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Economic Values For Perennial Ryegrass Traits In New Zealand Dairy Farm Systems, David F. Chapman, Jeremy R. Bryant, Graham A. Kerr, Glenn Judson, Tim Cookson, Grant R. Edwards, William H. Mcmillan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is the main species used in dairy pastures throughout New Zealand. There are approximately 30 perennial ryegrass cultivars sold commercially in New Zealand, but currently there is no evaluation system which allows farmers to compare the potential impact of different cultivars on the profitability of their farm business. Such an economic evaluation system requires information on performance values (PV) for cultivars which quantifies their performance with respect to the major productivity traits (herbage accumulation (HA, kg DM/ha), nutritive value and persistence) relative to a genetic base, and economic values (EV, Doyle and Elliott 1983) …

Immediate And Carryover Effects Of Post-Grazing Sward Height Imposed In Early Spring On Sward And Milk Production, Elodie Ganche, Luc Delaby, Michael O’Donovan, Tommy M. Boland, Emer Kennedy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A grazing experiment was undertaken to investigate the immediate and carryover effect of post-grazing sward height (PGH) in early spring on sward and dairy cow production. Ninety Holstein-Friesian spring calving dairy cows were randomly assigned across 3 PGH treatments: 2.7, 3.5 and 4.2 cm from February 14 to April 24, 2011. Following the experimental period animals were managed similarly until the end of the lactation. Grazing to 2.7 cm during the experimental period reduced milk (-159 kg/cow; P < 0.01) and milk solids (-16 kg/cow; P < 0.01) yields and increased BW loss (+13 kg loss; P < 0.05) when compared to the 3.5 and 4.2 cm treatments which performed similarly. Grass utilisation (>2.7 cm) increased (P < 0.001) by decreasing PGH from 4.2 cm (0.74) to 3.5 cm (0.82) and further to 2.7 cm (0.94). During the carryover period (April 24 to November 13), cumulative milk (3542 kg/cow) and milk solids (281 kg/cow) yields did not differ between the experimental treatments. End BW was similar across treatments (503 kg). Total lactation performance of cows grazing to 2.7 cm in spring was -24 kg milk solids (P < 0.05) than the total lactation production of the 3.5 and 4.2 cm treatments (405 kg milk solids) indicating that cows offered a restricted pasture allowance in early lactation do not recover lost production. This study recommends a PGH of 3.5 cm in the first 2 grazing rotations to achieve a compromise between sward utilisation and animal performance in early spring while also ensuring high subsequent lactation milk production.

Inter-Annual Variability In Pasture Herbage Accumulation In Temperate Dairy Regions: Causes, Consequences, And Management Tools, David F. Chapman, Richard P. Rawnsley, Brendan R. Cullen, David A. Clark

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Inter-annual variation in pasture herbage accumulation rate (HAR) is common in temperate dairy regions, posing challenges for farmers in the management of dairy cow feeding and of pasture state. This paper reviews the biophysical factors that cause inter-annual variation, considers some of its consequences for the efficient harvest of pasture, and discusses the basis for decision rules and support tools that are available to assist New Zealand and Australian farmers to help manage the consequences of an imbalance between feed supply and demand. These tools are well-grounded in scientific research and farmer experience, but are not widely used in the …

Relative Losses Of Pioneiro Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schumach) Silage With Addition Of Whole Plant Maize Or Maize Grain During Fermentation, Tiago M. Santos, Eduardo R. Scherer, Dayanna Pastal, Diana R. Vivian, Kátia F. Gobbi, Américo F. Garcez Neto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Among the forages with potential to be ensiled, tropical forages stand out because of their high yield capacity, being able to produce three times more dry matter than for maize under tropical conditions. Although tropical forages are an interesting alternative for ensilage, their high moisture content may impair the fermentation process, reducing the silage quality. The addition of whole plant maize and maize grain to other grass silages can be an efficient way to reduce the losses involved during the process, specially due to the improvement of the fermentative profile of the silages (Stefanie et al. 2000; Anaya-Ortega et …

