Comparative Nutrition Commons^™

Analysing Feeds For Cattle, Sheep And Goats, D J. Barker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The Department of Agriculture's Feed Evaluation Unit at Bunbury provides a service for farmers and allied industries on a fee-for-service basis, and conducts analyses for research officers, advisers and organisations such as the University ofWestern Australia. It also analyses feedstuffs for Departments of Agriculture in other States.

The Unit analyses about 5000 samples each year. The work load is high because no other laboratory in Western Australia provides the same service. Results are recorded on a computer which makes it easy t6o retrieve results of analyses of particular types of feedstuffs or froma particular owner or district.

Farm Grazing Levels, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Stocking rates in many dairying areas are so low that the Division has established nine grazing level demonstrations in various areas.

Their aim is to demonstrate that higher stocking rates are practical on existing farms.

Dairy Calves Can Safely Be Fed Once A Day, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE sale of milk rather than butterfat has increased greatly in the past few years and less than half the dairy farmers in Western Australia now own cream separators.

Feeding whole milk once a day can be successful for raising dairy calves, even in winter when calf rearing is most difficult.

A recent experiment at Wokalup Research Station showed that satisfactory weight gains can be achieved if liquid milk is fed only once a day from a very early age. Trial calves gained I lb a head a day over the 12 weeks of the experiment.

Once-a-day feeding greatly reduces …

Dairy Beef Shows Healthy Profits, D J. Barker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The October, 1970, issue of the Journal of Agriculture included results from the first year of a dairy beef production trial at Bramley Research Station.

This report presents results from the trial's second year, during which two levels of pasture utilisation were tested. The trial is now in its third year.

Once A Day Calf Feeding, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Trials at Wokalup Research Station in 1970 proved that calves could be successfully reared with once a day liquid milk feeding, providing a high protein meal was continually available.

This trial was carried out to see if the high protein meal was essential for the success of the once a day feeding system.

Three Beef Raising Systems For Butterfat Producing Properties, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THREE-QUARTERS of the calves born in autumn on butterfat farms are not required as milking replacements and are thus available for beef production or immediate sale, at about $20 a head.

The profit from selling beef must be compared with that from selling excess calves off their mothers.

Such a comparison is being made by Department of Agriculture Beef Research Officer D. J. Barker in a series of trials at Bramley Research Station, Margaret River.

Feeding Urea To Cattle, D J. Barker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

RUMINANTS normally obtain the protein they require by digestion of the organisms that inhabit the forestomach (rumen), not by direct digestion of the dietary protein they chew up and swallow.

The organisms break down the dietary protein and then rebuild proteins in the form of more organisms.

Once Daily Calf Feeding Lowers Rearing Costs, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The usual method of hand rearing dairy calves involves twice daily feeding of milk or milk substitutes.

This routine adds considerably to the labour necessary at milking time and may have prevented many farmers from putting much effort into dairy beef production.

The report below comes from a 1969 trial carried out at Bramley Research Station to see if once-daily calf feeding was as effective as twice daily feeding.

The trial's results should be considered as early findings from a series of trials being conducted into calf rearing regimes by both the Animal and Dairying Divisions of the Department of …

Supplementing Calves With Tallow : Results Of A Trial At Wokalup Research Station, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE removal of butterfat from milk by separation, reduces the energy content of the milk by about 50 per cent., and must slow the growth of calves unless extra energy is provided from some other source.

In the dairying districts of Western Australia, there has been considerable interest in recent years in the addition of homogenised tallow to skim milk to provide extra energy.

Good calves have been produced by this means.

Dry Supplements Reduce Labour And Cost Of Calf Rearing, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The conventional method of hand rearing dairy calves in Western Australia calls for the feeding of whole milk, skim milk and/or milk substitutes for periods of up to 16 weeks.

This requirement for milk and labour has often prevented beef production from becoming a major sideline on many wholemilk and butterfat farms.

The two trials reported below* were carried out at Bramley Research Station to see if milk consumption and time to weaning could be reduced by free-feeding hay and cereal based supplements.

Tallow As A Substitute For Butterfat In The Diet Of A Young Calf, R. Sprivulis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHILE cow's milk is the best food for a young calf it is also very expensive.

The normal substitute for whole milk is skim milk, but removing the butterfat from cow's milk reduces the dry matter content by 30 per cent and the digestible energy by 50 per cent.

