Performance of beef cattle fed various roughages

Ruminants (animals that chew the cud) are unique in that they have a compound stomach which consists of four distinct compartments– rumen, reticulum, omasum, and the abomasum. Enzymes produced in the digestive tract of animals cannot break down cellulose and pentosans which form the cell walls of plants and make up a large part of all roughages. However, these substances are attacked by bacterial enzymes in the first three compartments of the ruminant stomach and broken down to organic acids which serve as food for the animal.

This bacterial digestion enables cattle to consume a large amount of roughage. They will grow and fatten on good roughage, although at a somewhat reduced rate. Maintenance and even growing rations can consist of cheap roughage. If cheap forage is available it may be more economical in some instances to take more time to mature the animal.

The topography of Tennessee varies from rolling hills to mountainous areas. Under these conditions, permanent pasture and woodland occupy a considerable portion of the total area. The climatic conditions and the type of soil enable livestock men In Tennessee to grow a variety of different roughage crops. The question often arises as to what is the most economical roughage to use for beef cattle production in terms of pounds of gain and feed efficiency. The University of Tennessee Animal Husbandry Department has conducted feeding experiments at the U.T. A. E. C. Farm, Oak Ridge, and the Tobacco Experiment Station, Greeneville, to compare the feeding values of various roughages. The results of these studies will provide the beef cattle producers in Tennessee with a better knowledge of the most economical roughages to feed.