Two group-feeding and one individual-feeding experiments were made for 112 and 182 days, respectively, with 76 cross-bred and eight Zebu bulls. Simmental, Friesian and Jersey sire breeds were mated to three Ethiopian Zebu breeds, namely Boran, Horro and Barca, while Zebu bulls were included for comparison purposes in Expt 3. The trials were conducted in confinement at Holetta Research Station, located at 2400 m elevation and having a mean maximum temperature range of 18-7-24 °C. In the group-feeding trials (Expts 1 and 2) a common diet was fed, consisting of native hay (30 %) molasses (20 %) and a concentrate supplement. In the third experiment, two diets containing 30 and 50 % native hay were supplemented by concentrate and fed individually to eight Simmental and eight Friesian cross bulls, while eight Zebus served as a control.The average daily gains, feed intake and conversion did not differ markedly between Simmental and Friesian crosses, but lower values were generally found for Jersey crosses. Cross-breds outgained Zebus, consumed more feed and converted it more efficiently to live-weight gain. Performance differences were noted between the Zebu breeds as well as some evidence of sire x dam breed interactions. Significantly higher gains were achieved with the low than with the high roughage diet.
Two fattening experiments are reported with 60 cross-bred bulls. In the first experiment three pen groups (9-16 months old) of eight Simmental, eight Friesian and eight Jersey crosses, from Boran and Barca dams, were fed for 98 days on a common diet consisting of maize cobs, molasses and concentrate. There were no significant differences among sire or dam breeds, with the Barca cross bulls performing nonsignificantly better than the Boran crosses. Simmentals and Friesians consumed about the same amount of feed and the latter were the most efficient feed converters. In the second experiment, 36 bulls ranging from 11 to 18 months of age were fed for 51 days diets consisting of either 30 or 50 % maize stalks and concentrate; maize stalks were replaced by maize/sorghum silage for the next 61 days. There were no significant differences in rate of gain between sire breeds. Bulls from Boran dams gained faster (P < 0-01) than those from Horro dams while a higher (P < 0-05) daily gain was recorded for the diet with the lower than with the higher percentage of maize stalks.Stations. The former has an elevation of 1650 m, an annual average rainfall of 680 mm and a mean Maize is an important crop in different parts of maximum temperature range from 25 to 28-4 °C; Ethiopia with the grain forming part of the staple corresponding figures for Bako station are 1650 m diet. Residues such as maize stalks and cobs can, elevation, 1300 mm rainfall and 23-9 to 31-9 °C. when forming the roughage component of balanced A total of 60 cross-bred bulls were employed with diets, promote satisfactory rates of gain. The dam breeds consisting of Boran and Barcas in possibility was also explored that cross-bred types Expt 1 and Boran and Horros in Expt 2; the sire may respond differently to the kinds and amounts breeds were Simmental, Friesian and Jersey, of maize residues fed. There is evidence that in the Details have already been given (O'Donovan et al. same environment Jersey purebred and cross-bred 1978) concerning the breeds, allocation of bulls to cattle grow faster than Friesian and Friesian treatments, systems of feeding, weight recording, crosses on low planes of nutrition but not when fed feed sampling and statistical analysis,
Two experiments are described involving 33 crossbred (mainly Simmental and Jersey X Zebu) and 33 Zebu (Horro and Boran) bulls and steers. In experiment I, growth rates of crossbred and Zebu cattle rotationally grazed on either native pasture or Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) were compared during a 140 day grazing period at a stocking rate of 2.4 animals/ha. In experiment II, growth rate of cattle rotationally grazed for 140 days on native pasture was compared with that of a similar group grazed on Rhodes grass either rotationally or continuously at a stocking rate of seven animals/ha. On native pasture the average daily gain by Zebu animals was similar to that of the crossbreds whilst on Rhodes grass liveweight gain of Zebu animals was lower than that of the crossbreds. Daily gains of cattle were significantly (P less than 0.01) greater on continuous compared with rotationally grazed Rhodes grass.
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