Effect of increasing plant maturity in timothy-dominated grass silage on the performance of growing/finishing Norwegian Red bulls

Grass and Forage Science

Volumn 65, Issue 3, 2010, Pages 273-286

  Randby, Åshild T ^a   Norgaard P ^b   Weisbjerg, M R ^c  

^a NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES   (Norway)

^b UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN   (Denmark)

^c DANISH INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES   (Denmark)

Author keywords

Bulls; Carcass; Feed efficiency; Grass silage; Harvesting time; Timothy

Indexed keywords

FAT; FEEDING ECOLOGY; FERMENTATION; FORMIC ACID; GRASS; GROWTH RATE; HARVESTING; SILAGE; SIZE AT MATURITY;

PHLEUM PRATENSE;

EID: 77955234655     PISSN: 01425242     EISSN: 13652494     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2494.2010.00745.x     Document Type: Article

References (45)

1. Agnew RE, Carson MT. The effect of a silage additive and level of concentrate supplementation on silage intake, animal performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle. Grass and Forage Science 2000, 55:114-124.
2. Andersen HR, Ingvartsen KL. The influence of energy-level, weight at slaughter and castration on growth and feed-efficiency in cattle. Livestock Production Science 1984, 11:559-569.
3. AOAC Official Method 973.18 Fiber (Acid Detergent) and Lignin (H2SO4) in animal feed. Official methods of analysis of AOAC international 2000, 37-38. Horwitz W. In, ed, 17th edn, Revision 2, 2003, Vol. 1, Ch 4, pp, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, Association of Official Agricultural Chemists
4. Berg J, Matre T. Produksjon av storfekjøtt (Production of beef) 2001, pp, Oslo, Norway, Landbruksforlaget
5. Dawson LER, Kirkland RM, Ferris CP, Steen RWJ, Kilpatrick DJ, Gordon FJ. The effect of stage of perennial ryegrass maturity at harvesting, fermentation characteristics and concentrate supplementation, on the quality and intake of grass silage by beef cattle. Grass and Forage Science 2002, 57:255-267.
6. Geay Y, Micol D. Growing and finishing cattle. Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables 1989, 121-151. Jarrige R, In, ed, pp, Paris, INRA
7. Greathead HMR, Dawson JM, Craigon J, Sessions VA, Scollan ND, Buttery PJ. Fat and protein metabolism in growing steers fed either grass silage or dried grass. British Journal of Nutrition 2006, 95:27-39.
8. Huhtanen P, Rinne M, Nousiainen J. Evaluation of the factors affecting silage intake of dairy cows: A revision of the relative silage dry-matter intake index. Animal 2007, 1:758-770.
9. Huhtanen P, Rinne M, Nousiainen J. Evaluation of concentrate factors affecting silage intake of dairy cows: A development of the relative total diet intake index. Animal 2008, 2:942-953.
10. Huuskonen A, Khalili H, Joki-Tokola E. Effects of three different concentrate proportions and rapeseed meal supplement to grass silage on animal performance of dairy-breed bulls with TMR feeding. Livestock Science 2007, 110:154-165.
11. Hvelplund T, Weisbjerg MR, Andersen LS. Estimation of the true digestibility of rumen undegraded dietary-protein in the small-intestine of ruminants by the mobile bag technique. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A: Animal Science 1992, 42:34-39.
12. Keady TWJ, Lively FO, Kilpatrick DJ, Moss BW. Effects of replacing grass silage with either maize or whole-crop wheat silages on the performance and meat quality of beef cattle offered two levels of concentrates. Animal 2007, 1:613-623.
13. Kempster AJ, Cuthbertson A, Harrington G. Beef carcass grading and classification. Carcase evaluation in livestock breeding, production and marketing 1982, 163-201. Kempster AJ, Cuthbertson A, Harrington G. In, eds, pp, London, Granada
14. Kirkland RM, Patterson DC, Keady TWJ, Moss BW, Steen RWJ. Beef production potential of Norwegian Red and Holstein-Friesian bulls slaughtered at two ages. Animal 2007, 1:1506-1514.
15. Kirkpatrick DE, Steen RWJ, Unsworth EF. The effect of differing forage: concentrate ratio and restricting feed intake on the energy and nitrogen utilization by beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 1997, 51:151-164.
16. Krizsan SJ, Randby AT. The effect of fermentation quality on the voluntary intake of grass silage by growing cattle fed silage as the sole feed. Journal of Animal Science 2007, 85:984-996.
17. Krog L, Løvseth E, Tharaldsen K, Johansen E, Wollan AM, Larsen FM. Storfe (beef). Råvarebok. Skåret vare (Meat book. Cut products) 1997, Røe M, In, ed, Chapter 8 (unpaginated), Oslo, Animalia, Norwegian Meat and Poultry Research Centre
18. Licitra G, Hernandez TM, Vansoest PJ. Standardization of procedures for nitrogen fractionation of ruminant feeds. Animal Feed Science and Technology 1996, 57:347-358.
19. Madsen J, Hvelplund T, Weisbjerg MR, Bertilsson J, Olsson I, Spoerndly R, Harstad OM, Volden H, Tuori M, Varvikko T, Huhtanen P, Olafsson BL. The AAT/PBV protein evaluation system for ruminants. A revision. Norwegian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 1995, 9(Suppl. 19):1-37.
20. Mayne CS, Agnew RE, Patterson DC, Steen RWJ, Gordon FJ, Kilpatrick DJ, Unsworth EF. An examination of possible interactions between silage type and concentrate composition on the intake and characteristics of grass silage offered to growing cattle and dairy cows. Animal Science 1995, 60:514-515.
