Voluntary intake of low-protien diets by ruminants: I. Intake of food by cattle

Abstract

1. A study was made of the voluntary intake hay, of low nutritive value, by heifers of two breeds of African cattle when given four different amounts concentrate foods (9, 18, 27 and 36 g/kg W0.73/day) each providing three levels of protein (1·3, 2·6 and 3·9 g DCP kg W0.73/day). The trial was designed two incomplete Latin squares, one for each breed, with thirteen treatments, thirteen heifers and four replicates.2. Voluntary intakes of low-protein hay by Africander and Mashona heifers were similar and these increased as levels of supplementary protein were raised and intakes of hay were reduced amounts of concentrate provided to them became more liberal. Inter-relationships of food intake and dietary composition were, however, very complex.3. Increased allowances of dietary protein and concentrate generally corresponded with higher intakes of total food and digestible energy. But this was not true at the lower levels of protein input where there was evidence that food and digestible nutritient intakes were depressed when liberal amounts of concentrate were fed to the cattle.