New movement traits reflecting unfavorable movement characteristics were defined on the basis of detailed movement evaluations (DME) of warmblood foals and mares performed in connection with regular breeding events of the Oldenburg horse breeding societies in 2009 and 2010. DME information was available for 3374 foals and 2844 mares and used for correlation analyses with conformation information on 1987 mares from studbook inspections (SBI) in 2009 and performance information on 2758 mares from mare performance tests (MPT) in 2000 to 2008. Analyses of variance revealed few significant differences between scores for SBI and MPT traits in mares without and with indications of imbalance (IMB) in general or specific findings like irregular tail tone or posture (TTP). SBI scores for general impression and development were significantly lower and MPT scores for trot under rider tended to be higher in IMB-positive mares. Genetic parameters were estimated in linear animal models with residual maximum likelihood. Additive genetic correlations and Pearson correlation coefficients between univariately predicted breeding values indicated unfavorable genetic correlations of IMB and TTP with dressage-related conformation and performance traits. For SBI and MPT traits, we found similarities between the correlation patterns for DME traits in foals and mares. The results implied that breeding of dressage horses may benefit from revision of current movement evaluation and consideration of specific movement characteristics.

The effects of fish meal and monensin supplementation of silage on the growth and composition Friesian steers was examined in winter and subsequently during grazing. Four-month-old steers were given grass silage ad libitum, alone (U) or mixed with fish meal and monensin at 100 and 0·005 g/ dry matter (DM) of silage (S) for 17 weeks. Empty body weight (EBW) and carcass weight (CW) gains were significantly increased by supplementation (810 v. 495, and 553 v. 332 g/day, respectively). Although treatment S steers were heavier, their composition at turn-out was similar to that of the treatment U animals: mean fat, crude protein (CP), water, ash and energy contents were 121, 187, 640, 51 g/kg and 9·10MJ/kg EBW, respectively. During the following 20 weeks, six animals from each treatment grazed a perennial ryegrass/white clover sward unsupplemented (UU and SU), supplemented with a fish meal/maize/molassine meal (50:35: 15) pelleted diet and monensin at 4 g/kg live weight (LW) per day and 0·1 mg/kg LW per day, respectively, (UMF and SMF). A further group of six steers from treatment S received the pelleted diet without monensin during grazing (SF). Steers from treatment U showed significant compensation in EBW and in carcass growth at pasture, irrespective of whether they received a supplement, which led to a marked reduction of the differences in EBW and CW by final slaughter. Composition at final slaughter showed no significant effect winter nutrition, with the exception of fat content (g/kg EBW), which was significantly lower animals from treatment SU. Steers from treatments UMF and SMF had slightly higher rates of fat, CP, water and energy deposition, which resulted in higher fat and lower water contents (g/kg EBW) than those from treatments UU and SU, although these differences were not significant. Steers on treatment SF had gains and final compositions intermediate between those on treatments SU and SMF. Supplementation was cost effective in winter, but marginal in summer.

The effect of sex, source of saturated fat (lard v. palm oil) and glycerol inclusion in the fattening diet on composition and fatty acid positional distribution in the triglyceride molecule was studied in pigs from 78 to 110 kg BW. Average daily gain and carcass characteristics, including ham and loin weight, were not affected by dietary treatment but sex affected backfat depth (P<0.01). A significant interaction between sex and glycerol inclusion was observed; dietary glycerol increased lean content in gilts but not in barrows (P<0.05 for the interaction). Individual and total saturated fatty acid (SFA) concentrations were greater in barrows than in gilts. In contrast, the concentration of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and of C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, C20:3n-9 and C20:4n-6 in the intramuscular fat (IMF) was higher (P<0.05) in gilts than in barrows. Sex did not affect total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) concentration in the IMF. The proportion of SFA in the subcutaneous fat (SF) was higher in barrows than in gilts (P<0.001). Within the individual SFA, sex affected only the concentrations of C14:0 and C16:0 (P<0.001). Dietary fat did not affect total SFA or PUFA concentrations of the IMF but the subcutaneous total MUFA concentration tended to be higher (P=0.079) in pigs fed lard than in pigs fed palm oil. Dietary glycerol increased total MUFA and C18:1n-9 concentration in the IMF and increased total MUFA and decreased C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3 and total PUFA concentrations in the SF. The data indicate that altering the fatty acid composition of the triglyceride molecule at the 2-position, by dietary intervention during the fattening phase, is very limited.

