Feed intake and growth in New Zealand feedlots
K.F. Thompson and M.A. Monteath
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dunedin
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Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1974, 34: 206-214
Animal performance, feed intake and feed quality data are
reviewed from five commercial and four research sources giving twenty-
two situations of beef feedlotting in New Zealand. Mean liveweights of
beasts ranged from 125 kg to 455 kg with average daily liveweight gains
varying up to 1.5 kg/head. The highest growth rates were recorded on
commercial feedlots. Average daily intakes (kg dry matter as a
percentage of liveweight) ranged from 1.6% to 2.8% and ration
concentration from 8.2 to 12.6 MJ ME/kg DM.
In general, higher growth rates were recorded where daily intake and
ration concentrations were high, and this was associated with higher
portions of grain in the diet.
The measured intakes were compared with ARC feed tables and reasonable
agreement was observed.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Last Updated 24-08-2000
