Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

W. A. Pichler and J. J. Frickh:

Investigations about the use of different processed straw for the fattening of young bulls

Summary

In a feeding trial with 36 Simmental calves following questions were checked: Has the pelleting of crushed, sodium hydroxide treated straw with the concentrate an influence to the fattening and the slaughter value in comparison to the separate pelleting, and will the feeling value of crushed native straw raised up when it was treated with sodium hydroxide? The trial adduced following results: There exist with reference to the gain performance among the straw processings no significant differences. The pelleting of treated straw with the concentrate causes an increased food consumption. Once a kg growth there were significant differences in different periodes but not in the total trial period. The metabolizable energy consumption (ME) has clear differences between the groups, both with the daily food consumption as well as with the need per kg gain, although in the different periods were different plain visible from present, Remarkable is, that the compound-feed-group (AF) has the highest need of ME, both the total trial period as well as per kg gain. The native-straw-group (RK.) has in opposite to that the smallest consumtion, which is evident that has been caused by the design of rations. The designing of rations has no dear influence to the slaughter value. Only the meaty portion is influenced by the design of rations. The resume of this trial is that the separate feeding of straw and concentrate in opposite to a compound feed does have little influence into the animal performances. When ground straw and concentrate where feed separate, the treating of the straw with sodium hydroxide did not increase performance in comparison with ground native straw. Evidently the grinding by itself might cause a "braking up effect", this means by the enlargement of the surface of the food and by this a better attack by the rumen organism. Key words:  Young bulls, fattening performance, slaughter value, straw processing.