• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.483-490
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• 2010

The objectives of this study were to measure particle size and evaluate the effect of increasing alfalfa hay particle size on production characteristics in lactating Holstein dairy cows. Ninety multiparous Holstein cows in early to mid-lactation were randomly assigned in a complete randomized design for a 30-day period. Animals were offered one of the three diets, which were identical in energy, protein, and chemical composition, but differed only in particle size of alfalfa hay. The treatments were A) total mixed ration (TMR) in which only fine chopped alfalfa hay was incorporated in the ration, B) the same diet in which half of the alfalfa hay was fine chopped and incorporated in the mixed ration and half was long hay and offered as a top dressing, and C) the same diet with long hay alfalfa offered as a top dressing. Distribution of particle size of rations was determined through 20,000, 8,000 and 1,000 ${\mu}m$ sieves. The new method of quantitative determination of manure index was examined for each cow on different treatments. The geometric mean length of particle size in the rations was 5,666, 9,900 and 11,549 ${\mu}m$ for treatments A, B and C, respectively. Fat corrected milk (4%), milk fat percentage and production were significantly different (p<0.05) in treatment A versus B and C (fat corrected milk (FCM, 4%)) 28.3 vs. 35.2 and 32.3 kg/d, fat percentage 2.89, 4.04 and 3.62; but the change of ration particle size had no significant effect on milk production (p>0.05). Blood concentration of cholesterol in treatment A was significantly higher (p<0.05) than treatment B and C (181.0 vs. 150.0 and 155.2 mg/dl). Manure index in treatment C was significantly different (p<0.05) from treatment B (15.86 vs. 17.67). Based on these experimental findings, it is concluded that an increase in the ration particle size can increase milk fat percentage due to providing more physically effective fiber, which in turn could effect changes in manure consistency.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 1991

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of mold inhibitor in the ration which had two different protein levels (18% and 12%) and two different particle sizes (80 or 40% of the particles in the ration less than 1.19 mm). The experimental diets with ave. 12.7% moisture which were treated at the level of 0.1% mold inhibitor were stored under 85% humidity and at $29{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ for 10 to 40 days. In experiment 1, after 40 days of storage the $CO_2$ production in the feed treated with mold inhibitor was higher (p < 0.01) than when 40% of the ration's panicle size was 1.19 mm. Aflatoxin production in the experimental diet with mold inhibitor was affected (p<0.05) by the levels of protein and the different particle size ranges after 40 days storage. The interaction of protein levels and particle size ranges on the anatoxin and $CO_2$ production was significant (p<0.05) at 40 days storage. In experiment 2, there was a decrease in total body weight gain and total feed intake observed in chicks fed the untreated diet of 18% protein with 40% of the particles in the ration less than 1.19 mm stored for 40 days. Feed conversion was depressed (p<0.05) in the chicks fed the untreated diets of both particle sizes. Particle size X types of feed interaction in feed conversion was significant (p<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.655-659
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• 2003

Forty eight lambs (24 each of Malpura and Mutton synthetic breeds) were weaned at 90 days of age and divided into two groups. One group of 12 lambs from each of the two breeds was maintained on low energy (52% TDN) and the other group of 12 on high energy (58% TDN) feedlot ration until 6 of the lambs attained 20 kg and the other 6 attained 25 kg live weight in each of the two groups. Daily feed intake and weekly body weights were recorded. Conventional metabolism trials were conducted on the two breeds and the two rations. The growth rate was found to be higher for lambs on high energy ration (p<0.01). The growth rate was also higher for higher target weight groups (p<0.01). The breed did not significantly affect the live weight gains. Mutton synthetic lambs required less number of days to reach 20 kg live weights but took more time to reach 25 kg target weight as compared to Malpura lambs (p<0.01). The lambs of both the breeds reached 25 kg live weight earlier on high energy than those on low energy ration (p<0.01). The dry matter intake, irrespective of breed, was significantly higher (4.57% or 93.4 g per kgW$^{0.75}$) on low energy than that on high energy ration (4.20% or 87.2 g per kg W$^{0.75}$). The digestibility coefficients of all the nutrients excepting crude fibre were significantly higher on high energy diet irrespective of the breed. Lambs on low energy ration, however, digested the crude fibre more than those on the high energy ration (p<0.05). Although there were no significant differences in the intakes of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus, the balance of nitrogen was higher on high energy ration. The DCP and TDN values were 9.70 and 52.76% for low energy and 9.89 and 57.68 % for high energy ration, respectively. The dressing percentages on live weight basis were 50.2 on low and 51.6 on high energy ration, 50.5 at 20kg and 51.3 at 25 kg slaughter weight and 51.0 in Malpura and 50.8 in Mutton synthetic lambs, respectively. The percent of bones in the carcass was higher on low energy ration in Mutton synthetic lambs at 20 kg slaughter weight than others. It was concluded that the performance of the lambs in respect of mutton production was significantly better on high energy ration fed upto 25 kg slaughter weight with no or little breed differences.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 1991