The interpretation of the results of feeding trials with lactating ewes and their sucking lambs can be improved considerably when milk energy production is known. The determination of gross energy (GE) however is time consuming and expensive. Therefore an equation to predict GE from milk constituents would be helpful.

Using multiple regression analysis a GE-prediction equation was derived with milk samples mainly from crossbred ewes. The concentrations of milk constituents were determined by infrared spectrometry (calibrated with cow milk). Fat concentration ranged between 43·8 and 125·0 g/kg, protein concentration between 32·4 and 53·1 g/kg and lactose concentration between 38·9 and 52·9 g/kg. GE (adiabatic bomb calorimetry) of the samples under consideration ranged between 3500 to 6800 kj/kg.

The following equation, including fat (f), protein (p) and lactose (I), is recommended and predicts GE as kj/kg fresh milk using constituents in g/kg fresh milk:

GE = 41·94 × f + 15·85 × p + 21·41 ×l (residual s.d. = 92, adj.R2 = 0·98).

This equation has, in the GE range 4500 kj to 6000 kj, an almost constant confidence interval with an average of ±25 kJ and an almost constant prediction interval, with an average of ±87 kJ. In the period until weaning it would appear justified to use the derived equation regardless of stage of lactation. The equation is valid for milk samples from sheep breeds with relatively high fat and low protein contents and where milk constituents have been determined by cow milk calibrated infrared spectrometry.

Finishing bulls need increasingly large cubicles throughout their growth, and optimal cubicle dimensions may differ from those used for dairy cows. The space requirements of finishing bulls was investigated by observing standing-up and lying-down behaviour, lying duration and number of lying bouts, as well as the cleanliness of cubicles and animals before and after increasing cubicle size at four different points in time. Lying area in the cubicles measured 120 × 70 cm at the start and 185 × 110 cm at the end of the finishing period (approx. at 160 and 550 kg, respectively). Twenty animals kept in four groups were observed at weights of approximately 220, 330, 380 and 500 kg before and after cubicle dimensions were increased. The proportion of standing-up events with more than one head lunge decreased with enlargement of the cubicles (P = 0·01). As cubicle size increased, bulls hit the partition rails less on standing up, except at 220 kg weight where the pattern was inverted (interaction: P = 0·001). Partitions were also hit less on lying down as cubicle size increased, except at 220 kg weight with an inverse pattern (interaction: P = 0·01). The number of exploratory head sweeps before lying down did not change with cubicle enlargement (P > 0·5). Bulls slipped more often with cubicle enlargement, except at 380 kg where the difference was inverted (interaction: P = 0·03). They never fell and never turned around in the cubicles. In general, both animals and cubicles were very clean. On average, lying duration decreased (P < 0·01) while the number of lying bouts tended to increase (P = 0·052) with enlargement of the cubicles but the absolute differences were small. Consequently at each point in time, the smaller cubicles still seemed to provide sufficient lying space for the bulls. If the impacts with the partitions were minor and did not represent a serious welfare concern, as suggested by qualitative observations, the cubicle dimensions used could be considered suitable for housing the type of finishing bulls used in this study.

Body weights at birth, 90 days, 180 days and 1 year of age were analysed in 620 calves, the offspring of sires of the Friesian, Jersey and Simmental breeds, and of dams of three indigenous zebu breeds, namely Barka, Boran and Horro, at four diverse locations in Ethiopia.

