Performance of Hereford and Holstein heifers on kikuyu pasture (Pennisetum clandestinum), using n-alkanes for determination of digestibility and dry matter intake.

Abstract

Kikuyu pasture (Pennisetum clandestinum) is potentially the most important source of roughage

used to feed dairy heifers in summer in KwaZulu-Natal. It is commonly believed that on kikuyu

pasture beef breed females grow at a faster rate than those from dairy breeds when no

supplementation is given. Little conclusive evidence is, however, available to support this.

Explanations as to why such differences may exist are also limited.

Eight Hereford and eight Holstein heifers of similar age and maturity stage were used in a trial.

The trial was run over a twenty week period. For the first ten weeks all the animals in the trial

grazed ad libitum kikuyu pasture with no supplementation except for a mineral lick. Over this

(grass only) period the two breed groups formed the two treatments. During the second ten week

period of the trial all of the Holsteins and four of the Herefords were fed a restricted but

equivalent amount (1 .7 kg) of a maize meal based concentrate. The use of a computerized,

mobile feeding system allowed concentrate intake of individual animals to be measured. Animal

height, weight and condition score readings were taken weekly over the grass only and the

concentrate (final seven weeks) periods of the trial. Herbage intake and digestibility were

estimated using n-alkanes as indigestible markers in two experiments conducted during the grass

only and concentrate periods.

The Herefords had a significantly higher ADG than the Holsteins (0.82 vs. 0.04 kg/day; P < 0.01)

over the grass only period. During the concentrate period the rate of mass gain of the Holstein

treatment did not differ significantly (P >0.05) from the Hereford treatment receiving concentrate.

The Herefords receiving concentrate were also not significantly different (P > 0.05) in rate of

mass gain from the Herefords not receiving concentrate. Rate of height gain was not significantly

different (P> 0.05) between treatments over either the concentrate or the grass only periods.

During the grass only period the Holsteins lost condition (0.07 condition score units per week)

whilst the Herefords gained condition at an equivalent rate.

The voluntary intake of concentrates was not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the

Herefords and Holsteins (19.19 vs. 16.40 g/kg/L.W(liveweight) (0.75)).

Regression coefficients

relating level of concentrate intake to rate of mass gain were also not significant (P > 0.05) for

either of the treatments receiving concentrate.

The use of n-alkanes as indigestible markers showed the intake of the Holstein treatment to have

an intake 55% (P < 0.0 1) higher than the Herefords (185.4 vs. 120.5 g/kg L.W(0.75))

over the first

experiment where both treatments were grazing ad lib. kikuyu alone (grass only period). During

the concentrate period intake of the Herefords receiving concentrate exceeded that of the

Holsteins (P < 0.01) by 23% (139.1 vs. 113.1 g/kg L.W(0.75)).

Review of the literature, suggests

that the double alkanes technique greatly over-estimated intake. Errors in herbage sampling

(accentuated by pasture rotation in the first experiment), a low daily dose of the synthetic alkane

(C(32)) and incorrect estimation of the C(32) content in the daily doses are identified as possible causes

of the over-estimation of intake.

Faecal recoveries of the herbage n-alkanes were demonstrated to increase with increasing chain

length and hence C(35) was proposed as the most reliable herbage alkane for dry matter digestibility

determination. Digestibility differences between treatments estimated using the C(35) alkane were

not significantly different (P > 0.05) in either the first or second experiments. The mean

digestibility estimates (using the C(35) alkane) for the first and second experiments were 64.9 and

56.61 %, respectively.

In conclusion, higher growth rates of Herefords on kikuyu pasture would seem to be primarily

due to differences in the dry matter intake of the grazed herbage. Further work using other breeds

of dairy and beef animals is required. The underlying cause of differences in dry matter intake

between breeds also requires investigation.