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THE USE OF BARN‐DRIED HAY AND SILAGE IN FATTENING YOUNG BEEF CATTLE
Author(s) -
Forbes T. J.,
Irwin J. H. D.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1968.tb00590.x
Subject(s) - silage , hay , barn , biology , agronomy , alfalfa hay , forage , zoology , beef cattle , dry matter , food science , rumen , civil engineering , fermentation , engineering
A series of trials was carried out in which barn‐dried hay and silage were fed to young fattening cattle with or without supplementary barley. Liveweight‐gains on silage and barn‐dried hay alone were too low to provide an adequate finish during winter feeding. Liveweight‐gains on hay alone were always higher than those obtained on silage alone, the difference being more marked in lighter animals. There was a marked response to supplements of 3 and 4 lb (1.4 and 1.8 kg) of barley, the response being significantly greater in silage‐fed cattle than in those fed on barn‐dried hay. There was some evidence of growth compensation with the introduction of a barley supplement to cattle on silage diets, but there was no such response in those fed on hay. Compensatory growth was not accompanied by improved digestibility or N retention.