, medium and high winter food levels on the short and tall swards respectively in experiment 1 (P < 0·01) and 0·86, 0·66, 0·51 and 1·26, 1·18 and 0·91 (s.e. 0090) kg/day in experiment 2 (P < 0·001). The cattle showing compensatory growth had higher herbage intakes and it is postulated that this occurred because of a negative association between body fat and herbage intake. Sward height had a large positive effect on herbage intake and live-weight gain and it is concluded that for maximum intake on ryegrass swards, herbage height should be at least 8 cm. Lower levels of winter live-weight gain delayed the time to slaughter, but allowed cattle to achieve heavier carcass weights at a fixed level of fatness.

It is concluded that there is no single optimum winter food level for weaned, suckled calves but that the choice will depend upon several factors, including availability of winter and summer food resources, the length of the winter feeding period, the desired date of slaughter and type of carcass to be produced.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , October 1986 , pp. 211 - 223
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1986

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

Allden, W. G. 1970. The effects of nutritional deprivation on the subsequent productivity of sheep and cattle. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews 40: 1167–1184.Google ScholarPubMed
Allen, D. M. and Kilkenny, J. B. 1984. Planned Beef Production. 2nd ed. Granada, London.Google Scholar
Baker, R. D., Le Du, Y. L. P. and Alvarez, F. 1981. The herbage intake and performance of set-stocked suckler cows and calves. Grass and Forage Science 36: 201–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, R. D., Young, N. E. and Laws, J. A. 1985. Changes in the body composition of cattle exhibiting compensatory growth and the modifying effects of grazing management. Animal Production 41: 309–321.Google Scholar
Bines, J. A., Suzuki, S. and Balch, C. C. 1969. The quantitative significance of long-term regulation of food intake in the cow. British Journal of Nutrition 23: 695–704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Drennan, M. J. and Harte, F. J. 1979. Compensatory growth in cattle. 2. Influence of growth rate in the calf stage (birth to 8 months) and during the first winter (8 to 13 months) on subsequent performance and carcass composition. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 18: 145–156.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M. 1980. Hormones and metabolites in the control of food intake. In Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants (ed. Ruckebusch, Y. and Thivend, P.), pp. 145–160. MTP Press, Lancaster.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill Farming Research Organisation. 1986. Biennial Report 1984–1985, pp. 29–30.Google Scholar
Hironaka, R. and Kozub, G. C. 1973. Compensatory growth of beef cattle restricted at two energy levels for two periods. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 53: 709–715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, J., Peart, J. N., Russel, A. J. F., Whitelaw, A. and Macdonald, A. J. 1980. The influence of nutrition in early lactation on the performance of spring-calving suckler cows and their calves. Animal Production 30: 315–325.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Cuthbertson, A., Jones, D. W. and Owen, M. G. 1981. Prediction of body composition of live cattle using two ultrasonic machines of differing complexity: a report of four separate trials. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96: 301–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1984. Genstat V, Mark 4.04B. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire.Google Scholar
Lawrence, T. L. J. and Pearce, J. 1964a. Some effects of wintering yearling beef cattle on different planes of nutrition. I. Live-weight gain, food consumption and body measurement changes during the winter period and the subsequent grazing period. Journal of Agricultural Science. Cambridge 63: 5–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawrence, T. L. J. and Pearce, J. 1964b. Some effects of wintering yearling beef cattle on different planes of nutrition. II. Slaughter data and carcass evaluation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 63: 23–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowman, B. G., Scott, N. A. and Somerville, S. H. 1976. Condition scoring of cattle. Bulletin, East of Scotland College of Agriculture, No. 6.Google Scholar
Meyer, J. H., Hull, J. L., Weitkamp, W. H. and Bonilla, S. 1965. Compensatory growth responses of fattening steers following various low energy intake regimes on hay or irrigated pasture. Journal of Animal Science 24: 29–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. 1975. Energy allowances and feeding systems for ruminants. Technical Bulletin 33. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
O'donovan, P. B. 1984. Compensatory gain in cattle and sheep. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews — Series B 54: 389–410.Google Scholar
Saubidet, C. L. and Verde, L. S. 1976. Relationship between live weight, age and dry-matter intake for beef cattle after different levels of food restriction. Animal Production 22: 61–69.Google Scholar
Tayler, J. C. 1959. A relationship between weight of internal fat, ‘fill’, and the herbage intake of grazing cattle. Nature, London 184: 2021–2022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tayler, J. C., Alder, F. E. and Rudman, J. E. 1957. Fill and carcass changes of yard-fed and outwintered beef cattle turned on to spring pasture. Nature, London 179: 197–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, E. F., Bickel, H. and Schurch, A. 1982. Growth performance and metabolic changes in lambs and steers after mild nutritional restriction. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 98: 183–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, C. H., David, D. J. and Iismaa, O. 1962. The determination of chromic oxide in faeces samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 59: 381–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, P. N. and Osbourn, D. F. 1960. Compensatory growth after undernutrition in mammals and birds. Biological Reviews 35: 324–363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, I. A. and Russel, A. J. F. 1984. Partition of fat, body composition and body condition score in mature cows. Animal Production 38: 23–32.Google Scholar