Prediction of herbage intake and liveweight gain of cattle grazing tropical pastures from the composition of the diet

Abstract

As a basis for calculating growth rates of cattle within a model of a beef herd, three experiments were carried out. Their purpose was to (i) develop equations to predict organic matter, digestible organic matter and metabolisable energy intakes of cattle, (ii) establish the conversion of metabolisable energy to live weight of tropical cattle, and (iii) establish the validity of these relationships for predicting the liveweight change of grazing animals. In the first experiment, Brahman × Shorthorn crossbred cattle were held either indoors in pens or in long laneways outdoors where they walked approximately 5 km per day. Organic matter intake was measured in both situations and was found to be not significantly different between the situations. Regression equations were calculated relating intake of organic matter and digestible organic matter by cattle indoors to the chemical composition of their diet. The conversion of digestible organic matter to metabolisable energy intake and finally to liveweight gain was confirmed in a second experiment. The liveweight gain of outdoor animals was predicted accurately provided the metabolism of crossbred animals was considered and an allowance made for the energy required for walking. The diet selected by oesophageally fistulated animals at pasture was chemically analysed over a four-month period following these measurements. Feed intake and liveweight gain of non-fistulated animals grazing native and improved pastures were predicted from the chemical composition of the diet selected. There was good prediction of liveweight gain in both pasture situations.