Water intake, efficiency and consumption of 30 growing individually fed Blackhead Persian, Dorper and South African Mutton Merino (Mutton Merino) ewe lambs were investigated. Average daily water intakes were 2.2, 4.6 and 5.4 litre for the Blackhead Persian, Dorper and…
The relationships (during summer) between the water solubility of Cymbopogon-Themeda veld grass, Digitaria eriantha (finger grass) and Medicago sativa (lucerne) and their respective contents of crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) were determined in samples which…
In each of three consecutive years (1987/88 to 1989/90), 108 weaner steers (average live mass = 192.5 and standard deviation = 1.9 kg) were divided into three groups of 36 steers and fed to achieve growth rates of 0, 0.3…
Forty-eight yearling steers (average live mass = 192.8 and standard deviation = 3.7 kg) were blocked by mass and breed [Sussex (n = 32) and Simmentaler (n = 16)] and within blocks allocated randomly to one of four treatments (supplementation…
Research on ruminant nutrition in South Africa is reviewed for the decade 1985/1995. The review covers the following topics: feed requirements and forage preferences in relation to carrying capacity, intake measurement and control/prediction, pasture utilization, protein digestion and metabolism, supplementation…
The effect of heat processing on ruminal degradation, intestinal digestibility (UDP-D) and absorbable amino acid (AA) profile of cottonseed oilcake (CSOC) and soybean oilcake (SBOC) was calculated. CSOC and SBOC were roasted in a drum roaster at six temperature settings…
Weights and individual feed intake data of 30 Dorper crossbred ewes and their single-born lambs were collected from conception to weaning. The data were used to calculate actual weaning efficiency of the individual ewe-lamb units [AEFF = lamb weaning weight/DDMI…
Blood samples were withdrawn once weekly from the jugular vein of 10 karakul lambs (ca. 17 kg) for 12 weeks. The lambs were randomly allocated to a treatment and fed either a high-fibre (HF, n = 5) or low-fibre (LF,…
Different protein-energy ratios in feedlot diets may effect several combinations of amounts of amino acids and glucose available for absorption in the small intestine. In this regard, the effect of protein concentration and degradation, and energy content of the diet…
The effects were investigated of energy and protein concentrations (with associated amino acid concentrations) in ostrich diets on leather quality of the skins of 50 ostriches. Energy concentrations were 9.0, 10.5 and 12.0 MJ ME/kg diet and protein concentrations were…
Twenty Dohne merino wethers with an average mass of 52 kg, were used to study the effect of varying the fibre content of the diet on differences in ruminal concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and the partial digestion of…
Small-scale farmers in the rural areas of South Africa do not have milling and mixing facilities at their disposal. A study was conducted to quantify the production as well as the energy and nitrogen metabolism of pigs when fed a…
Grazing trials were established at two sites in the semi-arid savanna (Lowveld) of KwaZulu-Natal. The sites differed initially in rage composition. Llanwarne was dominated by Themeda triandra, Panicum maximum and P. coloratum and Dordrecht by Urochloa mosambicensis, Sporobolus nitens and…
Over a three-year period (1989 to 1991), non-lactating, pregnant Sussex beef cows were subjected to either strip or continuous grazing of maize-crop residues over the winter feeding period. Stocking rate was based on providing each cow with 10 kg dry…
Ten Dohne merino wethers with an average mass of 50 kg were used to study differencesin the use of energy by the splanchnic tissues and their metabolism of VFA, glucose and FFA when fed high- or low-fibre diets. Dietary carbohydrate…
The effect of migration on inbreeding is modelled for small populations with immigrants from a large unrelated population. Different migration rates and numbers for the two sexes are assumed, and a general recursion equation for inbreeding progress derived, which can…
Data, consisting of 4235 lamb records, obtained from the Foundation Afrino Sheep Stud at the Carnarvon Experimental Station, were used to investigate factors influencing birth weight, weaning weight, monthly body weight from five to 12 months, body weight at 18…
Nitrogen (N) retention and wool growth rate (WGR) responses to various amino acids and derivatives as well as protein sources were determined with six ruminally and six abomasally fistulated Merino wethers in two balanced cross-over design experiments. The six treatments…