A CRD experiment with thirty growing cross bred calves were assigned at random to three treatments rations. 1) $T_0$, 0% Urea + 20% M. O. cake, 2) $T_1$, 1% Urea + 10% M. O. cake and 3) $T_2$, 2% Urea + 0% M. O. cake to develop a rice straw based ration for ruminants. Sweetish odour and yellowish colour were observed in good recovered silage. Organic matter varied from 87.45% to 89.63% whereas crude protein varied from 14.0% to 14.5% in each treatment. No significant differences were found among the nutrient composition of the ration. The dry matter in take (DMI) and dry matter digestibility was higher in $T_0$ (0% Urea) than those of ration containing 1% ($T_1$) and 2% Urea ($T_2$). The organic matter digestibility decreases with increasing doses of urea. The crude protein & nitrogen-free-extract digestibility were found higher in the ration $T_1$ containing 1% urea whereas crude fibre digestibility and available metabolizable energy (ME) were higher in $T_0$ containing no urea as compared to $T_1$ and $T_2$. Total digestible nutrient (TDN) decreases with the increase of urea level. The highest feed efficiency was found in $T_0$ having no urea and lowest was in $T_2$. The animals gained in weights from each ration. Highest gain in weight was found in $T_0$ ration, then followed $T_1$, and $T_2$. This is due to natural protein available in M. O. cake only. It is concluded that supplemetation of urea or M. O. cake with readily available energy source as molasses upto 20% of total dietary dry matter in a complete ration may increase the intake of low quality fibrous roughage only when nitrogen and mineral are not limiting factor.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.677-684
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• 2003

Twenty eight multiparous lactating cows were utilized in an experiment to evaluate the response to an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme on their lactational performance during early lactation period (in terms of milk production, milk composition, feed intake, milking efficiency, body weight change) and the exact time of this response. Cows were randomized into two groups (14 each) with similar parities and were fed a concentrate ration of barley, ground corn, soybean meal, and wheat bran and roughage ration of alfalfa hay. One of the two groups was supplemented with the fibrolytic enzyme immediately after parturition up to 100 post partum. The experiment was of two phases with 50 days each. The enzyme, which has a cellulase/hemicellulase activity (derived from Trichoderma group), was added to the concentrate part of the ration in a dry powder form. Milk production, 3.5% fat corrected milk, energy corrected milk were higher (p<0.05) for cows fed treated diet. At the same time, No differences were observed in percentages of milk components, feed intake, body weight, body weight change, or rectal temperature for the whole experimental period or during any of the two phases. Efficiency of milk production was higher (p<0.05) for treatment group cows than for that of the control ones. However, efficiency was better during the second phase than during the first phase. Feeding enzyme treated diets to dairy cows improved lactational performance during early 100 day of the lactation period. However, the first 50 days of lactation looked to be the critical.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.440-445
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• 2000

Thirty lactating Javanese thin-tail ewes (12 ewes had been injected, prior to mating, with 700 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin, and 18 ewes with saline as a control) were used to evaluate the effect of superovulation on milk production during lactation and mammary chemical indices at the end of lactation. Thirteen ewes (9 control and 4 superovulated ewes) were fed at low and the other 17 ewes (9 control and 8 superovulated ewes) were fed at high quality ration. Superovulated ewes, either fed at low or high quality ration, had dramatically higher milk yields (57%). At the end of lactation, superovulated ewes had higher mammary dry fat-free tissue, mammary DNA concentration, total mammary DNA and RNA contents than nonsuperovulated ewes. Superovulation did not affect mammary RNA and collagen concentrations, and total collagen content. Ration quality did not significantly increase milk production during lactation and mammary chemical indices at the end of lactation. The observed increase in milk production in the superovulated ewes was probably due to the increased mammary secretory cell number and their synthetic activities during lactation as a result of the increased endogenous hormonal stimulation of mammary growth and development during pregnancy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1992

