MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS 75 ISSN 0253-6749 VOLUNTARY INTAKE OF CRUDE OLIVE CAKE SILAGE BY GROWING EWELAMBS, GOATKIDS AND FRIESIAN HEIFERS M. Hadjipanayiotou AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT NICOSIA CYPRUS DECEMBER 1999
Editor - in Chief Dr A.P. Mavrogenis, Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus. All responsibility for the information in this publication remains with the author(s). The use of trade names does not imply endorsement of or discrimination against any product by the Agricultural Research Institute. 2
VOLUNTARY INTAKE OF CRUDE OLIVE CAKE SILAGE BY GROWING EWELAMBS, GOATKIDS AND FRIESIAN HEIFERS M. Hadjipanayiotou SUMMARY Eight growing Friesian heifers, 44 Chios ewelambs and 25 Damascus goatkids were used to measure animal species differences in voluntary intake of crude olive cake (OC) silage. Animals within species were group offered 32 and 16 g/kg metabolic live weight (W 0.75 ) of concentrate and barley hay, respectively. In addition, all animals had free access to OC silage. Heifers consumed significantly more (P<0. 01) silage than lambs and kids, but the difference between lambs and kids was not significant (heifers 58, lambs 34, kids 28 g/kg W 0.75 ). The consumption of conventional feedstuffs, offered in restricted quantities, was similar in the three species. Kids required a longer period than lambs and heifers to reach a steady level of intake of olive cake silage. It is concluded that ensiling is a useful tool for extended storage of OC which is of high palatability, and that there are animal species differences in the voluntary intake of OC silage; however, intake of OC silage is higher than levels recommended for keeping oil and fibre content of the total diet at normal recommended values. ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ O ελαιοπλακούντας είναι το υπόλειµµα µετά την εξαγωγή λαδιού µε πίεση ή φυγοκέντρηση. Ο φρέσκος ελαιοπλακούντας αποτελεί µίγµα φλούδας, σάρκας και του σκληρού ενδοκάρπιου της ελιάς. Περιέχει περίπου 50% υγρασία, 10% λάδι, 5% ακατέργαστη πρωτεΐνη και 44% ακατέργαστη κυτταρίνη. Στην παρούσα µελέτη χρησιµοποιήθηκε φρέσκος ελαιοπλακούντας που ενσιρώθηκε χωρίς άλλα πρόσθετα υλικά και παρέµεινε ενσιρωµένος/αποθηκευµένος για περίοδο 4 µηνών. Στην παρούσα εργασία χρησιµοποιήθηκαν 8 µοσχίδες (αρχικό ζωντανό βάρος (ΑΖΒ) 268 χλγ), 44 αρνάδες Χίου (ΑΖΒ 38 χλγ) και 25 ριφάδες αµασκού (ΑΖΒ 34 χλγ). Τα ζώα ήταν ενσταβλισµένα οµαδικά κατά είδος και τους εδίδετο σιρός κατά βούληση και 32 και 16 γρ µίγµατος και κριθαροσανού, αντίστοιχα, ανά χλγ µεταβολικού βάρους (ΖΒ 0.75 ). Οι µοσχίδες κατανάλωσαν σηµαντικά περισσότερο σιρό ελαιοπλακούντα από τις αρνάδες και τις ριφάδες (Μοσχίδες 58, Αρνάδες 34, Ριφάδες 28 γρ ανά χλγ ΖΒ 0.75 ). Παρά το γεγονός ότι δεν υπήρξε στατιστικά σηµαντική διαφορά στην πρόσληψη σιρού µεταξύ αρνάδων και ριφάδων, η πρόσληψη σιρού από τις ριφάδες στην πρώτη, δεύτερη και τρίτη βδοµάδα του πειράµατος ήταν µόνο 29, 23 και 59% της αντίστοιχης πρόσληψης των αρνάδων. Αντίθετα, από την 4η µέχρι και την 7η βδοµάδα του πειράµατος η πρόσληψη σιρού ήταν περίπου η ίδια. Aπό τα αποτελέσµατα αυτής της εργασίας συµπεραίνεται ότι η ενσίρωση είναι αποτελεσµατική µέθοδος διατήρησης του ελαιοπλακούντα ο οποίος είναι και ψηλής προσληψιµότητας, παρά τη διαφορά µεταξύ βοειδών και αιγοπροβάτων. Η χαµηλή πρόσληψη ελαιοπλακούντα από τις ριφάδες στις 3 πρώτες βδοµάδες αποδίδεται στο µεγαλύτερο χρόνο προσαρµογής τους σε νέα τροφή. INTRODUCTION Crude olive cake (OC) is a by-product available in appreciable quantities in most Mediterranean countries (Sansoucy, 1987). The material is not externsively used because of its low nutritive value (Aguilera et al., 1992) and seasonal availability. The by-product is of high moisture (50%) and oil (10%) content, thus being prone to become mouldy and rancid when kept in uncovered heaps. It has been shown that the voluntary intake of such material is reduced with advancing storage/exposure period to the open. To overcome the formely mentioned constraints, the ensiling technique has been used (Kayouli et al., 1993; Hadjipanayiotou, 1994) for extended storage and subsequent use of OC throughout 3
the year. Earlier studies have shown differences in voluntary intake of different OC silages (Hadjipanayiotou and Koumas, 1996) between lambs and kids, especially during the first 1 to 3 weeks of silage incorporation. The present paper reports voluntary intake of OC silage by growing heifers, ewelambs and goatkids. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight Friesian growing heifers (mean age 351±32 days), 44 Chios ewelambs (mean age 183±10 days) and 25 Damascus goatkids (mean age 182±3 days) were used. Animals were offered a fixed allowance of concentrate (32 g/kg metabolic live weight (W 0.75 )) and barley hay (16 g/kg W 0.75 ) plus crude olive cake silage ad libitum. OC was ensiled in a temporary silo above ground as outlined by Hadjipanayiotou (1999). Feedstuffs were group offered from separate feed troughs once daily. The concentrate mixture consisted of (kg/t) 759 barley grain, 170 soybean meal, 50 wheat bran, 5 dicalcium phosphate, 10 limestone, 4 salt and 2 vitamin-trace element mixture. The vitamin-trace mixture supplied 8000 IU vitamin A, 1000 I.U vitamin D 3, 8.5 IU vitamin E, 25 mg Mn, 1.75 mg Zn, 30 mg Fe, 2 mg Co, 8 mg Cu (heifers only) and 60 mg Mg per kg of concentrate mixture. Table 1. Feed composition (g/kg DM) Animals had free access to water, and they were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the 49-day trial. Residues of crude olive cake silage were recorded daily. Samples of feed offered and refused were bulked and analyzed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent (NDF) and acid detergent (ADF) fibre and Lignin (AOAC, 1975). Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. Mean group intake of silage every 7 days was used as an individual observation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The composition of silage and of other feedstuffs used are shown in Table 1. In line with previous studies (Hadjipanayiotou, 1994a, b; 1996) silage had a pleasant aroma and ph below 5. In accordance with previous studies (Kayouli et al., 1993; Hadjipanayiotou, 1994b; Hadjipanayiotou and Koumas, 1996), the inclusion of OC silage in rations of growing cattle, sheep and goats caused no disease problems. Species differences were significant (P<0. 01) for voluntary intake of OC silage (Table 2). Consumption of silage was higher (P<0. 01) in heifers than in lambs and kids. At vari- 4 Composition Item DM CP Ash EE NDF ADF Lignin ph Concentrate 895 173 43 20 ND ND ND ND Barley hay 909 104 85 19 530 300 26 ND Silage 492 50 22 105 715 502 230 4.62 ND not determined. Table 2. Voluntary intake (g DM/kg W 0.75 ) of crude olive cake silage, and liveweight changes of Friesian heifers, Chios ewelambs and Damascus goatkids Heifers Lambs Kids SD Initial weight (kg) 268.4 37.9 33.7 9.7* Final weight (kg) 277.4 39.8 35.3 8.9* Weight gain (g/day) 183 40 50 46.0* Intake (g DM/kg W 0.75 ) Concentrate 27 28 29 0.00 Barley hay 14 14 14 0.00 Silage 58 a 34 b 28 b 8.4* Means in the same line with different superscripts differ significantly (p<0.01).
Silage intake (g/kg W 0.75 ) We e k o n t e s t ance with an earlier study (Hadjipanayiotou and Koumas, 1996), differences between lambs and kids were not significant. However, voluntary silage intake during the first three weeks of its incorporation was lower in kids than in lambs (Fig. 1). The latter supports the assumption that goatkids require a longer adaptation period than ewelambs to a new feed. OC silage comprised a considerable part of the total diet fed to heifers (59.6%), ewelambs (44.7%) and goatkids (39.4%). This high level of OC silage incorporation, which had led to high oil and fibre/lignin content in the total diet, might be responsible for the poor animal performance, and the low estimated energy value for silage (heifers 2.73, ewelambs 2.58, goatkids 4.26 MJ ME/kg DM); the latter values are lower than those obtained in earlier studies, where lower levels of OC were included (Hadjipanayiotou and Koumas, 1996). It is concluded that ensiling is a useful tool for extended storage of OC, which is of high palatability, and that there are species differences in the voluntary intake of OC silage; however, intake of OC silage is higher than levels recommended for keeping oil and fibre content of the total diet at normal recommended values. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is grateful to L. Hadjiparaskevas, G. Kyprianou, G. Hadjigavriel, A. Photiou, Mary Karavia, Maria Theodoridou, and the staff of the Central Chemistry Laboratory for skilled technical assistance. REFERENCES Aguilera, J.F., M.A. Garcia, and E. Molina. 1992. The performance of ewes offered concentrates containing olive by-products in late pregnancy and lactation. Animal Production 55:219-226. AOAC. 1975. Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 12th edition. AOAC, Washington, D.C. Hadjipanayiotou, M. 1994a. Laboratory evaluation of ensiled olive cake, tomato pulp and poultry litter. Livestock Production for Rural Development 6, 9p. Hadjipanayiotou, M. 1994b. Voluntary intake and performance of ruminant animals offered poultry litter-olive cake silage. Livestock Production for Rural Development, 6, 9p. 5
Hadjipanayiotou, M. 1999. The ensiling technique: A simple, safe, and low cost on farm tool for storing and feeding crude olive cake. Olivae 76 (April 1999):31-34. Hadjipanayiotou, M., and A. Koumas. 1996. Performance of sheep and goats on olive cake silages. Technical Bulletin 176. Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia. 10p. Kayouli, C., D.I. Demeyer, and M. Acacha. 1993. Evaluation of poultry litter and olive cakes as alternative feed for ruminant production in Tunisia. Proceedings of the International Conference on Increasing Livestock Production through Utilization of Local Resources, pp 420-440, (Guo Tingshuang, ed). Beijing, China, 18-22 October, 1993. Sansoucy, R. 1987. Olive by-products for animal feed. Review. FAO Animal Production and Health paper 43. FAO, Rome. 6
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