Breed of sire, breed of dam and location all significantly affected weight. Progeny of Friesian and Simmental sires were similar in weight but both were heavier than the progeny of Jersey sires, their weight being, respectively, 25·0,24·9 and 21·2 kg at birth; 88·0, 84·6 and 74·9 kg at 90 days; 151·7, 150·6 and 135·4 kg at weaning at 180 days; and 220·6,224·8 and 193·3 kg at 365 days. Barka crosses were heaviest and Horro lightest. Mean weight for progeny from Barka, Boran and Horro dams was, respectively, 24·0, 24·6 and 22·5 kg at birth; 85·2, 83·8 and 78·5 kg at 90 days; 149·6, 148·0 and 140·1 kg at 180 days; and 233·7, 208·1 and 196/9 kg at 365 days. Dam breed × location interaction was significant except at birth, and sire breed × dam breed and sire breed × location interaction were significant at 90 days of age. In a comparison of Friesian and Simmental, the Friesian sires interacted relatively more favourably with the Barka dams, and the Simmental with the Boran. The Jersey was also relatively better with the Boran crosses, compared with either the Barka or the Horro crosses. By 1 year of age Jersey crosses were at a relative (but insignificant) advantage in body weight at the hottest location.

The objective of this experiment was to establish the effect of low-concentrate (LC) and high-concentrate (HC) supplementation in the early and late periods of lactation on milk production and cow traffic in a pasture-based automatic milking (AM) system. In total, 40 cows (10 primiparous and 30 multiparous) were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. The experimental periods for the early and late lactation trials extended from 23 February to 12 April 2015 and 31 August to 18 October 2015, respectively (49 days in each trial period). The early lactation supplement levels were 2.3 and 4.4 kg/cow per day for LC and HC, respectively, whereas the late lactation supplement levels were 0.5 and 2.7 kg/cow per day for LC and HC, respectively. Variables measured included milking frequency, milking interval, milking outcome and milking characteristics, milk yield/visit and per day, wait time/visit and per day, return time/visit and the distribution of gate passes. As the herd was seasonal (spring) calving, the experimental periods could not run concurrently and as a result no statistical comparison between the periods was conducted. There was no significant effect of treatment in the early lactation period on any of the milk production, milking characteristics or cow traffic variables. However, treatment did significantly affect the distribution of gate passes, with the HC cows recording significantly more gate passes in the hours preceding the gate time change such as hours 7 (P<0.01), 15 (P<0.05), 20, 21 (P<0.001), and 22 (P<0.05), whereas the LC treatment recorded significantly more gate passes in the hours succeeding the gate time change, such as time points 2 (P<0.01) and 10 (P<0.05). There was a significant effect of treatment in late lactation, with HC having a greater milk yield (P<0.01), milking duration and activity/day (P<0.05), while also having a significantly shorter milking interval (P<0.05) and return time/visit (P<0.01). The distribution of gate passes were similar to the early lactation period, with HC also recording a significantly greater number of gate passes during the early morning period (P<0.01) when visitations were at their lowest. Any decision regarding the supplementing of dairy cows with concentrates needs to be examined from an economic perspective, to establish if the milk production and cow traffic benefits displayed in late lactation outweigh the cost of the concentrate; thereby ensuring that the decision to supplement is financially prudent.

