Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T06:30:03.105Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of dietary phosphorus inadequacy during pregnancy and lactation on the voluntary intake and digestibility of oat straw by beef cows and the performance of their calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. Fishwick ,
J. Fraser ,
R. G. Hemingway ,
J. J. Parkins  and
N. S. Ritchie
G. Fishwick
Affiliation:
Glasgow University Veterinary School, Bearsden, Glasgow
J. Fraser
Affiliation:
Glasgow University Veterinary School, Bearsden, Glasgow
R. G. Hemingway
Affiliation:
Glasgow University Veterinary School, Bearsden, Glasgow
J. J. Parkins
Affiliation:
Glasgow University Veterinary School, Bearsden, Glasgow
N. S. Ritchie
Affiliation:
Glasgow University Veterinary School, Bearsden, Glasgow
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Two groups of nine in-calf beef cows were given daily for the last 16 weeks of pregnancy and the first 6 weeks of lactation 1·35 increasing to 3·15 kg molassed sugarbeet pulp dry matter containing added urea together with oat straw ad libitum. Additionally, one group of cows received supplementary dicalcium phosphate which increased their total phosphorus intake from about 12 to 28 g P/day.

In the absence of phosphorus supplementation, there was a marked and significant reduction in the concentration of phosphorus in the blood, and by the 4th week of lactation this was reflected in a decrease in radiographic density of the tail bones but not in a depletion of rib bone ash.

During pregnancy a severely reduced phosphorus intake did not reduce either calf birth weight or the digestibility and voluntary intake of straw. An inadequate phosphorus intake during lactation resulted in a significant decline in voluntary straw consumption and digestibility. There was an accompanying decrease in metabolizable energy intake from about 78 to 55 MJ/day, an increased weight loss in the cows and a depression in their milk yield such as to significantly reduce calf live-weight gain.

The long period of phosphorus inadequacy did not affect the subsequent satisfactory reproductive performance of the cows when both groups were transferred to grass and mated with a bull.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 88 , Issue 1 , February 1977 , pp. 143 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural Research Council (1965). The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2. Ruminants. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Benzie, D., Boyne, A. W., Daloarno, A. C., Duckworth, J. & Hill, R. (1959). Studies of the skeleton of the sheep. III. The relationship between phosphorus intake and resorption and repair of the skeleton in pregnancy and lactation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 52, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campling, R. C. & Murdoch, J. C. (1966). The effect of concentrates on the voluntary intake of roughages by cows. Journal of Dairy Research 33, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cavell, A. J. (1955). The colorimetric determination of phosphorus in plant materials. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 6, 479–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commonwealth Bureau or Pastures and Field Crops (1961). Bulletin No. 45. Research techniques in use at the Grassland Research Institute, Hurley.Google Scholar
Fishwick, G. & Hemingway, R. G. (1973 a). Urea phosphate and mono-ammonium phosphate as dietary supplements for sheep fed diets inadequate in phosphorus and nitrogen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81, 139–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fishwick, G. & Hemingway, R. G. (1973 b). Magnesium phosphates as dietary supplement for growing sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81, 441–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fishwiok, G., Fraser, J., Hemingway, R. G., Parkins, J. J. & Ritchie, N. S. (1974). The voluntary intake and digestibility of oat straw by pregnant beef cows as influenced by urea and phosphorus supplementation contained in molassed sugar-beet pulp. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 427–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fiske, C. H. & Subbarow, Y. (1925). The colorimetric determination of phosphorus. Journal of Biological Chemistry 66, 375–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forbes, J. M. (1970). The voluntary food intake of pregnant and lactating ruminants: a review. British Veterinary Journal 126, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Little, D. A. (1968). Effect of dietary phosphate on the voluntary consumption of Townsville Lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis) by cattle. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 7, 376–80.Google Scholar
Little, D. A. (1972). Bone biopsy in cattle and sheep for studies of phosphorus status. Australian Veterinary Journal 48, 668–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lowman, B. G., Scott, N. & Somerville, S. (1973). Condition scoring of cattle. Bulletin No. 6. East of Scotland College of Agriculture, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Agriculture for Scotland, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (1975). Bulletin No. 33. Energy Allowances and Feeding Systems for Ruminants. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Stevenson, A. E. & De Langen, H. (1960). Measurement of feed intake by grazing cattle and sheep. 7. Modified wet digestion method for determination of chromic oxide in faeces. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 3, 314–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Werner, W., Rey, H. G. & Wielinger, H. (1970). Properties of a new chromagen for the determination of glucose in blood by the GOD-POD method. Zeitschrift für analytische Chemie 252, 224–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar