Eggs from two pathogen-free flocks were found to have a rough, pimply texture similar to that observed commonly in commercial, non pathogen-free flocks. This observation as well as the progressive increase in shell roughness through the laying year indicates that the common, rough, pimply shell is not the result of common infectious diseases.

Prepasture feeding of low quality hay versus hay and grain had no subsequent effect on rumen fluid ammonia, blood urea, or plasma calcium, glucose and lactic acid concentration in steers turned out on lush pasture. Steers previously fed hay and grain had lower plasma magnesium levels on the first day on unsupplemented pasture than those fed hay prior to pasture. Supplemental feed on pasture partly alleviated the depression in plasma magnesium on the first day on pasture. Feeding supplemental hay with pasture tended to lower rumen fluid ammonia, blood urea and plasma lactic acid compared with feeding no supplement during the initial days on pasture, indicating the desirability of hay feeding during this time. A hay and grain supplement with pasture had a similar effect to the hay supplement on rumen-fluid ammonia, and plasma lactic acid, but a lesser effect on blood urea concentration. Neither supplemental hay nor hay plus grain affected plasma calcium or glucose levels. All steers showed an increase in rumen fluid ammonia, blood urea and plasma lactic acid on the first day and a decrease in plasma calcium and magnesium on the second day on pasture. Blood urea, plasma magnesium and plasma calcium concentrations had not returned to prepasture levels by 21 days on pasture.

Corn-based and oat-based concentrates were each fed with a restricted amount of hay of two qualities to lactating cows. The corn-based concentrate was consumed at a significantly higher rate (P < 0.05), 14.6 vs 11.45 kg/day, and resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) higher solids-corrected milk production, 24.68 vs 20.42 kg/day. Metabolizable energy required per meal of solids-corrected milk produced was significantly greater (P < 0.05) for the corn-based concentrate, 2.48 vs 2.14. However, body weight loss was apparently greater when the oat-based concentrate was fed.

During three consecutive seasons 129 bull calves, consisting of 45 Holstein, 45 Shorthorn × Holstein (Crossbred) and 39 Shorthorn, were pail fed whole milk, plus a limited quantify of meal ration after the first 3 weeks until marketed at approximately 95 kg liveweight. Holsteins reached market weight at an average of 57 days, a shorter period than for either Crossbreds or Shorthorns. This was due to a combination of Holsteins’ higher initial weight and average daily gain.Carcass grade favored Shorthorns over Holsteins, with Crossbreds intermediate. There was little difference in dressing percentage among breeds. Shorthorns produced more boned loin, rib, shoulder round, sirloin, and fat trim and had a larger eye of lean area than Holsteins but less cutlets, leg bottom, rump and bones. Results from the higher grade of carcasses produced by Shorthorns must be weighed against Holsteins’ greater daily gain, shorter time on feed and less total milk required to reach market. In nearly all aspects, Crossbreds were intermediate.

Vacuum silages made from Pioneer 383 and Pride 5 corn were fed with concentrate and with and without hay to lactating dairy cows. Yields per hectare in terms of dry matter were 8,850 kg for Pioneer 383 and 8,350 kg for Pride 5. Intake of silage dry matter was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for Pride 5 (11.4 kg/day) than for Pioneer 383 (9.8 kg/day), and significantly lower (P < 0.05) for both silages when hay was fed (11.4 kg/day versus 9.7 kg/day). Fat-corrected milk production was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for Pride 5 (17.0 kg/day) than for Pioneer 383 silage (15.8 kg/day), and significantly higher (P < 0.05) when hay was fed, than without hay supplementation (167 kg/day versus 16.0 kg/day). Utilization of silage dry matter in terms of fat-corrected milk production per hectare was 10,486 kg for Pride 5 corn silage and 11,176 kg for Pioneer 383 corn silage.

Moisture content, hay supplementation and energy content of corn silages were studied as factors affecting dry matter (DM) intake and utilization by lactating cows. In experiment I, a two-week delay in date of harvest resulted in an increase in DM content of silage for the two varieties of corn, but this was associated with significantly greater (P < 005) DM intake and fat-corrected milk production for only the earlier-maturing variety (Pride 5). Harvest date had no influence on solids-not-fat (SNF) content of the milk or body weight, but silage from Pride 5 corn resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) higher SNF content and greater loss in body weight. In experiment II, feeding 4.7 kg of hay per day significantly reduced (P < 0.05) silage dry-matter intake and increased total ration dry-matter intake but did not change milk production or composition when compared with feeding 2.3 kg of hay per day. In experiment III, ear silage, stalk and leaf silage and hay were compared as a source of roughage for lactating cows. Total ration dry-matter intake was significantly greater (P < 0.05) for hay fed alone, but milk production was apparently higher when the ear silage was fed.

The growth of pastured calves, as affected by supplementary grain feeding, moderate and high prepasture planes of nutrition, and age on going to pasture (56, 112, or 168 days), was compared with growth of calves on a standard barn feeding regime. Seventy-two Holstein heifer calves were involved with treatment comparisons based on gains in body weight, withers height, heart girth, and barrel circumference.Over-all gains of pastured calves were not affected by either prepasture plane of nutrition or age to pasture and were similar to gains of barn-fed controls. Calves fed supplemental grain (crushed oats) showed no increase m growth rate. This was attributed to a lower intake of forage by the supplemented animals and the relatively high quality of the forage as indicated by chemical composition and digestibility.Seasonal growth patterns of pastured calves showed a depression during the initial period on pasture. However, this was overcome by greater gains than barn-fed controls during the later pasture periods.

Legume–grass forage was ensiled two seasons in 25-ton polyvinyl-encased stacks at dry matter (D.M.) levels of 22 to 37% or stored as field-cured hay. The polyvinyl sleeve coverings provided initial gas-tight conditions. High losses occurred in the high D.M. (32 to 37%) silage during the feeding-out period. Silage quality, as indicated by volatile fatty acid ratios, proximate principles, and digestibility coefficients, was not significantly influenced by D.M. content. When cows were fed the lower D.M. (22 to 29%) silages and hay, forage intake was inversely related to its dry matter content. Intake of high D.M. silage appeared abnormally low. Milk yields appeared to be more consistently influenced by small variations in grain intake than forage dry matter intake through both trials. Milk yields from silages were greater than from hay per unit of D.M. intake. Moisture content of forage had no significant effect on milk composition as indicated by percentage of butterfat, solids-not-fat, or protein.

Four rations were fed in two experiments to 28 Holstein and Ayrshire cows past peak production, using change-over and continuous feeding designs.The control ration consisted of silage fed at 3 pounds, and hay in excess of 1 pound per 100 pounds body weight with grain concentrate (14 per cent protein) fed at 1 pound for each 4 pounds milk yield daily. The other three rations contained grass silage to provide one-third, one-half or two-thirds of daily energy requirement, and a grain concentrate (10 per cent protein) to meet the remaining energy required by each cow. Feed energy was evaluated in terms of total digestible nutrients (TDN) and as estimated net energy (ENE).Influence of rations on milk yield or body weight was not significant (P = 0.05). With the change-over design, body weight and yields of FCM appeared to increase as more concentrate was fed and, in the continuous feeding design, milk yield of higher producing cows appeared to be depressed when larger amounts of roughage were fed. The relationship of energy intake to milk yield did not differ significantly whether evaluated as TDN or ENE. Percentages of protein, fat and solids-not-fat as indicators of milk composition were not significantly affected by the types of rations used in these experiments.

Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomieVolume 10, Issue 1 p. 33-40 ECONOMICS OF CALF PRODUCTION:II. REDUCED MILK ALLOWANCE AND INCREASED USE OF PASTURE AS COST REDUCING PRACTICES IN THE REARING OF HOLSTEIN HEIFER CALVES1 VERN MILES, VERN MILES Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this authorE. W. KEHRBERG, E. W. KEHRBERG Purdue UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorV. S. LOGAN, V. S. LOGAN Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this author VERN MILES, VERN MILES Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this authorE. W. KEHRBERG, E. W. KEHRBERG Purdue UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorV. S. LOGAN, V. S. LOGAN Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this author First published: March 1962 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.1962.tb02288.x Joint contribution from Animal Research Institute, Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, (Contribution No. 100) and Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station, Lafayette, Indiana. (In partial requirement of V. J. Miles for Ph.D. in Production Economics, Purdue University, Indiana). AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat References 1 J. Davidson. Nutrition of Livestock. (1) Energy and Protein in the Productive Efficiency of Livestock. J. Sci. Food Agr., Vol. 12, 1961, pp. 581 – 591. 10.1002/jsfa.2740120901 Web of Science®Google Scholar 2 C. P. McMeekan. Growth in the Meat Animal. Proc. Ruakura Conf., New Zealand, 1951. Google Scholar 3 Vern Miles, E. W. Kehrberg, W. J. Pigden and V. S. Logan. Economics of Calf Production. 1. Review of Present Concepts. Can. J. Agr. Econ., Vol. 9, No. 1, 1961, pp. 22 – 35. 10.1111/j.1744-7976.1961.tb03985.x Google Scholar 4 Vern Miles, V. S. Logan, W. J. Pigden and Helen Bozivich. Pasture for Young Dairy Stock. 1. Effect of Previous Nutritional Level and Age on Growth of Ayrshire and Holstein Heifer Calves and Yearlings on Pasture. Cm. J. Animal Sci., Vol. 41, 1961, pp. 55 – 62. 10.4141/cjas61-008 Google Scholar 5 Vern Miles, V. S. Logan and W. J. Pigden. Pasture for Young Dairy Stock. II. Effect of Previous Nutritional Level and Age on Growth of Holstein Heifer Calves on Pasture. Cm. J. Animal Sci., Vol. 41, 1961, pp. 63 – 70. 10.4141/cjas61-009 Google Scholar Volume10, Issue1March 1962Pages 33-40 ReferencesRelatedInformation

A procedure for preserving green forages by freezing which is suitable for animal experimentation is discussed. Feeding trials with sheep using red clover, alfalfa, brome grass, green oats, orchard grass and birdsfoot trefoil at different stages of maturity failed to show any significant differences in consumption which could be attributed to freezing. Chopping the forages likewise had no significant effect. Animals exhibited some ability to select parts of the plants regardless of whether the forage was fed in chopped or long state. Rate of dry matter digestibilities of frozen forage showed some lag behind that of the fresh forage within the first 6 hours but this difference was overcome within 12 hours. The bloat producing ability of immature alfalfa could be preserved by freezing.

Holstein and Ayrshire heifer calves were barn-fed at high or moderate planes of nutrition from birth until 2, 4 or 6 months of age and then turned to pasture for 2 months. During the first 2 months of the initial barn feeding period body weight and heart girth increases were significantly greater on the high plane of nutrition but differences in withers heights were not significant. However, in the second 2 months increases for all three growth criteria were significant on the high plane of nutrition. During the 2-month pasture period calves in each group grew satisfactorily except Ayrshires on the moderate plane of nutrition. Two-month-old calves on the high plane of nutrition retained their weight advantage over the comparable age group on moderate nutrition. A highly significant trend indicated weight increase to be inversely proportional to age for the first month of the pasture season but the reverse was true for the next month on pasture. Growth patterns to the end of a second pasture season showed that treatment differences had largely disappeared and all animals had attained weight, heart girth, and withers height to within ± 4 per cent of Ragsdale standards.

Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomieVolume 9, Issue 1 p. 22-35 ECONOMICS OF CALF PRODUCTION I. REVIEW OF PRESENT CONCEPTS1 VERN MILES, VERN MILES Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this authorE. W. KEHRBERG, E. W. KEHRBERG Purdue UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorW. J. PIGDEN, W. J. PIGDEN Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this authorV. S. LOGAN, V. S. LOGAN Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this author VERN MILES, VERN MILES Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this authorE. W. KEHRBERG, E. W. KEHRBERG Purdue UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorW. J. PIGDEN, W. J. PIGDEN Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this authorV. S. LOGAN, V. S. LOGAN Canada Department of Agriculture.Search for more papers by this author First published: March 1961 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.1961.tb03985.xCitations: 1 1 Joint contribution from Animal Research Institute, Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, (Contribution No. 54), and Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station, Lafayette, Indiana. (In partial requirement of V. J. Miles for Ph.D. in Production Economics, Purdue University, Indiana.) AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume9, Issue1March 1961Pages 22-35 RelatedInformation

The design is given of a wagon box that has 2 compartments: one serves as a self‐feeding bunk for 8 cows, the other tan he emptied into a stationary bunk to feed a like number of cows. Facilities for automatic sampling of forage from 2 fields and procedures for efficient harvesting and weighing arc described.

Two trials, each with 12 Holstein cows in early lactation, were conducted to study the effect on yield and composition of milk when the relative protein and energy contents of dairy rations were altered. A change-over design of experiments was used and digestibility of representative rations was determined with steers. A significant increase in fat-corrected milk production was obtained when energy (T.D.N.) intake was raised 5 to 12 per cent above recommended feeding standards. The protein content of the milk was increased (P < 0.05) when digestible crude protein was 20 to 30 per cent in excess of recommended allowances, but increases in milk production, in percentages of butterfat and solids-not-fat were not significant (P > 0.05). When molasses comprised up to 18 per cent of dry matter of a ration, digestion co-efficients for protein and fibre were reduced.

To confirm laboratory estimates of protein and energy requirements, 32 newborn dairy calves were fed "filled milk" diets containing 18 to 35 per cent of the total calories as protein. A comparison was made between the actual growth rates and growth rates predicted from the consumption of protein and energy. A decline in the efficiency of protein utilization did not occur until the level of dietary protein exceeded 24 per cent of the total calories. Optimum energy efficiency, measured by weight gain, was obtained at intakes below 80 digestible Cal./kg./day. At energy intakes above this level each additional digestible Cal. did not result in the predicted increment in body weight.

Daily strip grazing was compared with free range grazing for dairy cows during three pasture seasons on replicated areas in a 5-year crop rotation. Seventy-two Holstein and Ayrshire cows in early lactation and twelve yearling heifers were used for the complete experiment.Pasture productivity was estimated by crediting the respective pasture plots with the T.D.N. required for the milk produced, for maintenance and gain, and for the estimated T.D.N. harvested as silage or hay. The T.D.N. fed in supplementary feed (silage, hay, and concentrate) and the T.D.N. equivalent of any body weight losses were deducted from the pasture production.Strip-grazing yields were 16.5 to 26.9 per cent higher than those from free range grazing. Surplus grass cut and supplement adjustment accounted for the major portion of these differences. While strip grazing appeared to maintain more persistent milk yields, total milk production did not differ significantly between the two systems. Milk composition (butterfat and solids-not-fat) did not differ significantly between the two systems of grazing and was not affected by the varying stages of pasture growth during strip-grazing cycles.

Forty Holstein and Ayrshire calves of both sexes were used in this study two replicates of 16 calves in a feeding trial and two replicates of four calves in a digestibility trial Management practices were followed to ensure a high standard of sanitation. The control ration (Treatment I) consisted of whole milk, calf starter, and hay In Treatment II an antibiotic feed supplement (Aurofac A) was added to the milk to provide approximately 12 mg. Aureomycin per 100 lb. of body weight daily during the 12-week experimental period and in Treatment III the supplement was added for the first six weeks only. In Treatment IV the antibiotic supplement was added to the calf starter to provide a daily intake of 12 mg Aureomycin per 100 lb of body weight daily. It was found that the antibiotic supplement had no influence on the growth, thrift, and feed consumption of the calves. Also antibiotic supplement did not affect digestibility of the total ration. These results support the belief that under certain good managemen...

Rations containing legume silage harvested in the bud stage of alfalfa gave significantly greater milk yields than when the alfalfa was ensiled at full bloom. This difference was not appreciably influenced by varying the supplemental meal allowance from 8.5 to 11.5% digestible crude protein.