Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-qks25 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-07T07:19:03.018Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of crop, and of timing and extent of chopping of whole crop cereals on the performance of growing heifers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

M.H. Roodsary
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
A. Younger
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Get access

Extract

Whole-crop cereals provide both a concentrated supply of energy and a source of roughage for ruminants, but their nutritive value depends on the digestibility of the grain and straw components (Williams et al., 1983). Preservation with urea provides storage stability, a source of N and may also increase the digestibility of the fibrous components (Wilkinson 1990). The effectiveness of preservation, and intake may be influenced by the physical treatment of the crop, and the scale of this effect may differ between crops. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of choice of crop, and of chopping before and after alkali treatment on the dry matter (DM) intake and digestibility of whole-crop cereals, and on the daily liveweight gain of heifers fed on them.

Type
Techniques
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1996

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

Wilkinson, J.M. 1990. Whole-crop Cereals.Making and feeding cereal silage. Procd.of seminar held at AFRC. Inst for Grassland and Animal Production. Hurley Jan. 17.ed., Wilkinson, J.M.and Stark, B.A. Google Scholar
WiIIiams, P.E.V., Macdcarmid, A. and Innes, G.M. 1983. Anhydrous ammonia-treated whole-crop barley for beef steers. British Society of Animal Production 36:3945.Google Scholar