Records on fat plus protein yield, food intake and food efficiency up to 26 and 38 weeks of lactation, were obtained from dairy cows fed ad libitum in the Edinburgh School of Agriculture's Langhill herd. After discarding the first 2 weeks data, the records were divided into successive 6-week periods. Restricted maximum likelihood analyses were carried out on each period for each trait, fitting an animal model, with repeat lactations as an additional random effect. Univariate analyses were done after approximate canonical transformation of the data. Heritability estimates for 6-week fat plus protein yield, food intake and efficiency, from the 38-week lactation data, ranged from 0·08 (s.e. 0·10) to 0·17 (s.e. 0·12), 0·15 (s.e. 0·09) to 0·49 (s.e. 0·15) and 0·08 (s.e. 0·14) to 0·25 (s.e. 0·11), respectively. Generally, lower heritabilities were obtained for earlier part measures of fat plus protein yield and efficiency and for later part measures of food intake. Genetic correlations between part measures and ‘total’ lactation fat plus protein yield, food intake, and efficiency ranged from 0·82 to 100, 0·85 to 0·98, and 0·60 to 1·00, respectively. Corresponding phenotypic correlations ranged from 0·76 to 0·94, 0·68 to 0·87, and 0·73 to 0·89, respectively. The correlations were lowest for the first 6-week period then gradually increased up to a maximum in the third or fourth periods and declined thereafter. The results indicate that selection on a part measure of food intake or efficiency, taken between 15 to 20 weeks of lactation, will be equally effective in improving intake and efficiency compared with selection on total lactation measures. Other 6-week measures taken between weeks 9 to 14 and 21 to 26 will also give good prediction of total lactation intake and efficiency.

An experiment zoas conducted to assess differing methods of twin pregnancy establishment in Hereford × British Friesian beef cows and heifers. The experiment was 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design in which the factors were (i) source of embryos (in vivo or in vitro produced); (ii) pregnancy status of recipient (inseminated or non-inseminated); (Hi) method of embryo transfer (surgical or cervical); and (iv) uterine location of a native and transferred embryo, or two transferred embryos (both located in the ipsilateral, or one in each of the ipsi and contralateral uterine horns). Pregnancy and twinning rates for 285 animals used for embryo transfer were initially diagnosed at day 56 after induced oestrus by transrectal ultrasonography. Subsequently, calving rate and birth weiglit at calving were recorded.

Pregnancy rates at day 56 after induced oestrus were similar for both surgical and cervical transfers (58·6% v. 55·2%), as was the case for twinning rate (36·2% v. 30·0%). Similarly, there were no differences between these two methods of transfer (50·0% v. 46·9%) and (26·1% v. 17·7%) for calving and twin calving rates respectively. Recipients which had two embryos located in the ipsilateral uterine horn had higher (P < 0·001) pregnancy rates (66·6% v. 47·3%) but similar twinning rates (32·6% v. 33·4%) at day 56 after induced oestrus to recipients which had one embryo located in each horn. A greater (P < 0·05) percentage of recipients with two embryos originally located in the ipsilateral horn calved (56·0% v. 41·0%) but fewer (P > 0·05) produced twins (17·8% v. 25·7%) than was the case for recipients which originally had one embryo located in each horn. In vivo produced embryos resulted in higher (P < 0·001) pregnancy rates (74·4% v. 39·7%) and twinning rates (48·3% v. 18·0%) at day 56, and higher (P < 0·001) calving rates (64·5% v. 32·7%) and twin calving rates (36·3% v. 7·6%) than did in vitro produced embryos. Inseminated (Al + ET) recipients had slightly greater (P>0·05) pregnancy rates (61·6% v. 51·6%) and twinning rates (36·9% v. 28·7%) than non-pregnant recipients which received two embryos. A greater (P<0·05) percentage of inseminated recipients (Al + ET) calved (54·3% v. 42·0%) than was the case for non-pregnant recipients which received two embryos. The percentage producing twins at calving were similar for these two methods of twin pregnancy establishment.

Embryo survival to day 56 after induced oestrus averaged 45·0% and was found to be non-independent of its co-twin. From day 56 to parturition foetal loss averaged 21·0% and foetal survival was found to be independent of the fate of its co-foetus. Twin foetuses located in the same uterine horn were lighter at birth than twin foetuses located in separate uterine horns (33·0 v. 35·2 kg; P < 0·05).

