TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of feeding different ensiled forages on the productivity and nutrient-use efficiency of finishing lambs
AU - Marley, Christina L.
AU - Fychan, Rhun
AU - Fraser, Mariecia D.
AU - Sanderson, Ruth
AU - Jones, Raymond
N1 - Marley, C. L., Fychan, A. R., Fraser, M. D., Sanderson, R., Jones, R. (2007). Effects of feeding different ensiled forages on the productivity and nutrient-use efficiency of finishing lambs. Grass and Forage Science, 62 (1), 1-12
Sponsorship: Department for the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs
PY - 2007/3
Y1 - 2007/3
N2 - The effects of offering ensiled red clover (Trifolium
pratense), lucerne (Medicago sativa), pea (Pisum sativum),
kale (Brassica oleracea) and hybrid ryegrass (Lolium
hybridicum) on the productivity and nutrient-use efficiency
of lambs were investigated. Forages were cut,
wilted for 24 h and ensiled as round bales. A hundred
Suffolk-cross lambs, aged 8 months, were offered grass
silage during a 5-week standardization period and then
group-housed for 14 d and offered ad libitum access to a
treatment silage. For the measurement period, lambs
were split into four replicate groups of five lambs per
treatment. Dry matter intake and live weight were
recorded every 7 d over 56 d. The chemical composition
of the silages differed for all the variables measured.
Lambs offered pea silage had a very low
liveweight gain and this treatment was discontinued
after 21 d. Lambs offered the other forages had a higher
liveweight gain than lambs offered ryegrass silage
(P <0Æ001). Food conversion and nitrogen-use efficiency
were higher in lambs offered the red clover,
lucerne and kale silages compared with those offered
ensiled ryegrass (P <0Æ001). These findings demonstrate
the potential for using ensiled alternative forages
rather than ryegrass to increase the productivity and
nutrient use efficiency of livestock systems
AB - The effects of offering ensiled red clover (Trifolium
pratense), lucerne (Medicago sativa), pea (Pisum sativum),
kale (Brassica oleracea) and hybrid ryegrass (Lolium
hybridicum) on the productivity and nutrient-use efficiency
of lambs were investigated. Forages were cut,
wilted for 24 h and ensiled as round bales. A hundred
Suffolk-cross lambs, aged 8 months, were offered grass
silage during a 5-week standardization period and then
group-housed for 14 d and offered ad libitum access to a
treatment silage. For the measurement period, lambs
were split into four replicate groups of five lambs per
treatment. Dry matter intake and live weight were
recorded every 7 d over 56 d. The chemical composition
of the silages differed for all the variables measured.
Lambs offered pea silage had a very low
liveweight gain and this treatment was discontinued
after 21 d. Lambs offered the other forages had a higher
liveweight gain than lambs offered ryegrass silage
(P <0Æ001). Food conversion and nitrogen-use efficiency
were higher in lambs offered the red clover,
lucerne and kale silages compared with those offered
ensiled ryegrass (P <0Æ001). These findings demonstrate
the potential for using ensiled alternative forages
rather than ryegrass to increase the productivity and
nutrient use efficiency of livestock systems
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.2007.00556.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.2007.00556.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0142-5242
VL - 62
SP - 1
EP - 12
JO - Grass and Forage Science
JF - Grass and Forage Science
IS - 1
ER -