Less intensified grazing management with growing fattening bulls

in Animal Research (2006), 55(2, MAR-APR), 105-120

Animal performance, composition and quality of meat from Belgian Blue bulls either fattened indoors (FI) or finished indoors after a previous grazing period were studied during six years. During the ... [more ▼]

Animal performance, composition and quality of meat from Belgian Blue bulls either fattened indoors (FI) or finished indoors after a previous grazing period were studied during six years. During the grazing period, three intensification managements were tested on a permanent pasture conducted as set stocking. The intensification levels were either high (HN:140 kg N(.)ha(-1) with 6 bulls(.)ha(-1)) or moderate with a 33% reduction of nitrogen fertilisation but with the same stocking rate (MN:93 kg N(.)ha(-1), 6 bulls(.)ha(-1)) or low with no nitrogen fertiliser but with a reduced stocking rate (ON, 4 bulls(.)ha(-1)). The levels of intensification did not affect sward characteristics and chemical composition of the grass. The apparent nitrogen efficiency per ha was larger in the ON plot than in the HN and MN plots ( 26 vs. 14%). The average daily gain of bulls during the grazing season was similar in the three groups at 1.0 kg(.)d(-1). The bulls from the FI group were characterised by average daily gains significantly higher than the bulls which were previously grazed and then finished indoors (1.5 vs. 1.2 kg(.)d(-1); P < 0.01). The slaughter weight, the carcass composition, the dressing percentage and most of the meat quality parameters were similar between the treatment groups. The inclusion of a grazing period in the fattening system produced a meat which was darker (lower L*, P < 0.01), more red (higher a*, P < 0.05) and had a higher content of linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) than that of the animals fattened indoors. [less ▲]

Emissions of ammonia, nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor in the raising of weaned pigs on straw-based and sawdust-based deep litters

in Animal Research (2003), 52(3, MAY-JUN), 299-308

Five successive batches of 40 weaned pigs were raised on deep litter of sawdust or straw without changing the litter in between batches. The quantity of litter dry matter utilized in the two cases was 5 ... [more ▼]

Five successive batches of 40 weaned pigs were raised on deep litter of sawdust or straw without changing the litter in between batches. The quantity of litter dry matter utilized in the two cases was 5 kg per pig. The concentrations of gases were measured 8 times, at about one-month intervals, for 6 consecutive days and the ventilation flow was recorded continuously. Pig raising on saw-dust-based litter differed from that with straw by an emission of 2.6 times less ammonia (0.46 vs. 1.21 g per pig per day), 2.1 times less methane (0.77 vs. 1.58 g per pig per day), 3.9 times more N2O (1.39 vs. 0.36 g per pig per day), 4% more CO2 (481 vs. 463 g per pig per day) and 21% more H2O (1126 vs. 933 g per pig per day). All differences were significant. About 58% of the nitrogen excreted by the pigs was recovered in the gas form and for the two litters, about 79% in the form of N-2. [less ▲]