Losses And Dry Matter Recovery Of Pioneiro Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schumach) And Maize Silages In Mixtures, Tiago M. Santos, Lucas Leffers Neto, Bruna L. Portela, Kátia F. Gobbi, Américo F. Garcez Neto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forages ensiled with high moisture content produce increased quantities of effluents losing highly digestible nutrients (McDonald 1981). The ensilage process usually involves gaseous and effluent losses which are strictly related to the moisture content of the plants used for conservation. The addition of materials with high dry matter content and materials which improve the fermentation pattern has been an alternative to reduce these effluent losses. The maize plant and maize grain, by their physical and fermentative characteristics, may represent alternatives to reduce the losses in the process (Anaya-Ortega et al. 2009). This work was carried out with the aim …

Total Accumulative Losses During The Fermentation Of Pioneiro Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schumach) Silages With Addition Of Whole Plant Maize And Maize Grain, Cassiano L. B. Pasa, Lucas Leffers Neto, Tiago M. Santos, José A. Freitas, Kátia F. Gobbi, Américo F. Garcez Neto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pioneiro grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) has gained importance in silage production mainly due to its robust habit, perenniality and high yield capacity, although its typically high moisture content may influence negatively its potential for ensiled conservation. High moisture content at the time of ensilage has resulted in increased losses by gases and effluents (Balsalobre et al. 2001, Nussio 2005). Despite these losses, the high yields of tropical forages still justifies their use and study as roughage and silage in ruminant nutrition.

Although tropical forages present an interesting alternative for conservation, maize silage still has widespread use across different …

Changes To The Fermentative Profiles Of Pioneiro Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schumach) And Maize Silages In Different Mixtures After Aerobic Stability, Eduardo R. Scherer, Tiago M. Santos, Diana R. Vivian, José A. Freitas, Kátia F. Gobbi, Américo F. Garcez Neto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Silages arte widely used in animal production systems to overcome the seasonality of forage production around the world. The preservation of nutritional value of silages depends on the maintenance of an anaerobic environment during the fermentation and storage phases, as well from aerobic stability during the feed out stage (Nussio, 2005). Aerobic exposure usually promotes intense activity of fungi, yeast and aerobic bacteria. If the time of aerobic exposure is long enough, huge changes can happen in the chemical composition of the silages affecting negatively their nutritional value. These changes can be followed by decreasing lactic acid concentration and increasing …

Pelletized Forage-Based Rations As Alternative Feeds For Improving Goat Productivity, E. A. Orden, E. M. Cruz, A. N. Espino, Z. M. Battad, R. G. Reyes, M. E. M. Orden, N. O. Frias, A. G. Gibe, N. A. Del Rosario, E. C. Villar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Goat farming is very popular in the Philippines as it is considered by many to be a viable rural enterprise. Despite this, the goat industry is faced with many challenges, including problems relating to high pre-weaning mortality, poor nutrition and lack of strategic approaches to accelerate genetic improvement. The long term rate of increase of goat numbers is only 0.97% per annum, due to high offtake rates and low productivity. Thus, the Philippine goat population is only expected to reach 4.27million by 2020 (compared with the target of 6.2 million), given the 3.88million population in 2010 (Alo 2012). Interventions are …

Performance Of Beef Cattle Fed Diets Containing Stylosanthes And Corn Silages, Thiago C. Da Silva, Odilon G. Pereira, Mariele C. N. Agarussi, Rafael M. Martins, Paula G. F. Duarte, Douglas R. Da Costa, Karina G. Ribeiro, Sebastião De C. Valadares Filho

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Reports of the use of tropical legumes in silage production are scarce as these legumes have high contents of crude protein, low water soluble carbohydrate and high buffering capacity, which inhibit the production of silages with good fermentation and nutritional characteristics. Recent research has, however, shown that it is possible to produce good quality silages using tropical legumes (Pereira et al. 2012). Souza et al. (2012) concluded that silage produced from Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande (Stylosanthes capitata + Stylosanthes macrocephala) at 60% proportion of the dry matter of the diet can replace corn silage in diets for …

