Drought feeding studies with cattle and sheep. 1. The use of native grass hay (bush hay) as the basal component of a drought fodder for cattle

Abstract

In two experiments, four groups of six beef-type maiden heifers 15-24 months old were group-fed in bare yards a basal diet of long-chaffed bush hay ad lib. with and without supplements. In one experiment, heifers fed bush hay and a mineral lick ad lib. lost an average of 20 lb. body weight over 26 weeks. Over the same period heifers fed bush hay and a mineral lick with 1.3 lb. or 3.0 lb. lucerne chaff per head per day gained an average of 21 lb. and 83 lb. respectively. Heifers receiving a supplement of 0.41 lb. meatmeal instead of lucerne chaff showed an average weight increase of 39 lb. In a second experiment, heifers fed the same bush hay without and with a lick ad lib. lost an average of 40 lb. and 48 lb. body weight respectively over a period of 21 weeks. The addition of 1 lb. crushed grain sorghum per head per day to the basal diet with lick ad lib. decreased the weight loss to an average of 14 lb. per head, while the further addition of 2 oz. urea and 0.14 oz. sodium sulphate per head per day permitted a body weight increase of 60 lb. per head.