Studies on the supplementary feeding of sheep consuming mulga (Acacia aneura). 1. The provision of phosphorus and molasses supplements under grazing conditions

1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (68) ◽  
pp. 316 ◽  
Author(s):  
NP McMeniman ◽  
DA Little
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Initial Degree ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Acacia Aneura ◽  
Skeletal Mineralization

An examination was made of the effects of molasses and phosphorus supplements, either singly or combined, on the liveweight, wool growth, and reproductive performance of ewes grazing mulga, (Acacia aneura) a leguminous shrub, in the field near Charleviile, Queensland. Unsupplemented ewes lost 4.4 kg liveweight on average during the 14-month experiment, and bone analyses indicated that their dietary intake was insufficient to maintain the initial degree of skeletal mineralization. The provision of supplementary molasses increased liveweight and wool growth, and enhanced reproductive performance, but phosphorus supplements increased liveweight and wool growth only when fed in conjunction with molasses. Skeletal mineralization was not increased by a supplement of phosphorus except when molasses was also given.

Phosphorus and the ruminant

1967 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 172-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Hemingway
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Protein Content ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Retarded Growth

Phosphorus insufficiency in the ruminant is reflected in retarded growth, poor reproductive performance, reduced milk yield and wool growth, and impaired skeletal and dental health. Geographically widespread, it is associated with soils deficient in available phosphorus, with a preponderance of poorer grasses and a paucity of legumes in the herbage and in general with a low protein content in the food intake. Aphosphorosis may be corrected by supplementary feeding with phosphatic minerals.

Studies on the supplementary feeding of sheep consuming mulga (Acacia aneura). 2. Comparative levels of molasses and urea supplements fed under pen conditions

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (79) ◽  
pp. 174
Author(s):  
KW Entwistle ◽  
DA Baird
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Similar Pattern ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Supplementation Period ◽  
Major Response ◽  
Acacia Aneura

Sheep maintained on a mulga (Acacia aneura) diet plus 2 g phosphorus (P) day-1 were supplemented with molasses at levels of 0, 50, 100 or 200 g DM day-1 with or without 8 g urea day-1. The supplements were offered for a period of 18 weeks and were then withdrawn and animals maintained on the basal mulga diet plus P for a further eight weeks. Provision of urea had no effect on mulga dry matter (DM) intakes or on any of the production measurements made. Daily DM intakes of mulga were significantly increased by molasses supplementation, intakes being 41 per cent, 57 per cent and 62 per cent higher than controls at levels of 50, 100 or 200 g DM molasses day-1 respectively. Liveweight gain followed a similar pattern, and at the end of the supplementation period liveweights for the 50, 100 and 200 g DM molasses day-1 were respectively 29 per cent, 42 per cent and 48 per cent heavier than the controls. Wool growth rates were significantly higher in all groups receiving molasses, the response being linear with increasing levels of molasses supplementation. Fleece yields also showed a linear trend with increasing levels of supplementation, the major response being attributable to the provision of the first 50 g molasses. Cessation of supplementation resulted in a rapid decline in mulga DM intake to levels approximately that of the controls. Liveweights of supplemented animals also declined during the post-supplementation period although in groups receiving either 100 or 200 g DM molasses day-1, they only declined to pre-experimental levels.

Studies on the supplementary feeding of sheep consuming mulga (Acacia aneura). 5. The effect of cobalt and cottonseed meal supplementation

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (111) ◽  
pp. 404 ◽  
Author(s):  
NP McMeniman ◽  
DR Niven ◽  
D Crowther ◽  
RJW Gartner ◽  
GM Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Cottonseed Meal ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Formaldehyde Treatment ◽  
Limiting Nutrient ◽  
Acacia Aneura ◽  
Sulfur Balance

In the first experiment designed to identify the deficiencies in mulga leaves, four groups of sheep were fed mulga and offered one of the following supplements; cobalt, sulfur, cobalt plus sulfur, and molasses. A fifth group acted as a control. All sheep received a phosphorus supplement. The cobalt supplement had no beneficial effect on liveweight or clean wool production. In contrast, the sulfur and molasses supplements significantly improved liveweight gain, clean wool production and sulfur balance. The liveweight and wool growth responses were more than twice as large in the sheep receiving a molasses supplement as in those receiving sulfur. In a second experiment, three groups of sheep on a diet of mulga leaves were supplemented with molasses and phosphorus and, in addition, two groups received 50 g/head.d of either formaldehyde treated or untreated cottonseed meal. Both cottonseed meal supplements significantly improved liveweight gain, but formaldehyde treatment of the meal had no additional effect. Under the conditions of the experiment rumen ammonia was a major limiting nutrient.

