creators_name: Nielsen, B.
creators_name: Thamsborg, S.M.
creators_name: Andersen, H.R.
creators_name: Kristensen, T.
type: journalp
datestamp: 2003-10-31
lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:21:19
metadata_visibility: show
title: Herbage intake in Danish Jersey and Danish Holstein steers on perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture
ispublished: inpress
subjects: 1animalprod
subjects: 3feeding
full_text_status: public
keywords: Alkane method; Breeds; Grazing; Intake; Organic farming; Steers
abstract: The objective of this study was to estimate herbage intake in Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey steers at an age of 8-9 months on ryegrass / white clover pasture. The steers were turned out on pasture in late April and herbage intake was estimated in June in steers of a mean live weight (± S.D.) of 264 ± 14 kg and 185 ± 25 kg for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. Faeces and herbage samples were analysed for alkanes to estimate herbage dry matter intake, dry matter digestibility (DMD) and botanical composition of intake. The weight gains at the time of herbage intake estimation in June (kg/day) were 1.142 ± 265 kg/day and 0.927 ± 168 kg/day for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. Daily herbage intake (kg dry matter (DM)) estimated by alkanes C32 /C33 was 8.33 ± 0.97 and 6.28 ± 0.61 per day (P<0.001) and 3.15 ± 0.32 and 3.43 ± 0.30 per 100 kg liveweight (LW) (P<0.05) for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. The botanical composition of the diet was the same for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey with about half of the diet being grass leaves and the other half clover leaves. It is concluded that Danish Jersey steers have higher herbage intake per 100 kg LW than Danish Friesian steers of the same age, but herbage intake per kg metabolic LW is not different between the two breeds. 
date: 2003
date_type: published
publication: Livestock Production Science
refereed: yes
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citation: Nielsen, Dr. B.; Thamsborg, Professor S.M.; Andersen, Dr. H.R. and Kristensen, Dr. T. (2003) Herbage intake in Danish Jersey and Danish Holstein steers on perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture. Livestock Production Science. [ In Press , 2003]
document_url: http://orgprints.org/1831/1/Herbage_intake.pdf