The nutritive value of four silages was compared using eight rumenfistulated wethers. Wilted ryegrass was ensiled without additive (A); with formic acid (13·9 kg/t dry matter) (B); with formic acid (10·3 kg/t dry matter) plus formalin (formaldehyde at 4·8 kg/t dry matter) (C); with formic acid (4·9 kg/t dry matter) plus formalin (formaldehyde at 2·3 kg/t dry matter) plus propionic acid (5·6 kg/t dry matter) (D).

Dry-matter intakes were 13·8, 15·1, 14·3 and 14·3 g/kg live weight for A, B, C and D respectively. Digestibilities of organic matter and dry matter were not affected by the additives. Digestibility of nitrogen and peak ruminal ammonia concentration were significantly (P<0·05) reduced by the addition of formaldehyde.

The effect on rumen fermentation characteristics, of chemically restricting in-silo fermentation, is illustrated. Differences in the rumen volatile fatty acids and in the efficiency of utilization of the energy for growth, fattening and lactation are discussed.

Sinclair swine develop an aggressive form of melanoma, which, in many cases, spontaneously regresses after a complete metastatic phase. We used Affymetrix GeneChip® Porcine Genome Arrays consisting of 24 123 probe sets to compare gene expression in white blood cells (WBCs) and various tissues including the liver, lungs, inguinal lymph nodes and spleen harvested from a Sinclair piglet afflicted by melanoma at birth and exhibiting metastatic lesions at weaning (6 weeks) with those from a full-sibling piglet that showed no incidence of melanoma at birth and weaning. The highest number (3489; ∼14%) of significantly upregulated transcripts (fold change in gene expression ⩾2.0 and t-test P-value ≤0.05) was observed in the liver, while the spleen exhibited the lowest number of upregulated transcripts (528; ∼2%). Among significantly downregulated genes, the highest numbers were observed in the inguinal lymph nodes (3651; ∼15%) and the least in WBCs (730; ∼3%). Differentially expressed transcripts included genes involved in melanoma pathogenesis including SILV, TYR and RAB28. SILV was over-expressed 784-, 430- and 164-fold, while TYR was over-expressed 138-, 81- and 28-fold in the liver, lungs and inguinal lymph nodes, respectively. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed the microarray data of 12 selected differentially expressed sequences. These results suggest that significant changes in gene expression occur during metastasis of malignant melanoma in the Sinclair swine model. In addition, qRT-PCR analysis of the above 12 differentially expressed sequences was carried out on liver samples collected from 22 pigs (12 of which had melanoma during the first 6 weeks of life), and an ANOVA test contrasting absolute RNA expression between pigs with regressing, progressing and without tumors was significant for TYR, TACSTD1, MATP, GPNMB and CYP4A22, with P-values of 0.034, 0.015, 0.007, 0.050 and 0.022, respectively.

A study of variation in milk yield and butterfat has been undertaken, using the test station records of almost 5 000 first-calf cows of three dairy breeds.

The general object of the investigation was to provide a background for a more comprehensive examination of the important productive characteristics of dairy cattle, and of the use of different sire-testing procedures for their improvement; the specific object was to consider the possible causes of large sire components and heritability estimates that have been observed in all analyses of test station production data, and the reasons why the station and field tests of a bull do not always correspond.

Large heritability estimates for milk yield, fat yield and fat percentage were obtained in the Danish Red and Black Pied breeds, but the corresponding estimates in the Jerseys (0·31, 0·48 and 0·58 respectively) were similar in size to the values normally obtained for these traits in field data.

The pre-selection of heifer recruits to the stations, and breed differences in the intensity of selection applied to the productive characteristics, were considered and dismissed as causes of abnormal sire components, in the light of results obtained from field data which indicated that the heritability of milk yield in the Jerseys was not lower than in the other two breeds (0·26, 0·37 and 0·36 in Danish Reds, Black Pied and Jersey).

It was suggested that differences between records made in test stations and records made in farmers' herds may be caused by differences in milking efficiency, by differences in culling practices in the two environments, and by the effects of age, season at calving and contemporaneity. Other investigations have established that these factors may have a large influence on the variance components of the production traits, and all of them would repay further investigation.

A total of 198, 27-day-old weanling gilts (7·7 kg) were used to study the associations between food intake characteristics measured in individual pigs but which were group-housed, and indicators of gut physiology at 5 days after weaning. All piglets were offered ad libitum access to food and water and were housed in pens (11 piglets per pen) equipped with feeding stations in order to determine the time between weaning and the start of the first food intake (latency time; h), and the increase in daily food intake (daily increase; g/kg0·75 per day) for each individual. Forty piglets were selected that either had an early (≤ 2 h) or a late (≥23 h) start of food intake and subsequently either had a relatively fast (≥18 g/kg0·75 per day) or slow (≤ 2 g/kg0·75 per day) increase in daily food intake so that there were four different groups. Five days after weaning, the 40 piglets were killed in order to determine histological (villous height, crypt depth, number of goblet cells) and functional (maltase and sucrase activities) measures in the proximal small intestine (SI), and microbial measures (ammonia and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations) and dry-matter (DM) content in the distal SI, caecum and colon. Thirteen unweaned piglets were killed to serve as the reference group. Villous height/crypt depth ratio (P < 0·05), number (P < 0·01) of goblet cells on the villi and crypts, and sucrase activity (P < 0·001) in the proximal SI of the unweaned piglets were higher than in the weaned piglets. The proportion of branched-chain VFA (bcVFA; P < 0·01), ammonia-nitrogen (P < 0·001) and DM concentrations (P < 0·01) in the contents of the caecum as well as proportions of bcVFA in the contents of the colon of the unweaned piglets were higher than in the weaned piglets. Apart from a tendency towards an interaction (P < 0·1) between latency time and daily increase with regard to villous height/crypt depth ratio and number of goblet cells on the villi of the proximal SI, histology and function of the proximal SI and digesta characteristics of the distal SI, caecum and colon were not affected by latency time. Piglets with a fast increase in food intake tended to have longer villi on the proximal SI (P < 0·1), and had less acid-mucin containing goblet cells (P < 0·05) on these villi than had the piglets with a slow increase. The piglets with a fast increase had a higher DM content in the colon and tended to have a higher total VFA-concentration in the caecum than did their counterparts with a slow increase. The genotype of the piglets affected maltase (P < 0·01) and sucrase (P < 0·05) activities in the proximal SI and tended to affect the villous height/crypt depth ratio (P < 0·06). Genotype also affected total VFA concentrations (P < 0·05) and tended to affect the ammonia nitrogen (P < 0·1) in the colon and caecum, respectively. This study indicates that within the range of practical food intake levels recorded, the physiology and function of the gut is not markedly affected by the time between weaning and the onset of feeding or by the subsequent increase in daily food intake.

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a major factor causing joint problems that affect animal welfare and pork production profitability. Strong bones are also important in the slaughtering process, especially as broken bones can lead to rejections of parts of the carcass. In this study, 326 Finnish Yorkshire and 464 Finnish Landrace test station pigs were examined post mortem for bone strength and osteochondral lesions. The objective was to estimate genetic parameters for OC and bone strength and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with carcass meat percentage. Two formulas were used for lean meat percentage, the first one (Hennessy meat-%) comprising two fat thickness measurements and one muscle depth measurement, and the second one (test station meat-%) also including the weight of lean meat in ham. Finnish Yorkshire had stronger bones than Finnish Landrace on average, but also more OC in the proximal end of the humerus (36%) and the distal end of the femur (51%) than Finnish Landrace (29% and 31% OC in the humerus and femur, respectively). By using the data on both breeds, the OC heritability estimated was 0.05 in the humerus and 0.26 in the femur. The estimated heritability of bone strength was also moderate (0.26). Test station meat-% showed higher heritability (0.40) than meat-% based on the Hennessy formula (0.29). Genetic correlations between meat percentage and the other studied traits were weak and associated with high standard errors. The results show that a mild form of OC is common in both Finnish pig breeds; bone strength and OC in the distal end of the femur are moderately heritable and can be improved through selection; and selection for high meat percentage does not seem to affect bone strength or OC.

A study was made of the effects of different levels of nutrition between 3 and 6 months and between 6 and 12 months of age on subsequent growth to mature size, longevity and lifetime production of Scottish Blackface female sheep on a hill farm. Treatment differences between 3 and 6 months were small and resulted in only a 3 kg live-weight advantage for the animals receiving a high level of feeding. Treatment differences between 6 and 12 months were considerable and resulted in a mean 14 kg advantage for animals receiving a high level of feeding. Those animals remained significantly heavier until 42 months of age and significantly larger, as depicted by skeletal measurements, until 54 months of age.

A high level of feeding between 3 and 6 months of age had no significant long-term effect on wool growth ewe survival or lifetime lamb production, whereas a high level of feeding between 6 and 12 months of age had a significant positive effect on the mean number of lambs born per ewe over five lamb crops. This effect was not maintained to weaning, due to an apparently greater lamb mortality. Treatment effects on ewe survival and on flock lifetime production, although considerable, were not statistically different.

It is concluded that any advantages of improved feeding during rearing were largely lost through the inadequacy of the adult nutritional environment and only when the latter was not limiting would higher standards of rearing be justified.

Three experiments were conducted in the early grazing seasons of 1982–84 inclusive. Autumn-calved lactating British Friesian cows grazed a perennial ryegrass pasture either by strip grazing to leave 80 mm residual herbage (SG) or by rotationally grazing six paddocks on a fixed pre-determined cycle (PG). They were offered grazing only or grazing and average quality grass silage (S) or a 1: 1 mix of silage and ensiled brewers' grains (SB) given individually overnight in a cubicle house.

In experiment 1, cows received treatments SG or SGS. The intake of silage dry matter (DM) was 4·3 kg/day and the estimated intakes of herbage DM from measured animal performance were 15·2 and 8·9 kg/day respectively. Milk yields were 18·4 and 15·3 kg/day, the concentrations of fat and protein in the milk were 38·0, 41·8 and 33·3, 30·8 g/kg and live-weight change was +679 and +348 g/day for treatments SG and SGS respectively.

For experiment 2, cows received treatments SG, PG or PGS and grazing stocking rates were 5·2, 5·5 and 11·0 cows per ha respectively. Silage intake was 6·1 kg/day DM and the estimated intakes of herbage DM were 14·2, 15·3 and 7·7 kg/day respectively. Milk yields were 18·2, 18·2 and 16·1 kg/day, the concentrations of fat and protein were 41·6, 39·8, 42·3 and 33·3, 33·0, 30·4 g/kg and live-weight change was +325, +540 and +161 g/day for treatments SG, PG and PGS respectively.

For experiment 3, cows received treatments PG, PGS or PGSB and grazing stocking rates were 5·8, 11·6 and 11·6 cows per ha respectively. The intakes of silage and silage plus brewers' grains DM were 6·5 and 8·5 kg/day. The estimated intakes of herbage DM were 14·2, 7·2 and 7·3 kg/day, milk yields were 18·7, 14·6 and 18·9 kg/day, the concentration of fat and protein in the milk were 37·3, 42·1, 40·3 and 33·4, 32·6, 32·9 g/kg and live-weight change was +425, +415 and +441 g/day for treatments PG, PGS and PGSB respectively.

The results show that offering silage overnight allowed grazing stocking rates to be doubled, raised the concentration of fat in the milk and depressed the yields of milk and protein. When brewers' grains were given with the silage, yields of milk fat and protein were greater compared with when silage was offered alone and the yield of fat was greater than for herbage alone.

