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THE USE OF CATTLE WITH OESOPHAGEAL FISTULAE IN GRASSLAND EXPERIMENTS
Author(s) -
Alder F. E.
Publication year - 1969
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.1365-2494.1969.tb01036.x
Subject(s) - grazing , grassland , biology , cattle grazing , zoology , agronomy , hay , dry matter
Oesophageal‐fistulated calves and cattle were used in various experiments during 1963 to 1966; results for 1966 are reported. The method of inserting the fistula, the routine care of the animals and the methods of sampling through the fistula, are described. Individual stall‐feeding experiments in 1966 gave recovery values of 99.7% for herbage extruded through the fistulae, in relation to herbage eaten. The in vitro organic‐matter digestibility of the grass offered and of the extrusa samples were identical. The digestibility of the grass fed in these experiments was high, but was comparable with that of herbage used in the grazing experiments reported. Grazing studies on grass/white clover pastures are reported. The digestibility was determined on all samples and they were separated into various plant fractions. Results obtained were compared with herbage samples cut at the same time. In most cases the digestibility and % N of the extrusa sample was higher than that of the corresponding herbage sample. The quantity of dead material present increased, and more was eaten, as the season advanced; it was of low digestibility. Results of intake studies with grazing animals are presented and the use of oesophagea‐istulated cattle as an aid in such studies is discussed.