Evaluation of by-product feedstuffs: acceptability to cattle and farm feeding procedures

L.R. Matthews, R. Kilgour, K.J. Bremner; J. Dawson and M. Eden

Ruakura Animal Research Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hamilton; Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Morrinsville and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hamilton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1985, 45: 121-124

Groups of animals were exposed to 1 of 8 by-product feedstuffs for 15 minutes daily. Each animal's consuming time was scored. Stable intakes occurred after intervals ranging from 2.3 d for whey permeate to 6.4 d for brewer's waste. Sulphuric acid whey and mother liquor were not accepted. Familiarising the animals with the pens and feeding procedures, and reducing social dominance effects resulted in increased consumption.

Mixing a low preference feed in increasing proportions with a highly acceptable feed can result in cows eating previously rejected products. By this means cows were changed from concentrated deproteinised lucerne juice or corn steep liquor (highly acceptable) to mother liquor, brewer's waste or cheese whey (less acceptable) in from 5 to 15 days.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Acceptability; casein whey; mother liquor; cane molasses; brewer's waste; deproteinised lucerne juice; corn steep liquor; cheese whey

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Last Updated 03-05-1997