ALBERT

Description: A comparison is made of the herbage production and animal output, as measured by live-weight gain, of temporary pastures sown to ultra-simple seeds mixtures with those sown to a more complex generalpurpose mixture.Herbage production was somewhat higher in the simple-mixture series on account of the inclusion of a lucerne-meadow fescue mixture. In total seasonal output, as reflected by live-weight gain of fattening stock, only small differences occurred.It is suggested that the value of simple mixtures lies in their ability to provide seasonality of grazing and a more even output of animal products throughout the season. This is not always possible when, using general-purpose competitive mixtures.

Description: 1. The extraction of leaf protein from autumn-grown perennial ryegrass is described.2. The composition, chemical analysis and rate of feeding of two mashes compared in the experiment are given. The same basal cereal mixture was used in each ration, with fish meal added to one and leaf protein and minerals to the other.3. Two groups of three birds were kept on each ration. Nine-month-old Brown Leghorn × Light Sussex pullets, in full lay, were used.4. The birds were given a 6 weeks' preliminary period on a uniform ration to accustom them to the experimental conditions and to ascertain their potential egg production.5. In a 10-week feeding trial no difference occurred in the number of eggs or the total weight of eggs laid by the birds fed on either ration.6. A small loss of body weight occurred in the birds in both treatments.7. Egg-quality determinations indicated that the specific gravity of the eggs was not affected by the differential feeding. Yolk height was greater in eggs from birds fed on the ration containing fish meal. This ration also resulted in a higher number of eggs with rough shells and containing a higher content of foreign bodies.8. The eggs from both treatments had low ‘Yolk-colour indices’, showing that the leaf xanthophylls were not present in quantities in the leaf-protein extract.

Description: 1. A digestibility trial is described using sheep fed on the product remaining after herbage leaf-protein extraction.2. The material gave an analysis of 25.7% dry matter, 16.2% crude protein, 0.26% phosphorus, 1.26% potassium and 1.13% calcium.3. The animals showed no loss in body weight during the feeding period.4. The material was of low palatability, and the sheep consumed a maximum of 2½ lb. of dry matter per head daily.5. The average digestibility coefficient of the dry matter was 52.1% and that of the crude protein 67.6%.6. Nitrogen balance determinations indicated a sufficiency of protein in the feed.7. The material barely supplied sufficient potassium and was inadequate in its supply of phosphorus and calcium.

Description: The investigations that have been in progress at the Grassland Research Station, Stratford-on-Avon, on the management of grassland for the production of winter pasturage are discussed as four experiments, E 62, E117, E 86 and E158.Exp. E 62 was concerned solely with herbage production, while the remaining three have taken into account the performance of the beef animal under such pasture treatment.The maintenance of condition in the animal has proved possible over a number of winter seasons from 1948 to 1953, sufficiently so to warrant investigation of the means of providing as abundant pasturage as possible at this time of year from latesummer and autumn rested swards. The importance of integrating a system of winter utilization with summer production has become evident in the course of the work, and the necessity of upkeeping sward condition, more especially the grass-legume balance, has been realized. The use of alternate drills of grass and lucerne shows considerable promise in this respect. Intensive utilization and production has taken place from such seedings at all seasons without serious sward deterioration.The development of a grazing system for outwintering cattle destined to be fattened on summer pastures would provide a means whereby such cattle would be fed with as little attention and labour demand as is consistent with good stock management. With the need for cheapening of costs in beef production methods in Britain attention might well be paid to the methods outlined in the light of the experimental data presented.

Description: The investigations carried out refer to the relative degree of accuracy obtained when weighing grazing bullocks at different times during the day. An endeavour was made to find a time when animals could be weighed with the minimum of disturbance in their grazing habits and when the weights recorded had the minimum day-to-day variation.It is suggested that weights recorded early in the day when the animals are generally of a constant habit have day-to -day variations comparable to those obtained after overnight fasting.Alternatively, it is suggested that cattle at grass should be weighed after fasting overnight. In this case the fast should follow ‘the-end-of-evening’ grazing and water should be provided in the fasting yard.

Description: 1. Two live-weight gain experiments using dayold chicks are described. A mash containing a basic ration with leaf protein was compared with a control mash containing the basic ration plus fish meal.2. Details of the source of the leaf protein, its extraction and chemical analysis are given.3. The composition and analyses of the mashes are recorded, together with their rate of feeding.4. The live-weight gains at fortnightly intervals are discussed and the results adjusted for sex of chicks, weight at day-old and level of protein in the mash.5. In the first experiment some of the pullets from each treatment were fed on a commercial growers' ration from 6 weeks old to maturity.6. The birds on both treatments in the two experiments were equally healthy. The mortality rates were normal. The leaf-protein chicks had deep yellow pigmentation.7. The results of the experiments are compared. In the first the leaf-protein mash was as valuable as the fish-meal mash; in the second experiment the fish-meal mash proved to be superior.8. A new method of measuring the biological value of the protein of herbage plants is suggested, using extracted protein fed to chicks or rats.9. It is concluded that a mash composed of homegrown cereals plus leaf protein with vitamin supplements, a balance of minerals and additional aminoacid if necessary, would be suitable for rearing chicks.

Description: SUMMARYInvestigations into the non-protein nitrogen composition of grass silages using the 50 cm strong cation-exchange column of Spackman, Stein & Moore (1958) to determine the basic amino acids led to difficulties in the determination of ethanolamine in the presence of high concentrations of ammonia, and of histidine in the presence of δ amino-n-valeric acid. An alternative technique for the ion exchange chromatography and estimation of histidine, lysine, ornithine, ethanolamine, arginine and ammonia on a weak cation-exchange resin has been developed. This method enables small amounts of ethanolamine to be determined in the presence of large amounts of ammonia and values for the ethanolamine content of a number of silage samples are presented. When used in conjunction with the technique of Spackman et al. (1958) the δ-amino-n-valeric acid content of grass silages could also be determined in the presence of histidine.The estimation of amines produced by the microbial decomposition of herbage proteins during ensiling has previously involved their initial separation from the amino acids followed by quantitative partition chromatography. An alternative method for the estimation of these amines by ion-exchange chromatography on a weak cation-exchange resin is described. This method permits the colorimetric determination of β-phenylethylamine, tyramine, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, putrescine, cadaverine and histamine without interference from the amino acids. The efficiency of this technique has been investigated using standard solutions of the naturally occurring amines and samples of good quality and of high pH spoilt silages.

Description: The importance of conducting studies on the behaviour of grazing animals has been stressed by several authors. Stapledon & Jones (1927) indicated the need for such work; while more recently Stapledon (1948, 1949) has made further reference to this need.Adequate reviews of the work conducted prior to 1939 are to be found elsewhere (Castle, Foot & Halley, 1950; Tribe, 1950), and only the more important aspects need be considered here. The main weakness on the part of many of these earlier studies was that they were based on few observation periods, and that few animals were observed during each period. Many workers (Cory, 1927; Hodgson, 1933; Sheppard, 1921) carried out their observations during the daytime only, on the assumption that little or no grazing occurred after dark. In spite of this and the fact that the methods of study adopted varied considerably, some correlation exists between the results reported by the different workers.

Description: An attempt has been made to evaluate the role of seven ‘ultra-simple’ seeds mixtures in the production of pasture during the grazing season. The individual value of each mixture is assessed and its period of production described.Pasture output was measured in dry matter and protein yields along with live-weight gains obtained with fattening cattle.