High Stocking Rate On Kikuyu Dairy Pasture : Progress Report On Grazing Trials On Kikuyu-Sub. Clover Pasture At Denmark Research Station, F E. Ryan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

KIKUYU is one of the most valuable pasture plants on dairy farms in the South-West of Western Australia.

It combines well with subterranean clover and ryegrass if heavily stocked, and pastures managed in this way can be cut for legume-grass hay in the spring. However, relatively little is known of its carrying capacity or potential for production under grazing.

More Butterfat Per Acre At Denmark Research Station, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

STOCKING rates on dairy farms are generally too low and can be substantially increased, but unfortunately there is no satisfactory measurement to indicate the potential of a particular pasture or environment.

A trial carried out on Denmark Research Station in 1966-67, to obtain information on carrying capacity of a dryland kikuyu-subterranean clover pasture.

Feeding Urea To Dairy Cows, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

IT has been known for some years that the ruminant animal, through the agency of microflora in the rumen, has the ability to use urea as a source of nitrogen, and to convert some of this to protein.

Meadow Hay For The Dairy Herd, F E. Ryan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

CONSERVATION is the basis of progress in dairy farming and the major form is meadow hay, but unfortunately relatively few dairy farmers give enough attention to the quality and quantity of this important feed.

Stocking Rates With Growing Cattle At Wokalup Research Station, Maurice C. Cullity

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

CONSIDERABLE attention has been given in Australia and in overseas countries to methods of grazing control, and to the effects of varying stocking concentrations.

There is evidence that the highest yields per animal—of milk or butterfat per cow, or of weight increase per growing or fattening beast—are not necessarily a true reflection of the greatest output from the farm, as indicated by the measure of yield per acre.

Good Management For The Springers Pays Dividends, J Y. Langdon

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

This article gives a striking example of the advantages of calving cows in good and rising condition—and explains why condition around calving time is so important.

ALTHOUGH most farmers know that cows calving in good and improving condition will give higher yields than those calving in poor condition, few use this knowledge to improve the production from their cows.

Animal Husbandry Research At Bramley, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A progress report of animal husbandry investigations at the Bramley Animal Husbandry Research Station, Margaret River.

BRAMLEY RESEARCH STATION is four miles north of Margaret River.

The average annual rainfall of 45 inches falls mainly in the winter, providing a seven-month growing season which starts in March or April.

The June-July period is excessively wet, causing extensive waterlogging of the soils.

Dairy Farming In The Busselton-Margaret River District. Part 3. Fodder Conservation, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

An analysis of fodder conservation indicates that farmers in the Busselton-Margaret River district are conserving less than half the amount of fodder considered desirable.—Third in a series reporting a survey of farm practices in the district.

Dairy Farming In The Busselton-Margaret River District. Part 4. Pasture Production, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

If deteriorated pasture and underdeveloped pasture in the Busselton-Margaret River district could be improved to the standard of the present highly productive pastures stocking rates could be improved by more than 50 per cent.—final article in a series reporting the results of a survey of farm practices in the district.

Some Factors Affecting The Composition Of Milk, K Needham

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FOR many years it has been known all over the world that the composition of milk varies. This variation in quality is considered as a serious problem wherever the dairy industry is established.

Meadow Hay, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

rriHE nutritive value of pasture is high in early spring and remains so until early flowering.

After this the protein content falls rapidly, the fibre content rises and the plants become more lignifled and their digestibility reduced.

Cutting Costs In Calf Rearing, N A. Scott

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

RAISING calves as herd replacements and as a sideline to provide added income is becoming increasingly popular.

This is particularly noticeable since the inception of the Artificial Breeding Scheme whereby farmers are at liberty to breed herd replacements from their most productive cows and use semen from beef breeds for the poorer types.

Can Heifers Be Fed Too Well?, Laurence C. Snook

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

DURING recent years, emphasis has been given to the results of experiments conducted overseas, which appear to show that when heifers are generously fed, this reduces their ability to produce milk in later life.

As a result, some dairymen now believe that heifer calves should be kept lean rather than in prime condition.

It has become common to hear statements to the effect that generous feeding encourages calves to become "beefy," at the expense of the milk-producing attributes which are essential in a dairy cow.