Autumn and spring born Hereford calves grazing together with their dams were offered a ration of oaten grain ad libitum in a creep enclosure to which only the calves had access from November to weaning. Similar groups received no oat ration. At weaning the heifers of each age were slaughtered and carcase characteristics were determined. The steers were placed in a feedlot and given a ration of hay and grain until they attained an unfasted weight of 340 kg. The creep fed calves maintained their earlier growth rates after taking the creep ration, whereas the growth rate of the unfed controls declined from this time. Time of birth, creep feeding and sex all affected liveweight gain to weaning. Creep feeding increased the carcase weight of the heifers and also affected dressing percentage, eye muscle area, fat thickness and chemical composition. Creep feeding prior to weaning did not influence the average daily weight gains or feed efficiency of steers subsequently fed a fattening ration in a feedlot but it greatly shortened the feeding period to attain the desired market weight. However, the reduction in feed required would be insufficient to compensate for the oats given during creep feeding. The economics of creep feeding will depend on the price of grain in relation to the value of weaned calves in slaughter condition.
Hereford steers aged 10 to 12 months were fattened on a range of diets including two types of hay (pasture hay, oaten hay), three types of grain (oats, wheat, barley), four levels of oats (1/2, 1 and 1 1/2 per cent of liveweight per day and ad libitum) and non-protein nitrogen as a supplement to the oaten hay. In addition, two groups of steers were grazed on pasture and one of these was supplemented with oats at the rate of 13 per cent of liveweight per day. The experiment was conducted at the Pastoral Research Station in western Victoria. Steers fed pasture hay, either alone or with oats, gained at a faster rate than steers fed oaten hay, alone or with oats. As the level of grain in the rations increased, liveweight gains of the steers increased. The steers given the highest levels of grain (1 1/2 per cent liveweight and ad libitum) produced the most acceptable carcases as assessed by fat cover and the physical properties of the lean. As the level of grain was increased, the conversion of feed to liveweight gain was improved and the time required to reach the desired weight was reduced. Rations of barley, wheat or oats had similar effects on growth rate and carcass composition when they were fed at a rate equal to one per cent of the liveweight of the steers per day. The NPN supplement, biuret, had little effect when fed as a supplement to oaten hay. The feeding of grain as a supplement to pasture doubled the growth rate of the steers. The carcases of steers receiving oat grain on pasture were of comparable quality and produced in a similar time to those of the fastest gaining feedlot groups. The results do not provide any evidence which would justify the practice of confining such steers in a feedlot.
A factorial grazing experiment conducted during 1970,1971 and 1972 at the Pastoral Research Station, Hamilton, Victoria, studied two major management factors in beef production. Post weaning liveweight changes of calves and their dams were measured to compare the effects of either an eight or ten month weaning age and differing nutritional regimes applied from 8 to 12 months post calving. The cows stocked at the higher rate (1.7 cow ha -1) post weaning lost less weight or gained more weight during the test period in three out of four occasions than the cows stocked at the lower rate (1.5 cow ha-1). The results from this experiment confirm the finding of Bailey and Bishop 1972 and show that on perennial pastures in southern Australia, calves weaned at ten months old from autumn calving Hereford cows are likely to be heavier at 12 months old than are calves weaned at eight months onto dry pasture. However, weaning calves at eight months onto hay aftermath would be an effective alternative to ten month weaning. This would also reduce the risk of weight loss by the cow due to later weaning.
Equal areas of the same clover-grass pasture were cut at the same time and conserved as hay or silage. The hay and silage were compared by feeding as a sole ration to groups of adult dry sheep. In two of the three years of the experiment sheep performance as measured by liveweight was significantly (P<0.05) better in the hay treatment. In the third year liveweight changes were not significantly different. In two years 15 per cent and 25 per cent of the hay remained unused when all the silage was finished, and in all years the sheep fed hay obtained a higher recovery of nutrients in terms of dry matter intake per unit area conserved. In the two years in which it was measured there was less wastage of hay than of silage.
In two separate experiments, steers that had been fed hay in a feedlot lost weight during their first week at pasture whereas similar animals that grazed pasture throughout at least maintained liveweight. There was no difference in the grazing time per head of animals previously lot fed and those accustomed to grazing but steers previously from feedlots grazed longer per unit of metabolic liveweight. Length of pasture available for grazing following the feedlot phase was important. Differences in liveweight change between steers previously from a feedlot and those from pasture were less when animals grazed a tall rather than a short pasture. The reduction in loss was not significant.
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