Five grass species (Dactylis glomerata L., Phleum pratense L., Lolium perenne L., Festuca arundinacea L. and the hybrid Felina (Lolium multiflorum L. × Festuca arundinacea L.)), commonly used in roughages for ruminants, were harvested at different maturities of primary growth (n = 60) and evaluated for contents of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ash, crude fat, neutral detergent fibre (NDF...

This study investigated the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AfM1) in dairy cows' milk, given predefined scenarios for milk production, compound feed (CF) contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AfB1), and inclusion rates of ingredients, using Monte Carlo simulation modelling. The model simulated a typical dairy farm in the Netherlands. Six different scenarios were considered, based on two lactation and thre...

Twenty lactating Ossimi ewes were randomly distributed according to weight and their average milk yield into 4 groups, (5 each). One group fed berseem hay (BH) (Triforum alxanderinum); the second fed, quinoa (QH);  third corn silage(CS), while fourth was  fed silage (QS). All groups offered similar amounts of barley grains (500 g/h/d) as concentrate feed, or ad lib. Results showed that characte...

The soluble, total-bound and ®bre-bound condensed tannins (CT) in Cassia rotundifolia (cassia), Lablab purpureus (lablab) and Macroptilium atropurpureum (siratro) grown in tropical and subtropical regions were determined by the butanol±HCl method. Cassia had the highest total CT content of 29.5 g/kg DM than that of lablab, 16.9 g/kg DM which was intermediate while that of siratro, 12.4 g/kg DM,...

In a national survey of US dairy operations, 1685 dairy operations reported 47,057 new dairy heifers (either births or acquisitions) and 4427 deaths (9.4%) of preweaned dairy heifer calves over a 3 month period. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify management practices associated with high mortality among preweaned heifers in dairy operations where at least three dairy heifer calve...

Six ruminally cannulated steers were used to evaluate the influence of dietary concentrate level on digestion of fiber, rumen pH and fill, and liquid and particulate passage rates. Total tract digestibility of potentially digestible fiber, but not total fiber, was decreased with each increase in concentrate level. Digestion coefficients suggest that potentially digestible fiber is a more approp...

Improving digestibility of roughage cell walls will improve ruminant animal performance and reduce loss of nutrients to the environment. The main digestibility impediment for dicotyledonous plants is highly lignified secondary cell walls, notably in stem secondary xylem, which become almost non-digestible. Digestibility of grasses is slowed severely by lignification of most tissues, but these c...