25 research outputs found
Grazing Behavior of the Endemic Lagune Cattle in the Sub-Humid Savannahs of Benin
The indigenous Lagune, a breed tolerant to trypanosomiasis, is an excellent candidate to meet the ongoing environmental changes sustainably. This cattle breed could be kept like small ruminants, tethered in grasslands, or free grazing. A study was conducted to assess the grazing behavior of Lagune cattle under the two grazing systems to identify the best systems for sustainable production and conservation of the breed. For this study, four Lagune cattle farms, 02 under free-roaming and 02 others in the tethered system, were selected in the original belt of the Lagune cattle, the agro-ecological (AEZ) zones of Valley and Pobe. The step-point method was used to assess plant species diversity in grazing lands. Three (03) cows per farm were monitored while grazing for 03 consecutive days. The grazing itinerary and grazing activities were registered to allow the calculation of grazing length and duration. The most consumed plant species were identified. Results showed that 133 plant species belonging to 27 families were recorded in the grazing lands in both studied AEZs. Animals walked longer per day (p \u3c 0.0001) in the free grazing system (7.07±1.26 km) than in the tethered system (1.77±0.59 km). On the contrary, grazing duration was higher (p\u3c0.0001) in the tethered system (7.88±1.31h). The Lagune diet consisted mainly of herbs; 23 forage species from 14 families were grazed. Most of the species belong to the families of Poaceaes (34.78%), Convolvulaceaes (8.7%), and Euphorbiaceaes (8.7%). The study suggests free grazing allows better utilization of the forage species available in grasslands. Further studies could investigate diet selection by the indigenous Lagune cattle and the nutritional balance of the animals
Evaluation of inoculant and NPN silage additives: a summary of 26 trials and 65 farm-scale silages
Results from 26 trials comparing fermentation,
dry matter (DM) recovery, and effects
on cattle performance of inoculated or nonprotein
nitrogen (NPN)-treated silages vs.
controls were summarized using paired t-test
analysis. Inoculants consistently improved
fermentation efficiency, DM recovery, feed
conversion, and gain per ton of crop ensiled in
both corn and forage sorghum silages. The
use of NPN, particularly urea or anhydrous
ammonia, adversely affected fermentation efficiency,
DM recovery, avg daily gain, and gain
per ton of crop ensiled, particularly for the
higher moisture forage sorghums
Evaluation of inoculant-treated corn silages
Whole-plant corn silages treated with either
Pioneer 1174® or Biotal® inoculants were
preserved more efficiently than control silages.
They had slightly higher dry matter (DM)
recoveries; more lactic acid; higher lactic to
acetic acid ratios; and less acetic acid, ethanol,
and ammonia-nitrogen. Laboratory silo results
showed that both inoculated silages produced
lactic acid faster than control silages during the
first 7 days and had more desirable fermentation
profiles at the end of 90 days. Applying 5
or 10 times the recommended rate of Biotal
inoculant had only a small and nonsignificant
effect on rate and efficiency of fermentation.
Yearling steers fed the two inoculated corn
silages gained numerically but not significantly
faster and more efficiently than steers fed
control silages, so inoculated silages produced
about 6.1 lb more steer gain per ton of crop
ensiled than controls