Intake and digestion of mature Flinders grass (Iseilema spp.) by sheep and their response to the addition of urea and minerals

Stephenson, Rga; Weston, RH; Margan, DE; Hogan, JP

doi:10.1071/ar9830549

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 12 publications

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“…The proportion of in vivo digestion of NDF which occurred in the stomachs (0-94) agreed with previous reports of about 90% digestion in this site including work on ryegrass and white clover forages (Ulyatt & MacRae, 1974;Thomson & Beever, 1974;Egan et al 1975;Egan & Doyle, 1984). There is considerable variation in the literature for the extent of digestion of cellulose and hemicellulose in this site in sheep, ranging from 0-56 to 0-73 (Margan et al 1982;Weston & Margan, 1979;Stephenson et al 1983) to values in the range 0-65-0-98 (Hogan, 1973;Hogan & Weston, 1967;Kennedy, 1985). There was thus no evidence to suggest poorer fibre digestion in the forestomachs in these young stock.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Comparison of the site and extent of digestion of nutrients of a forage in kids and lambs

et al. 1987

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The quantitative partitioning of digestion between the stomachs, small intestine and large intestine was compared in kids and lambs offered a high quality meadow hay (organic-matter digestibility, 0-74; N, 239 g/kg D.M.) in amounts between maintenance and ad libitum,.Nutrient flow past the abomasum and terminal ileum and in the faeces was measured by reference to 51 Cr-EDTA and 103 Ru-phenanthroline. Digestion of D.M., neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and non-ammonia N (NAN) in the rumen (R), small intestine (SI) and large intestine (LI) was estimated from the regression of nutrient flow on nutrient intake.No difference was observed between the species in digestion of D.M., NDF and NAN at any site. Approximately 0-60, 0-29 and 0-13 of the total in vivo D.M. digestion (0-74) occurred in the R, SI and LI, respectively, and approximately 094 of the total in vivo NDF digestion (079) occurred in the rumen of both species.There was a gain of total N and NAN of 22 and 15%, respectively, in the rumen of both species whilst net disappearance of NAN in the small intestine and of N in the large intestine was approximately 0-62 and 0-27, respectively. All these characteristics varied slightly with level of feeding.It is concluded that there may be little difference in the partitioning of digestion of D.M., NDF and NAN in the digestive tract of kids and lambs when consuming high quality forages.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Comparison of the site and extent of digestion of nutrients of a forage in kids and lambs

et al. 1987

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Methane yields from Brahman cattle fed tropical grasses and legumes

2012

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In the national greenhouse inventory, methane emissions from the Australian tropical beef herd are derived from cattle fed two diets. In the experiments reported here, methane production was measured by open-circuit gas exchange from 13 Brahman cattle offered 22 diets from combinations of five tropical grass species and five legumes, with a minimum of three steers per diet. All diets were offered daily ad libitum, with the exception of three legume diets fed without grass and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) mixed with grass, which were offered at 15 g dry matter per kg liveweight. Diets were fed as long-chopped dried hay, with the exception of leucaena, which was harvested and fed within 2 days. For the data from cattle fed diets of grass and grass mixed with legumes, methane production could be predicted as 19.6 g/kg forage dry matter intake (residual standard deviation 12.3). Observed methane yields were not predictable from a stoichiometry, which used volatile fatty acid proportions in rumen fluid. Mean methane emission rates across all diets were equivalent to 8.6–13.4% of digestible energy intake, and 5.0–7.2% of gross energy intake. The latter values are comparable to IPCC (2006) recommendations (5.5–7.5%) for large ruminants fed low-quality crop residues and by-products. Methane yields per unit of ingested dry matter or digested organic matter were variable across diets but were related to digestibility and contents of fibre and protein. These results constitute a significant downward revision of the methane emissions attributable to the northern Australian beef herd grazing tropical pastures.

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Diet quality, liveweight change and responses to N supplements by cattle grazing

Dixon

Sullivan²,

O’Connor³

et al. 2022

Rangeland J.

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Experiments during 4 years examined the diets selected, growth, and responses to N supplements by Bos indicus-cross steers grazing summer-rainfall semi-arid C4 Astrebla spp. (Mitchell grass) rangelands at a site in north-western Queensland, Australia. Paddock groups of steers were not supplemented (T-NIL), or were fed a non-protein N (T-NPN) or a cottonseed meal (T-CSM) supplement. In Experiment 1, young and older steers were measured during the late dry season (LDS) and the rainy season (RS), while steers in Experiments 2–4 were measured through the annual cycle. Because of severe drought the measurements during Experiment 3 annual cycle were limited to T-NIL steers. Pasture availability and species composition were measured twice annually. Diet was measured at 1–2 week intervals using near infrared spectroscopy of faeces (F.NIRS). Annual rainfalls (1 July–30 June) were 42–68% of the long-term average (471 mm), and the seasonal break ranged from 17 December to 3 March. There was wide variation in pasture, diet (crude protein (CP), DM digestibility (DMD), the CP to metabolisable energy (CP/ME) ratio) and steer liveweight change (LWC) within and between annual cycles. High diet quality and steer liveweight (LW) gain during the RS declined progressively through the transition season (TS) and early dry season (EDS), and often the first part of the LDS. Steers commenced losing LW as the LDS progressed. In Experiments 1 and 2 where forbs comprised ≤15 g/kg of the pasture sward, steers selected strongly for forbs so that they comprised 117–236 g/kg of the diet. However, in Experiments 3 and 4 where forbs comprised substantial proportions of the pasture (173–397 g/kg), there were comparable proportions in the diet (300–396 g/kg). With appropriate stocking rates the annual steer LW gains were acceptable (121–220 kg) despite the low rainfall. The N supplements had no effect on steer LW during the TS and the EDS, but usually reduced steer LW loss by 20–30 kg during the LDS. Thus during low rainfall years in Mitchell grass pastures there were substantial LW responses by steers to N supplements towards the end of the dry season when the diet contained c. <58 g CP/kg or c. <7.0 g CP/MJ ME.

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Intake and digestion of mature Flinders grass (Iseilema spp.) by sheep and their response to the addition of urea and minerals

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

Comparison of the site and extent of digestion of nutrients of a forage in kids and lambs

Comparison of the site and extent of digestion of nutrients of a forage in kids and lambs

Methane yields from Brahman cattle fed tropical grasses and legumes

Diet quality, liveweight change and responses to N supplements by cattle grazing

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