THE USE OF CATTLE WITH OESOPHAGEAL FISTULAE IN GRASSLAND EXPERIMENTS

Oesophageal-fistulated calves and cattle were used in various experiments during 1963 to 1966; results for 1966 are reported.
The method of inserting the fistula, the routine care of the animals and the methods of sampling through the fistula, are described.
Individual stall-feeding experiments in 1966 gave recovery values of 99.7% for herbage extruded through the fistulae, in relation to herbage eaten. The in vitro organic-matter digestibility of the grass offered and of the extrusa samples were identical. The digestibility of the grass fed in these experiments was high, but was comparable with that of herbage used in the grazing experiments reported. Grazing studies on grass/white clover pastures are reported. The digestibility was determined on all samples and they were separated into various plant fractions. Results obtained were compared with herbage samples cut at the same time. In most cases the digestibility and % N of the extrusa sample was higher than that of the corresponding herbage sample. The quantity of dead material present increased, and more was eaten, as the season advanced; it was of low digestibility. Results of intake studies with grazing animals are presented and the use of oesophagea-istulated cattle as an aid in such studies is discussed.     

NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION FROM SEMI-ARID GRASSLANDS IN THE TROPICS*

Herbage of very low quality forms the main diet of ruminants on the semi-arid grasslands in the tropics for several months of the year. The grasses available have a high content of dry matter and crude fibre, a low digestibility and a very low crudeprotein content. Ruminants are unable to eat enough herbage to supply the nutrients required for their body functions and it is this inadequacy which is the major factor limiting animal production from semi-arid grasslands in the tropics.     

BEEF PRODUCTION FROM PASTURE LEYS IN UGANDA*

The potential for producing beef in savanna grassland areas is discussed in relation to the results obtained from grazing trials on sown pastures at Serere Research Station, Uganda. Liveweight gains from small East African Zebu stock are used to illustrate the progress that has been made in the selection of improved pasture species and mixtures grown at various levels of fertilizer application. The utilization of herbage from selected pastures is shown to vary under different grazing management systems, grazing pressure having the greatest effect upon animal production. The need for further investigations and the integration of existing research findings into farming practice is stressed.