Intake And Digestibility Of Nutrients Of Corn And Stylosanthes Silages In Diets For Sheep, Thiago C. Da Silva, Odilon G. Pereira, Mariele C. N. Agarussi, Vanessa P. Da Silva, Lucas L. Cardoso, Leandro D. Da Silva, Karina G. Ribeiro, Sebastião De C. Valadares Filho

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The low concentration of water soluble carbohydrates, the high buffering capacity and the low autochthonous population of lactic acid bacteria are limiting factors to legume ensiling. However, recent research with tropical legumes has shown that the silages presented an adequate fermentation profile (Liu et al. 2012; Silva et al. 2012; Pereira et al. 2012). Nevertheless, there are few studies on the use of stylosanthes silages cv. Campo Grande (Stylosanthes capitata + Stylosantes macrocephala) for sheep feeding. The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and digestibility of nutrients of stylosanthes and corn silages …

Chemical Composition And Fermentation Profile Of Perennial Peanut And Marandu Grass Mixed Silages, Karina G. Ribeiro, Françoise M. Gomes, Odilon G. Pereira, Sebastião De C. Valadares Filho, Thiago C. Da Silva, Vanessa P. Da Silva, Regina S. Santos, Mariele C. N. Agarussi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial peanut has high quality, evidenced by the improvement of animal production in grazing, due to good contents of crude protein and digestibility, which makes it one of the best alternatives for low cost feeding (Paganella and Valls 2002). Grass ensilage associated with legumes is considered an alternative to meet the protein demand of cattle in the livestock. However, due to limited information on the techniques of grass ensilage with tropical legumes, this research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and the fermentation profile of perennial peanut and Marandu mixed grass silages, treated or not with bacterial inoculant.

Lactobacillus Buchneri And Storage Periods Affect The Fermentation Profile And Aerobic Stability Of Corn Silage, Adir De Sá Neto, Maity Zopollatto, Álvaro Wosniask Bispo, Daniel Junges, João Luiz Pratti Daniel, Mateus Castilho Santos, Luiz Gustavo Nussio

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous studies have shown that the utilization of Lactobacillus buchneri reduces the yeast population and improves the aerobic stability of corn silage (Driehuis et al. 1996) mainly because of the conversion of lactic acid to acetic acid and 1,2-propanediol (Oude Elferink et al. 1998; Driehuis et al. 1999). Recent studies have also shown that some microbial processes occur during prolonged storage and this may improve the quality of corn silage. For instance, Hoffman et al. (2011) suggested that proteolytic activity was responsible for improvements in starch digestion of high moisture corn over extended periods of ensiling and Kleinschmit …

Effect Of Using Additives At Ensiling On The Fermentation Quality Of Common Reed (Phragmites Communis Trin.) Silage, Keigo Asano, Ayako Araie, Riri Koike, Kohei Takahashi, Tatsuya Madachi, Motohiko Ishida

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The common reed (Phragmites communis Trin.) is a wild grass species widely distributed throughout Japan and the world, growing in thousands of abandoned paddy fields and riverside sites. Most of the common reed in Japan is burned or left to become a weed that grows thickly in canals and reclaimed lands, becoming breeding places for diseases and pests (Holm et al. 1977). The biodiversity of plants can be disrupted by an expanding community of common reed whose sward height is 1.5–4.0 m (Ailstock et al. 2001). The common reed should be controlled and made use of if …

Effect Of Lactobacillus Plantarum On Fermentation Quality Of Alfalfa Silages Mixed With Different Proportions Of Jujube Powder, Jipeng Tian, Zhu Yu, Zhongkuan Liu, Zhenyu Liu, Qing Zhang, Xujiao Li, Yu Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Hebei province is one of the main production areas of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in China. While alfalfa is used to make silages, it is necessary to improve the fermentation quality of alfalfa silage. Jujube powder which contains a high content of sugar, might be a good material to ensile mixed with alfalfa. On the other hand, the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been documented and has been used as an additive to achieve good preservation of silage.

