Whole soybeans for dairy cattle (1987)

Whole soybeans (WSB) can be used in dairy cow rations; they are palatable and have excellent feed value. WSB have lower protein content than soybean meal but because of higher fat, have higher net energy contentNew 3/87/6M

Forages for cattle : new methods of determining energy content asnd evaluating heat damage

"The crude fiber method of feed analysis has been used for more than 100 years. Although this method was an important first attempt at determining the energy content of feeds, it has a number of shortcomings."--First page.Ronald L. Belyea and Rex E. Ricketts (Department of Dairy Science College of Agriculture)Revised 11/86/8

Whole soybeans for dairy cattle (1993)

Whole soybeans (WSB) can be used in dairy cow rations; they are palatable and have excellent feed value. WSB have lower protein content than soybean meal, but because of higher fat, have higher net energy content.Reviewed October 1993 -- Extension website

Using a microwave oven to determine moisture in forages (1993)

Harvesting and storing forage crops at the proper moisture is necessary to minimize forage losses and to maintain maximum nutritional value. But it is difficult to determine the moisture concentration of forage crops prior to ensiling or baling. This publication will discuss the method of using a microwave oven to determine moisture in forages.Barry Steevens, Ron Belyea, Richard Crawford (Department of Animal Sciences)Reviewed October 1993 -- Extension website

Forages for cattle : new methods of determining energy content and evaluating heat damage (1993)

The crude fiber method of feed analysis has been used for more than 100 years. Although this method was an important first attempt at determining the energy content of feeds, it has a number of shortcomings. A new analytical approach for estimating energy content of forages was developed by Van Soest in the 1960s at the USDA Beltsville Nutritional Research Facility. These detergent fiber analyses give more accurate estimates of forage energy values and now are used for forage analysis.Reviewed October 1993 -- Extension website

Forages for cattle -- new methods of determining energy content and evaluating heat damage

Ronald L. Belyea and Rex E. Ricketts (Department of Dairy Science, College of Agriculture)New 2/82/8

Modeling the flow of digesta through the ruminant reticulorumen

Abstract only availableRuminants possess a specialized gastrointestinal (GI) tract that enables them to efficiently digest fibrous feeds. The first stomach compartment of the ruminant GI tract, the reticulorumen (RR), is the site of most fiber digestion due to the presence of cellulolytic microorganisms in conjunction with selective retention of feed particles; undigested fibrous feed particles are selectively retained and fermented by cellulolytic microorganisms in the RR until certain digestive processes are completed, enabling the particles to pass. Selective retention and the overall process of digesta flow in the RR affect feed digestibility, feed intake, and microbial efficiency—all important animal performance parameters in ruminant production. It is imperative to model digesta flow in the RR to better predict these animal performance parameters for use in ruminant production systems. Mathematical models have indeed been developed to describe the flow of digesta in the RR, typically with the RR represented as one or more mathematical compartments with flow between compartments defined by kinetic rate variables or constants. Mathematical models developed to the present use either fractional rate constants or rate variables based on the gamma distribution. The Yule distribution has also been suggested for modeling RR digesta flow kinetics, but its development has been cursory. It remains unseen what, if any, benefits may arise from applying the Yule distribution to describe the kinetics of RR digesta. In this study, a model incorporating the Yule distribution is fully developed. Physiological justification for using the Yule distribution is also provided on the basis of selective retention. A comparison between the model developed herein and a previously published model using the gamma distribution reveals that both models give similar mathematical results under certain cases. Still, it is suggested that the physiological relevance of the model treated here may make it superior. Animal feeding trials are currently being conducted to validate the structure of model. Additionally, mathematical models are being developed to describe small and large intestinal flow in ruminant and non-ruminant species, thereby expanding this modeling effort to include most of the GI tract.Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Opportunity Progra

Using NDF and ADF to balance diets (1990)

In University of Missouri Agricultural guides G3150 and G3160 we explained how detergent solutions are used to measure forage fiber. The guides show how neutral detergent solution can be used to measure neutral detergent fiber (NDF). NDF represents the total plant fiber or cell wall including hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. These guides also show how acid detergent solution can be used to measure acid detergent fiber (ADF), which contains cellulose and lignin. Both ADF and NDF data help to more accurately estimate feed intake, energy values and animal performanceNew7/90f7M

The Effects of Bovine Growth Hormone (bGH) on Dairy Farm Profitability by Type of Government Program

Administration of Bovine Growth Hormone (bGH) to dairy cows has been shown to increase milk production. Injecting milk cows with bGH results in increased milk production per cow from 10 to 40 percent (Kalter et al.). This response is rapid and continues as long as treatment is given. Presently, the injection is daily, but research is ongoing to develop implants to eliminate this tedious and laborious approach. Some feel that bGH will be available for commercial use within two or three years. It is now in the testing stage for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval

Leaf tensile strength, "in vitro" digestibility, and fiber component relationships in tall fescue

Em um programa de melhoramento de forrageiras, a identificação de plantas com elevado valor nutritivo, é um dos fatores importantes para melhorar o desempenho animal. Interrelações significativas entre características físicas e químicas talvez possam ser utilizadas como um critério para a seleção de novas cultivares de festuca-alta de maior valor nutritivo. Os objetivos deste experimento foram: a. avaliar a tensão foliar (TF) e a digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS) e dos constituintes da parede celular; b. analisar as associações entre essas características com a TF e c. determinar a eficiência da TF como uma técnica para a seleção de novos germoplasmas de festuca-alta, com forragem de melhor qualidade. Setenta e um genótipos de festuca alta foram avaliados neste experimento. Foi encontrada uma variabilidade genética significativa para TF nesta população de festuca-alta. Geralmente, as correlações de TF com DIVMS e componentes da parede celular não foram significativas, enquanto que as correlações de DIVMS com os componentes da parede celular foram altamente significativas e negativas. Conforme esperado, houve baixa repetibilidade de correlações de caracteres nos dois anos. A "análise de coeficientes de trilha" demonstrou que a celulose e a lignina foram os caracteres com os maiores efeitos diretos na TF e na DIVMS.In a forage breeding program it is necessary to identify germplasms with high forage quality, able to positively influence animal performance. The interrelationships between leaf tensile strength (LTS) and chemical composition parameters may provide a useful criterion for screening tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for herbage quality in a breeding program. Seventy-one genetically diverse genotypes of tall fescue were randomly selected from a broad-based population to evaluate LTS (leaf tensile strength), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), cellulose (CELL), lignin (ADL), hemicellulose (HEMI), ADL/ADF and ASH, to determine the associations among these traits with LTS, and the importance of LTS as a technique for screening tall fescue for herbage quality. Significant genetic variation was found in this gene pool for LTS. The majority of the correlations of LTS with IVDMD and with fiber components were not significantly different from zero while correlations of IVDMD with fiber components were highly significant and negative. As expected, character correlation repeatabilities between years were usually low. Path coefficient analysis showed that CELL and ADL were two important components with large direct effects on LTS and on IVDMD