In Search Of The Ideal Feed

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29744, 10 February 1962, Page 7

In Search Of The Ideal Feed

EVEN after the correction of the mineral deficiency situation and parasitism, the rate of gain might be unsatisfactory if the feed supply was limited or if feed quality was low, said Mr Hill The ideal feed for young stock was one which stimulated maximum appetite and yet which produced minimum residue.

Indoor feeding trials had been conducted for the purpose of measuring these factors in a wide range of feeds. Feed quality measured in this way had been found to vary quite considerably but the difference between the best and the poorest would not account for the difference between lamb growth rates of minus lalb to plus lib per day. This brought this discussion back to the remarks made at the beginning of this series concerning the absolutely perfect conditions necessary for maximum growth rates. Groups of lambs growing at very high growth rates did not respond to either mineral treatments or worm drenches and their diet was thus appetite promoting, highly nutritious and uncontaminated by parasites. Because of the degree of feed selection the grass mower was grossly incapable of collecting mixtures which constituted animal diet, hence the ideal feed had never been handled indoors. Thus the major problem remaining was one of sampling such feed, isolating the factors responsible for its appetite and growth promoting properties, and adopting pasture management practices necessary for the production of such herbage.

North Island workers had found high fibre diets not only to be high residue feed

but also permitting only low levels of intake.

Herbage fibre content increased with the advance of maturity and perennial ryegrass remained at high levels throughout its post flowering dormancy phase. This was an interesting development for fibrosity was a common feature in summer pasture, and when it was remembered that mineral concentrations were also usually at their lowest point and feed supply was always low at this time, it would be seen that three potent factors might be operating together to lower growth rates during the summer months.