The objective of this study was a) to screen different ratios of jujube powder in the mixed silage of …

Forage Intake And Nitrogen Retention In Wethers Fed Ryegrass Haylage Supplemented With Maize Silage, João G. R. Almeida, Henrique M. N. Ribeiro Filho, Ederson A. De Andrade, Gabriela C. Guzatti, Paulo G. Duchini, Gutierri T. Raupp, Fabiana R. Ramos, Rémy Delagarde

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Many decision support tools have been developed to predict herbage intake with herbivore ruminants indoors (Faverdin 1992) or at grazing, both using short-term (Baumont et al. 2004) or daily scale input variables (Heard et al. 2004; Delagarde et al. 2011). However, the ingestive and digestive interactions when diets with more than one type of forage are used have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of maize silage supplementation to wethers receiving ryegrass haylage on OM intake, OM digestibility, microbial protein synthesis and N retention.

The Effect On Long-Chain Fatty Acids In Lucerne Silage With Jujube Powder And Lactobacillus Plantarum, Zhu Yu, Yu Wang, Jipeng Tian, Xujiao Li, Qing Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The major nutrients of lucerne silage are well documented. However, forages are also an important dietary source of α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) and linoleicacid (C18:2n-6) that are biohydrogenated in the rumen, originating a complex pattern of C18 fatty acids (Jenkins et al. 2008). Studies have reported slight effects on the fatty acid (FA) composition of grass silages by the use of additives like formalin, formic acid, or enzymes (Alves et al. 2011) However, there are no studies on the addition of jujube powder in lucerne silage, which has a high sugar content. The effect of Lactobacillus plantarum (LA) on …

Increased Sugar Concentration With Pm-Cutting And Wide Swathing Improves Alfalfa Silage Fermentation, Gaëtan F. Tremblay, Chantale Morin, Gilles Bélanger, Annick Bertrand, Yves Castonguay, Réal Michaud, Robert Berthiaume, Guy Allard

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Extensive protein degradation during silage fermentation reduces the efficiency of N utilization by ruminants and excess N is excreted in the environment. Forage nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) represent the main source of readily fermentable energy for lactic bacteria during silage fermentation. Increasing forage NSC concentration can enhance silage fermentation, lactic acid production, and the decline in pH with an overall reduction in the extent of protein degradation.

The NSC concentration increases during the day in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to reach a maximum by the end of the afternoon. Under good wilting conditions, PM-cut alfalfa wilted in wide swaths had …

Effect Of Associations Of Additives On Ph And Ndf In Sugar Cane Silages (Saccharum Officinarum), C. A. Da Silva, A. A. R. Athayde, A. O. Ribeiro, A. R. Evangelista, P. C. Leite, A. C. A. F. F. Paula

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An alternative to the seasonality of forage production in grazing-lands is the maintenance of feed supplies through the use of silages (Carvalho et al. 2007). Sugar cane stands out for silage production, mainly because of its high yield per hectare. There are, however, restrictions to its use in cattle production systems including the daily cutting demands, low digestibility of fiber and low contents of protein and minerals. Sugar cane ensiling can solve, or even reduce the seasonality of the crop and the losses by fire or frost, and has been utilized in cattle raising for these logistic and operational …

A Bayesian Model Of Pasture Curing, Helen G. Daily, Ross Corkrey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Curing percentage (the percentage of dead material in the sward) is a necessary component of fire behaviour modelling and subsequent fire danger ratings in grasslands. Current methods of estimating curing have limitations. Curing is controlled by leaf turnover in grasses but individual leaf turnover rates of themselves do not give estimates of curing. Bayesian modelling provides the potential to incorporate leaf turnover rates representing the entire life cycle of each leaf into a standalone model of curing from which statistical summaries can be generated and used in field models. In this study, curing percentage was estimated over thermal time for …