21. McNamee BF, Kilpatrick DJ, Steen RWJ, Gordon FJ. The prediction of grass silage intake by beef cattle receiving barley-based supplements. Livestock Production Science 2001, 68:25-30.
22. Mertens DR. Digestibility and intake. Forages: the science of grassland agriculture 2007, 487-507. Barnes RF. In, ed, pp, Ames, IA, Blackwell
23. Mertens DR, Allen M, Carmany J, Clegg J, Davidowicz A, Drouches M, Frank K, Gambin D, Garkie M, Gildemeister B, Jeffress D, Jeon CS, Jones D, Kaplan D, Kim GN, Kobata S, Main D, Moua X, Paul B, Robertson J, Taysom D, Thiex N, Williams J, Wolf M. Gravimetric determination of amylase-treated neutral detergent fiber in feeds with refluxing in beakers or crucibles: collaborative study. Journal of AOAC International 2002, 85:1217-1240.
24. Moore KJ, Moser LE, Vogel KP, Waller SS, Johnson BE, Pedersen JF. Describing and quantifying growth-stages of perennial forage grasses. Agronomy Journal 1991, 83:1073-1077.
25. NorFor in sacco standard, September 10, 2007 2007a, http://www.norfor.info/Files/pdf-dokumenter/pdf_lab/Analyses/NorFor_in_sacco_standard_070910.pdf, Nordic Feed Evaluation System, Available at: (accessed 25 March 2010)
26. NorFor method for determination of dry matter, September 21, 2007 2007b, http://www.norfor.info/Files/pdf-dokumenter/pdf_lab/Analyses/NorFor_DM_Determination_070921.pdf, Nordic Feed Evaluation System, Available at: (Accessed 25 March 2010
27. Ødegård A. Avl for alle - NRF-avlen gjennom 40 år (In Norwegian) (Breeding for everybody - The Norwegian Red cattle breed through 40 years) 2000, pp, Hamar, Geno
28. Patterson DC, Moore CA, Steen RWJ. The effects of plane of nutrition and slaughter weight on the performance and carcass composition of continental beef bulls given high forage diets. Animal Production 1994, 58:41-47.
29. Playne MJ, McDonald P. The buffering constituents of herbage and of silage. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 1966, 17:264-268.
30. Randby Ä. Beef from forage: the potential of high quality grass silage. Proceedings of the NJF seminar no. 326. Production and utilization of silage 2001, 46-51. Lillehammer, Norway, 27-28 September 2001, pp
31. Randby Ä, Selmer-Olsen I. Formic acid treated or untreated roundbale grass silage for steers. Proceedings of the BGS Fifth Research Conference 1997, 31-32. In, University of Plymouth, 8 September 1997, Reading, British Grassland Society
32. Statistical Analysis System user's guide, version 8 2003, Cary, NC, SAS Institute Inc
33. Steen RWJ. A comparison of 2-cut and 3-cut systems of silage making for beef-cattle using 2 cultivars of perennial ryegrass. Animal Production 1984, 38:171-179.
34. Steen RWJ. Effects of the ratio of forage to concentrates in the diet of beef cattle. Seminar held at the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland 1998, 49-64. In, pp, Hillsborough, UK, Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland
35. Steen RWJ, Kilpatrick DJ. The effects of the ratio of grass silage to concentrates in the diet and restricted dry matter intake on the performance and carcass composition of beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 2000, 62:181-192.
36. Steen RWJ, McIlmoyle WA. The effect of frequency of harvesting grass for silage and level of concentrate supplementation on the intake and performance of beef cattle. Animal Production 1982, 35:245-252.
37. Steen RWJ, Robson AE. Effects of forage to concentrate ratio in the diet and protein-intake on the performance and carcass composition of beef heifers. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 1995, 125:125-135.
38. Steen RWJ, Kilpatrick DJ, Porter MG. Effects of the proportions of high or medium digestibility grass silage and concentrates in the diet of beef cattle on liveweight gain, carcass composition and fatty acid composition of muscle. Grass and Forage Science 2002, 57:279-291.
39. Thomas C, Gibbs BG, Tayler JC. Beef production from silage. 2. The performance of beef cattle given silages of either perennial ryegrass or red clover. Animal Production 1981, 32:149-153.
40. Faglig rapport. Ku. (In Norwegian) (Report of results from the Norwegian milk recording system for dairy cows) 2008, Vest, Midt-Norge, Nord, TINE Meieriet Øst, Sør, Vest, Midt-Norge, Nord
41. Vale JE, Davies DA, Wright DA. A comparison of grass and red clover silage with native and continental-cross cattle. Beef from grass and forage, BGS Occasional Symposium 2000, 183-186. Pullar D, In, ed, 35, pp, Reading, British Grassland Society
42. Van Es AJH. Feed evaluation for ruminants. I. The systems in use from May 1977 onwards in The Netherlands. Livestock Production Science 1978, 5:331-345.
43. Van Soest PJ, Robertson JB, Lewis BA. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 1991, 74:3583-3597.
44. Vermorel M. Energy: the feed unit system. Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables 1989, 23-32. Jarrige R. In, ed, pp, Paris, INRA
45. Wright DA, Gordon FJ, Steen RWJ, Patterson DC. Factors influencing the response in intake of silage and animal performance after wilting of grass before ensiling: a review. Grass and Forage Science 2000, 55:1-13.