Formula feed for fattening cattle ground through 2 mm screen was incubated in the rumen of sheep and goats to evaluate effects of ratio of concentrate to hay and kinds of hay in a ration on determining the degradability (dg) value of protein using in sacco technique. Following results were obtained: 1) Residual dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) of formula feed decreased as the time of incubation increased. Regression analyses showed that rates of degradation of DM and CP in the rumen were not the same when they were determined under feeding of rations with different percentages of concentrate. 2) Rate of passage of digesta from the rumen differed between feeding of Italian ryegrass hay ration and that of alfalfa hay ration, but was not influenced by the percentage of concentrate in a ration. 3) The dg value was different when it was estimated with results obtained from determinations under feeding of Italian ryegrass hay ration or that of alfalfa hay ration. The percentage of concentrate in a ration had no influence on the dg value of protein in formula feed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.583-590
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• 1989

Increasing levels of ammonia-N in the rumen fluid used for in vitro incubation were achieved by supplementation of the ration of the donor cows with urea and by addition of urea either with or without glucose to the rumen fluid after collection. The ration of the donor animals consisted of wheat straw (80%) and maize silage (20%). During the second half of the experiment the basal ration was supplemented with a mineral mixture. Wheat straw, Guinea grass and two rice straw varieties were incubated with the various kinds of rumen fluid. Parameters studied were: solubility, apparent organic matter disappearance after 48 hours of incubation ($OMD_{48}$), rate of organic matter degradation from 0 to 24 hours of incubation ($k_1$) and from 24 to 95 hours ($k_2$). The concentration of ammonia-N in the rumen fluid at which 95% of the maximal $OMD_{48}$ and k1 were reached (88.2 and 100.0 mg/l) were independent of the feed. With regard to the $k_2$ the required ammonia-N concentration to reach 95% of the maximal $k_2$ differed per feed. Mineral supplementation increased the OMD48 and $k_1$, but not the solubility and $k_2$. Glucose addition in combination with urea had no beneficial effect compared to urea supplementation alone.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.107-112
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• 1992

Feeding of bypass protein to lactating animals have been suggested by many research scientists as a way to increase the nutrient supply at the intestinal level thereby enhance animal production in ruminant animals. A feeding trial with a formulated bypass protein feed on straw based ration was carried out by using lactating cross bred cows at the stage of 4th month of their lactation. Bypass protein feed was fed at 5 different levels. Urea Molasses Block was used as a nitrogen source to the rumen microflora. In order to reduce the heat increment straw intake was restricted to all the animals. Urea Molasses Block intake was noticed varying in proportion with the bypass protein feed intake. Milk production was observed increasing in accordance with the level of bypass protein feed intake. However, the maximum response was noticed in cows that were fed 3 kg bypass protein feed. The nutrient availability at this stage was below the NRC (1988) requirements. Other remarkable finding was that the cows maintained the persistency of milk production even after 3rd month of lactation when the ambient temperature was $40^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.261-268
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• 1988

The effect of two particle size ranges (80% of the particles in the ration less than 1.19mm ; and 40% of the particles in the ration less than 1.1mm) and two different levels of protein (18% and 12% ) on the activity of mold inhibitors in commercial ration was determined by measuring mold count, CO$30^{\circ}C$ production and aflatoxin concentration. A commercial fungistat was mixed in the treated diets at the level of 0.1% (W/W). Two types of experimental diets (18% & 12% protein) which contained 12.6 and 12.7% moisture content each were stored under the forced air humidifier at 85% humidity and a controlled-temperature of 29＋1$30^{\circ}C$ for 5 to 40 days. Mold count and CO$30^{\circ}C$ levels in the feed treated with mold inhibitor were significantly higher (P＜0.05 and P＜0.01 respectively) when 40% of the ration's particle size was<1.19mm. The different protein levels in the ration treated with mold inhibitor did not have a significant effect (P＞0.05) on the mold count and $CO_2$ production. Protein level $\times$ particle size range interaction on the $CO_2$ production was significant (P＜0.05). Aflatoxin production in the experimental diet with mold inhibitor was significantly (P＜0.05) affected by the levels of protein and the different particle size ranges. The interaction of protein levels and particle size ranges on the aflatoxin production was significant (P＜0.05) at 40 days of storage.