Effect Of Adding Functional Lactic Acid Bacteria At Ensiling On The Fermentation Quality And Nutritive Value Of Oat Silage, Kohei Takahashi, Keigo Asano, Takashi Koyanagi, Motohiko Ishida

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock are exposed to stressors from the environment such as temperature, humidity and intensive feeding. Strong stress can cause animals to perform an atypical behavior and/or result in lower productivity, and livestock weanlings, which do not have as strong a body as the adult livestock, are more severely affected by stress. Functional silage that increases the stress tolerance of livestock may thus be beneficial. Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in human food were found to have a probiotic effect to ease stress, but it has not been established whether these LAB can affect the qualities of silage fermentation. Here we …

Nutritive Quality Of Hay And Silage From Natural Grazing Land In South Western Nigeria, Victoria O. A. Ojo, Alaba O. Jolaosho, Oluwasanmi M. Arigbede, Peter A. Dele, Samson A. Adeoye, Ronke Y. Aderinboye, Oluwaseun J. Idowu, Oludotun O. Adelusi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the tropics, inadequate nutrition caused by scarcity of forages and its low quality constitutes a major constraint to good performance of ruminant animals (Lukuyu et al. 2011). Herbage availability during the wet season often exceeds animal requirements (Chakoma et al. 1999). As the dry season sets in, the protein level of the accumulated forages drops and the fibre level increases, with an increase in lignin content while voluntary intake decreases. Due to lack of quality forage especially in the dry season, animals feeding on them tend to lose weight and their productivity will be negatively affected.

In …

Improving Lucerne Forage Quality And Utilization By Using Novel Silage Inoculant, Vilma Vrotniakiene, Jonas Jatkauskas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is a protein-rich forage that farmers often combine with energy-rich feed sources to dairy cattle. Lucerne ensiles poorly, however, due to low sugar concentration and high buffering capacity. Ensiling is improved by wilting the crop and using an appropriate silage inoculant. The principal goal of inoculants is to improve fermentation quality, to preserve as much of the nutritive value of the crop at harvest as possible for the livestock consuming the resulting silage and to increase production (Meeske et al. 2000, Muck 2012).

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of …

Using Fermented Juice Of Epiphytic Lactic Acid Bacteria (Fjlb) And Molasses To Improve Digestibility And Rumen Fermentation Characteristics Of Ruzigrass Silage Fed To Dairy Cows, Smerjai Bureenok, Chalermpon Yuangklang, Kraisit Vasupen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) and molasses (MO) on ruzigrass silage digestibility and rumen fermentation characteristics in dairy cows were studied. All treated silages were well-preserved as indicated by the pH value and NH3-N content. Silage treated with MO or MO-FJLB had lower pH and higher lactic acid contents than untreated silages and FJLB silages. Butyric acid was not detected in the FJLB silage. Water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) was higher in the MO silages; neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) did not differ significantly. Dry matter intake in cows fed with …

High-Sugar Alfalfa For Dairy Cows, Robert Berthiaume, Andre F. Brito, Gaëtan F. Tremblay, Gilles Bélanger, Carole Lafrenière, Annick Bertrand, Yves Castonguay, Réal Michaud, Guy Allard

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa proteins are extensively degraded during wilting, silage fermentation, and in the rumen. To efficiently use alfalfa non protein N, rumen microbes need a readily available energy source such as nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC); otherwise, surplus N in the form of rumen ammonia is converted into urea and excreted in the environment. Increasing the NSC concentration of alfalfa was thus the focus of our research program. Our objectives were to assess the impact of high NSC alfalfa on digestibility and microbial protein synthesis measured in vitro, and on ingestion, rumen metabolism, N use efficiency, and dairy cow performance. Increasing NSC concentration …

Challenges And Solutions For Forage Conservation For Small And Large Enterprises, M. Goto, H. Kawamoto, H. Matsuyama, Ryuichi Uegaki

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage conservation, particularly silage making, is one of the major technologies used as an interface between forage production and animal production, and the advanced technology of biological, chemical, and enzymatic additives for making silage has contributed significantly to the development of livestock production. However, the increasing demand for meat and dairy products, severe environmental deterioration induced by livestock production, and the critical risks to human health associated with mycotoxin contamination of forage crops remain to be addressed. Here we review the extant literature regarding treatment with various silage additives in relation to new paddy field forage production systems, mycotoxin contamination …

Application Of Nirs In Nutrient Composition Evaluation Of Lathyrus Sativus, Yanpei Wu, Yanrong Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) Analysis has applied to measure nutrient composition successfully in many forage species (Jerry et al. 2003). Lathyrus sativus, an annual legume, is the only edible legume among Lathyrus with crude protein up to 30% (Jackson and Yunus 1984). It has high drought tolerance, and can grow well in barren soil. Thus, this species has a great potential as a crude protein source for livestock in arid and semi-arid area. To introduce this species into a grassland system in Northwest of China, developing a rapid method to deter-mine nutrient composition of various accessions is …

Fibre Quality In Timothy, Festulolium And Tall Fescue Around First Cut, Magnus A. Halling

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fibre quality and available energy expressed as iNDF (indigestible neutral detergent fibre) decrease with maturity stage in timothy (Nordheim-Viken and Volden 2009). It is widely accepted that fibre quality also decreases with plant age in other forage grasses. However, climate factors such as temperature and water availability can interact with maturity stage in determining iNDF (Nordheim-Viken and Volden 2009). In the Norfor system, iNDF is an important measure of available energy in forage evaluation for ruminants (Åkerlind et al. 2011). This study examined how fibre quality in different forage grasses was affected by maturity stage and climate.

Pastures In Production Management In Madagascar, Isabelle H. Hantanirina, Jean De N. Rakotozandriny

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Madagascar, natural pasture is found across extensive areas of the landscape and has inherently low productivity. There is limited management of these areas and limited management inputs, such as fertiliser or introduced sown pastures (Morat 1973). Natural pasture has a prominent place in animal production, however, consumer demand for milk, meat and other products mean that greater animal productivity is required than that achieved on natural pastures. This is the case for dairy farming in the highlands of Madagascar. The use of exotic pastures has become necessary for better production.

The aim of this study was to evaluate feed …

Use Of N-Alkane Technique To Estimate Sheep Dry Matter Intake, Glaucia A. Amaral, Teresa C. M. Genro, Armindo B. Neto, Jean V. Savian, Diego B. De David, Eduardo B. Azevedo, Felipe Jochims, Paulo C. De F. Carvalho

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Given the complexity of evaluating intake on grazing, some compounds have been studied to promote qualitative and quantitative estimates of animal physiology. In this sense, the technique using n-alkanes as a marker has been used in several animal species, especially in grazing ruminants (Dove and Mayes 1996). By definition, validation under grazing or browsing conditions is not possible, because actual intakes are unknown (Dove and Mayes 2005). Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the methodology of n-alkanes to estimate herbage intake by sheep in metabolic cages.

Daily Faecal Excretion Of Alkane C32 In Beef Cattle Females Grazing Natural Grasslands In Southern Brazil And In Uruguay, Teresa C. M. Genro, Carolina Bremm, Júlio K. Da Trindade, Alexandre C. Varella, Pablo Soca

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The n-alkane technique is accepted as an appropriate method to estimate herbage intake by grazing ruminants. This method reinforces issues similar to those raised by other methods based on markers such as the effect of carrier matrix or dosing method and frequency on the excretion kinetics of the dosed n-alkanes (Dove et al. 2002; Molina et al. 2004, Oliván et al. 2007). The time of dosage needed to reach the dynamical equilibrium between the concentrations of alkanes in the diet and in the faeces of ruminants is still unclear for the natural grassland environments. The aim of this study was …