Influence of supplemented animal fats upon digestibility of ration components by ruminants.

In the first trial 3 wethers were given in 5 periods lucerne meal alone or with 5, 10, 15 or 20% steamed destructor fat. Digestibilities were of crude protein 64.2, 63.4, 64.4, 59.3 and 58.3%, of crude fibre 57.7, 58.0, 58.1, 47.7 and 45.6%, of ether extract 52.9, 81.7, 86.8, 89.1 and 90.5% and of lipids extracted by tetrachloromethane 48.4, 64.9, 57.5, 61.4 and 69.6%. Formation of insoluble Ca and Mg soaps may have been the reason for difference in digestibilities of the fats extracted by different methods. In the second trial 3 wethers were given long hay and 2 wethers in 2 periods got the hay plus 10% linseed oil emulsified with an equal volume of water or not emulsified. There was no effect due to emulsifying, but there was a large difference between duplicates when hay plus oil was given although in both instances oil depressed digestibilities; digestibility of crude protein of hay alone was 60.3%, with 10% oil it was 59.2 and 56.8%. Values for crude fibre were 75.9, 69.0 and 60.8%. The third and fourth trials were with 3 wethers given 6 diets in 6 periods. They got 500 g hay alone or with 600 g concentrate with 12.1% crude protein. The concentrate was given without extra fat or with 5, 10, 15 or 20% lard. Percentage digestibilities were of crude protein 53.1, 62.8, 60.4, 57.8, 53.6 and 54.2, and of crude fibre 68.7, 63.9, 58.4, 51.4, 46.0 and 42.2.-E. O. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Feed intake by grazing dairy cows. 3. Comparison of lactating and dry pregnant cows.

Lactating cows fed polythene capsules as markers consumed 15.2 kg DM/day when strip-grazed. Dry cows 1-2 months before calving ate significantly less, 11.7 kg DM/day; these intakes were equivalent to 9.2 and 7.1 kg SE and 3.5 and 2.7 kg DCP for the 2 types of animal, respectively. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission