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Live weight and body conformation responses of culled local yellow cows fed maize silage and urea-treated rice straw in an intensive feedlot system in Northwest Vietnam

Citation

Nguyen, DV and Tran, NBT and Vang, MA and Le, HTT and Nguyen, GTT and Nguyen, QH and Blanchard, M and Bailey, A and Ives, S, Live weight and body conformation responses of culled local yellow cows fed maize silage and urea-treated rice straw in an intensive feedlot system in Northwest Vietnam, Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 9, (8) pp. 1283-1291. ISSN 2309-3331 (2021) [Refereed Article]


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© 2021 Nguyen et al. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

DOI: doi:10.17582/journal.aavs/2021/9.8.1283.1291

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the substitution of maize silage (MS) for urea-treated rice straw (URS) in feedlot diets on finishing performance and body conformation traits of culled local Yellow cows; and to develop prediction equations for live weight (LW) of local Yellow cows using these body measurements. Twelve non-pregnant local Yellow cows (74.8 ± 23.6 months of age) were blocked by weight into 4 groups and then randomly allocated to one of three roughage treatments: 30% fresh maize + 70% URS (DM basis) (Control); 30% fresh maize + 40% URS + 30% MS (LMS); 30% fresh maize + 20% URS + 50% MS (HMS). Cows were individually supplemented with concentrate (1.1 kg DM/100 kg LW) and had free access to mixed roughage and water throughout the 12-week feeding trial, after a 2-week adaptation. Maize silage inclusion significantly increased daily feed intake and average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.05). Moreover, the roughage containing 30% MS recorded the lowest feed conversion rate (7.8) and the highest final body condition score (3.43). However, LW and body measurements were not affected by the substitution (P > 0.05). Positive and significant correlations between LW and body measurements were observed. Regression analysis between chest girth (CG) and LW resulted in an equation with adjusted an R2 value of 82.0%. The multiple regression, which included CG, body length (BL) and withers height (WH) yielded the most reliable equation (adjusted R2 = 87.4%). The results indicate that MS can be a good alternative roughage source for feedlot culled local Yellow cows during winter in Northwest Vietnam. It is highly recommended that smallholder farmers raising non-pregnant Yellow cows use the regression equation: LW = 3.39 CG - 249 for prediction of LW in the absence of weighing scales.

Item Details

Item Type:Refereed Article
Keywords:feed intake, average daily gain, feed conversion rate, chest girth, body condition score
Research Division:Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Research Group:Animal production
Research Field:Animal growth and development
Objective Division:Animal Production and Animal Primary Products
Objective Group:Livestock raising
Objective Field:Beef cattle
UTAS Author:Bailey, A (Mr Andrew Bailey)
UTAS Author:Ives, S (Mr Stephen Ives)
ID Code:147454
Year Published:2021
Deposited By:Office of the University College
Deposited On:2021-11-02
Last Modified:2021-12-21
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