Supplementary feeding of Merino wethers grazing weed-free stubble pastures

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (110) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
LG Butler
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Field Trial ◽  
Compensatory Growth ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Wheat Stubble

A field trial was conducted in the Wimmera region of Victoria to investigate the effect of several supplements on 4-year-old Merino wethers grazing a weed-free wheat stubble for 3 months, The four treatments were: a control (no supplement), urea/molasses block, 100 g/head day-1 of lupin grain, and 2 g urea plus 0.5 g Na2SO4 l-1 in the drinking water. Twenty sheep per treatment were used, and liveweight change and wool growth were measured. Although all groups lost weight, the lupin group lost only 0.5 kg per head over the 3 months of the trial, and was 3.8 kg heavier (P <0.01) than the control group, while the urea/molasses group was 2.2 kg heavier (P <0.01) than the control group. There was no effect of the urea plus sulfur supplement in the drinking water on liveweight or wool production. The urea/molasses block did not affect wool production but lupin grain stimulated wool production by 0.08 kg (P <0.05). The sheep were weighed and shorn four and a half months after the trial (August), during which time all groups grazed together on green feed. The experimental liveweight differences had disappeared, apparently due to compensatory growth. In addition, a digestibility trial was conducted in an attempt to explain some of the field results. The treatments were designed to simulate those used in the field. Lupin grain stimulated intake by 129 g day-1 (P <0.05) but had no effect on apparent digestibility of straw. The treatment simulating the urea/ molasses block (urea plus sulfur plus sucrose in the drinking water) stimulated intake by 159 g day-l (P <0.05) and tended to increase digestibility (P > 0.05). It was concluded that supplementary feeding of Merino wethers grazing weed-free stubble is unlikely to be an economic farm practice.

Studies on the supplementary feeding of sheep consuming mulga (Acacia aneura). 3. The provision of phosphorus, molasses and urea supplements under pen conditions

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (83) ◽  
pp. 818 ◽  
Author(s):  
NP McMeniman
Keyword(s):  
Specific Gravity ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Unit Volume ◽  
Phosphorus Content ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Phosphorus Retention ◽  
Acacia Aneura

Mulga (Acacia aneura) was fed to five groups of four weaner wethers. One group was given a supplement of phosphorus (P) as NaH2PO4, another energy as molasses (E), a third both phosphorus and molasses (P + E) and the fourth urea, phosphorus and molasses (P + E + N) ; the fifth group acted as an unsupplemented control (C). Total dry matter intake during the 42 weeks of the experiment was progressively increased by the addition of P, E, P + E and P + E + N to the diet. Liveweight gain was highest inthe P + E + Ngroup followed by the P + Egroupandthen the E group. Groups P and C lost weight during the experiment. Balance studies showed that P + E and P + E + N supplementation enhanced nitrogen retention, and phosphorus supplementation increased phosphorus retention. The digestibility of mulga was increased by phosphorus supplementation. Specific gravity and phosphorus content per unit volume of bone were increased by supplementation with P + E + N and P + E, and phosphorus content was marginally increased by P supplementation.

Studies in ovine infertility in agricultural regions in Western Australia: the influence of a supplement of lupins (Lupinus angustifolius cv. Uniwhite) at joining on the reproductive performance of ewes

1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
TW Knight ◽  
CM Oldham ◽  
DR Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Dietary Supplementation ◽  
Lupinus Angustifolius ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Mineral Supplement ◽  
Nitrogen Levels ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Agricultural Regions

The dietary supplementation of groups of 200 ewes with lupins (0.23 or 0.45 kg per head per day) just prior to and during joining increased the ovulation rate by 8–25 ovulations per 100 ewes and the number of lambs born increased by 5–23 lambs per 100 ewes joined. The increase in the number of lambs born had two components: (i) an increase in number of ewes lambing and (ii) an increase in the number of twin births. Another study suggested that feeding the lupin supplement during joining gave larger increases in the reproductive performance of the ewes, especially in number of ewes lambing, than feeding the supplement of lupins before joining. The increases in reproductive performance following lupin supplementation were not associated with differences or changes in body weight or with differences in the rate of wool growth. The feeding of a barley + urea + mineral supplement that provided 25% more digestible energy than the lupin supplement and similar nitrogen levels, but with 50% of the nitrogen in the form of urea, resulted in no increase in the reproductive performance of the ewes.

The effect of supplementary feeding in relation to sward height during the pre- and post-mating periods on reproductive performance of brecon cheviot ewes

1988 ◽  
Vol 1988 ◽  
pp. 100-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.G. Gunn ◽  
T.J. Maxwell ◽  
D.A. Sim ◽  
J.R. Jones ◽  
M.E. James
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Sward Height ◽  
The Uk

Sward growth rate and height decline under autumn grazing in the UK. This eventually depresses ewe intake, live weight and body condition and may, as a consequence, reduce reproductive performance. The provision of supplementary feeding is a strategic measure to avoid this but requires quantification in relation to measurable variables such as sward height and stage of the reproductive cycle.A management decision rule for supplementary feeding over the mating period, which is currently operated in the MLURI upland system studies, requires that, in order to maintain both body weight and condition until the completion of the second cycle of mating, concentrated feed be introduced when sward height (herbage mass) is ≤3.5 cm (≤1200 kg DM/ha), be increased when height is ≤3.0 cm ( ≤ 1000 kg DM/ha) and ad lib, hay be introduced when height is ≤ 2.5 cm (≤ 750 kg DM/ha).

Frequency of feeding lupin and canola meal supplements to young sheep influences wool growth and mitotic rate but not staple strength

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
D. G. Masters ◽  
G. Mata ◽  
S. M. Liu ◽  
A. C. Schlink
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Basal Diet ◽  
Mitotic Rate ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Canola Meal ◽  
Daily Feeding ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Gradual Loss ◽  
Staple Strength

In Australia, young sheep often require supplements for part of the year to survive. This study investigated the influence of supplementary-feeding interval, supplement type and pattern of weight loss on wool growth, fibre diameter and staple strength. Weaners (64, 6–7-month old) were fed a basal diet of oaten hay, oaten straw and minerals every day and, in addition, were fed 1 of 2 supplement types. The design was factorial (2 by 3) and the factors were: frequency of supplementation (daily or weekly), type of supplement (lupin seed or canola meal) and pattern of weight loss (88 g/day loss for 1 month followed by 16 g/day for the second month or a gradual loss of 36 g/day for the full 2 months). Feeding supplements daily did not have any significant effect on fibre diameter (16.2 v. 16.2 m) or coefficient of variation of fibre diameter (18.7 v. 19.2%) during the experiment, or on staple strength (27.0 v. 28.4 N/ktex) compared with the weekly feeding. Similarly, staple strength was not affected by the type of supplement (26.3 N/ktex for lupin-fed sheep v. 29.0 N/ktex for canola meal-fed sheep). There was a significant interaction between feeding interval and supplement type on the rate of wool growth. Weekly feeding of canola meal increased wool growth relative to daily feeding (0.067 v. 0.062 g/100 cm2 .day) whereas, weekly feeding of lupins decreased wool growth relative to daily feeding (0.055 v. 0.059 g/100 cm2.day). Weekly feeding of lupins also increased levels of urea in plasma relative to all other groups for 2 days after feeding and reduced mitotic rate in the skin (relative to the canola meal-fed group) 3 days after the supplementation. While there were also some differences between treatments in plasma glucose, creatine kinase and amino aspartate transaminase, all groups remained within the normal range. These results indicate that the interval between supplementary feeding is unlikely to contribute to low staple strength in grazing weaners but will influence the efficiency of use of nutrients for wool growth.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DRY SEASON SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING ON THE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF YANKASA SHEEP IN A TWICE-YEARLY LAMBING PROGRAMME

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
O. A. Osinowo ◽  
M. S. Doma ◽  
N. Pathiraja ◽  
V. Buvanendran
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Consistent Increase ◽  
Different Levels

Ninety-four pregnant Yankasa ewes were divided into 3 groups and fed;(1) 0, (2) 200 or (3) 400 g/head/day of a concentrate supplement in addition to 6 h grazing daily, from 35.9±2.0 days before, to 98. 122.0 days after lambing in the dry season between 2 Jan vary and 15 May 1984 in Zaria, Northern Nigeria. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) bet den groups in litter size and adjusted birth weight in the initial lambing 35.9±2.0 days into the experiment although the latter showed consistent increase with level of supplementation. Adjusted 90-day Weaning weights increased significantly (P<0.05) with each increase in level of supplementation: 5:5, 7.1 and 8.6kg for groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Correspondingly, the percentage of lambs weaned increased (48.6, 56.4 and 90.7%) while ewe mortality declined (12.9, 10.0 and 3.0%) with increasing level of supplementation, The percentage of ewes exhibiting oestrus within 98.1±2.0 days postpartum increased with level of supplementation: 77,8,91.3 and 96.8% for groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. However, of the ewes showing oestrus, there were no significant differences between groups in post-partum intervals to oestrus and conception. Litter size from matings during the experiment showed non-significant increase with level of supplementation. It is concluded that dry season supplementary feeding is essential for optimum reproductive performance of Yankasa sheep in a twice-yearly lambing programme. 

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