Introduction of ammoniated cereal straws as basal diet of Japanese brown cattle to cow-calf operation under practical farm conditions
1997
Pradhan, R. (Kyushu Tokai Univ., Choyo, Kumamoto (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture) | Kusakabe, A. | Tobioka, H.
The effect of feeding ammoniated straw on feed intake, body weight change and feed dry matter (DM) digestibility of Japanese Brown beef cattle was investigated in a cow-calf operation under practical farming conditions at Ozu town of Kumamoto prefecture. Rice straw and barley straw were roll-baled and wrapped with plastic film. Ammonia treatment was dine, using the "Hokunou-S" system by injecting anhydrous ammonia into the baled straw at a rate of 3 kg per 100 kg straw DM. The experiment was conducted for a period of 6 months. During the experiment, two heads of heifers and three heads of cows were allocated to untreated rice straw (RS group) and ammoniated straw (AS group), respectively. The crude protein (CP) content of rice straw increased 4-folds with ammonia treatment. Straw and silage intakes by both groups of animals were similar. However, concentrate intake of the AS group was 0.5 kg/head/day as compared to 1.9 kg for the RS group. DM digestibility of feed was significantly higher for the AS group than for the RS group (P0.05). The intake of digestible DM and CP tended to be higher for animals in the AS group than for those in the RS group. Body weight changes for both groups were similar. B feeding ammoniated straw, no adverse effect was observed on the health of the experimental animals and the calves born later. It can be concluded from the above results that ammoniated straw can be used as basal diet in cow-calf operations and that supplementation with some concentrate is necessary especially during the late pregnancy
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