Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

The use of foggage as winter feed for animal maintenance is unlikely to totally replace hay and/or silage, but should be used as an alternative for the early winter. The most important objective in producing foggage is to feed animals to at least maintain body weight through the winter season. As foggage is generally not a high quality feed, it usually can not be used for producing animals without supplementation. Using foggage can also mininise expensive inputs, such as labour and machinery. This is the single most outstanding advantage of using pasture foggage over hay, haylage, crop residues or silage. Although pastures also have establishment and fertilizer costs, these are less than costs associated with intensive annual crops. Many pastures are also perennial, which means less establishment costs. This emphasises the importance for less intensive farming systems. Depending on what the objectives of the farmer are, he can manage foggage to produce a high yield with a lower quality or vice versa. Thus it is critical to maintain a balance between yield and quality. Foggage quality was inversely related to the growing season after the pasture was closed-up and thus the quality will be lower with earlier closing-up time. Fertilisation, especially with nitrogen, will increase the nutritive value of the product (6% - 12%CP). The aim of this study was to determine which pasture provides the best foggage in different scenarios. The conclusion is, therefore, that a farmer must first decide on his management plan and where his foggage will fit in. Then it is recommended to choose the species (or accession) that is best adapted to his specific area of farming. Silk sorghum and Coastcross II had the best yields recorded. Smutsfinger grass was very palatable, had high digestibility and would, therefore, be recommended for quality in the higher rainfall eastern parts of the country. Because of their drought resistance, Molopo and Kleingrass will be recommended for the warmer areas with less rainfall and Molopo especially for small farmers who lack overall grazing management skills or infrastructure. / Dissertation (MSc (Agric) Pasture Science)--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Starter feed particle size (FPS) is typically small (~1200 µm) due to bird beak capacity (BC). Recent research has found that chicks can consume a larger FPS than previously thought; however, preferred FPS and its relationship with BC has not been established. Experiment 1 was conducted to determine the effect of breeder flock age (BFA) and feeding strategy (FS) on 0-14 d performance, BC and FPS preference. These data found that BC was dependent upon BFA and FPS consumed was dependent upon FS. Also, chicks could consume increased FPS without impacting starter performance; thus Experiment 2 was conducted to determine the effects of BFA and Starter FS on carryover performance (0-61 d), BC and processing metrics. Significant BFA differences occurred, though no FS carryover impact occurred for the measured variables. Overall, these data suggest that chicks can consume a FPS of ~2600 µm without negatively affecting starter or carryover performance.

The aim of breeding suckler cows is same as the aim of any other activity- achieving the best results. Aspects like the quality of food, the corresponding energy value and correct feeding in terms of health and production, play an important part in nutrition. The concentration of energy of feed, within the group observed, for suckler had value of 5.4 MJ NEV. Preserved feed without undesirable content of butyric acid was graded as very good accordingly to the class of quality. The biggest cost item is the cost of feed. In a particular company, the price of feed for a cow with a bred calf represents 42% of total costs. The revenues from breeding of cattle are based on incomes from calves sales or fattening of them and their subsequent sale. An important part of an economic efficiency is a good fertility of cows. In a particular farm, the fertility for 2013 was 89% and 90% for 2014.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.