The effect of supplementing high-quality fresh forage, mainly based on alfalfa, to growing lambs fed with decreasing levels of total mixed ration (TMR) was studied on intake, digestion and ruminal environment. In total, 24 catheterized lambs (25.2±3.67 kg) housed in individual metabolism cages were assigned to one of four treatment diets: ‘TMR100’: TMR offered ad libitum; ‘TMR75’ and ‘TMR50’: TMR at a level of 0.75 and 0.50 of potential intake, respectively, complemented with fresh forage without restriction; ‘TMR0’: only fresh forage ad libitum. The feeding behavior, nutrient intake and digestibility, kinetics of passage and rumen environment were evaluated. As the level of TMR in the diet decreased, lambs increased the forage intake and spent more time eating and ruminating, less time resting and demonstrated a higher rate of intake. Those changes resulted in a higher nutrient intake of dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen, NDF and ADF, but a slightly lower organic matter digestibility, while no differences were detected in the output rate of particles. As a consequence, with the decrease of TMR and increase of forage intake, the ingested energy increased. Higher ruminal pH and NH3–N concentrations were observed for lower levels of TMR in the diet. The total volatile fatty acids, acetate and propionate concentrations presented a quadratic response. Total volatile fatty acids and acetate concentrations were higher and propionate concentration was lower in lambs consuming mixed diets (TMR50 and TMR75). We concluded that the inclusion of high-quality fresh forage in a combined diet with TMR in lambs had positive effects on nutrient intake without negative consequences on digestion and rumen environment.

A total of 156 pigs of the Large White breed were used in a series of four experiments to test the suitability of barley which had been stored with a high moisture content as an ingredient in the diets of growing pigs. Barleys with mean moisture contents of 26·3%, 28·1% and 21·2% and a range from 19·6% to 30·5%, from three successive harvests were used.

In all the trials there was evidence that the use of moist barley in diets for growing pigs had an adverse effect on live-weight gain and feed conversion ratio, the effect being independent of whether feed intakes were equated on the basis of the dry-matter content of the diets. In one of the experiments performance was depressed to the extent of causing changes in carcass characteristics. The performance of pigs given rolled barley was similar to that of others given ground barley.

Two experiments have been carried out to examine the effects of the fermentation quality of grass silage and the inclusion of avoparcin in the diet on the response in the performance of calves to supplementation of silage-based diets with fish meal. The eight treatments used in each experiment consisted of untreated and formic acid-treated (2·5 1/t) silages offered ad libitum and supplemented with either barley (B) or a barley/fish meal (BF) concentrate (200 g fish meal per kg), without or with 150 mg avoparcin per head daily in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. All animals received 1·25 and 1·0 kg concentrates per head daily in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. In each experiment, the diets were offered to 40 castrated male cattle which were initially 126 and 110 kg live weight in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. On average over the two experiments the untreated and formic acid-treated silages contained 24·8 and 24·5 g nitrogen (N) per kg dry matter (DM); 475 and 571 g protein N per kg total N; 76 and 62 g ammonia-N per kg total N and 45-9 and 27·5 g volatile fatty acids per kg DM respectively. Silage DM intakes for the untreated silages supplemented with B and BF and the acid-treated silages supplemented with B and BF without avoparcin and for the untreated silages supplemented with B and BF and the acid-treated silages supplemented with B and BF with avoparcin were 3·0, 3·2, 3·2, 3·0, 2·9, 3·0, 3·0 and 3·2 (s.e. 0·16) kg/day respectively. Live-weight gains for the corresponding treatments were 0·97, 1·12, 0·98, 1·01, 1·00, 1·07, 1·10 and 1·13 (s.e. 0·032) kg/day respectively. It is concluded that the inclusion of fish meal in diets based on well preserved, grass silage and barley did not affect intake and produced a small response (70 g/day) in the live-weight gain of calves. The inclusion of avoparcin in the diet did not significantly affect the response to fish meal.