A cattle farmer intends to raise 25 calves from 150 kg to 300 kg. The planned growth period is 180 days and the average daily gain (ADG) is assumed to be uniform. The feed offered has a dry‑matter (DM) content of 90 % and provides 2.5 Mcal of metabolizable energy (ME) per kilogram DM. The energy requirement for growth is 0.45 Mcal per kilogram of weight gain.

(a) Calculate the total amount of **fresh‑weight** feed (in kilograms) required for the whole herd over the 180‑day period.
(b) If the farmer wishes to shorten the feeding period by 20 days while still achieving the same final weight, what must be the new ADG (kg day⁻¹) and the corresponding daily fresh‑weight feed amount per calf (kg day⁻¹)?

Question

A cattle farmer intends to raise 25 calves from 150 kg to 300 kg. The planned growth period is 180 days and the average daily gain (ADG) is assumed to be uniform. The feed offered has a dry‑matter (DM) content of 90 % and provides 2.5 Mcal of metabolizable energy (ME) per kilogram DM. The energy requirement for growth is 0.45 Mcal per kilogram of weight gain.

(a) Calculate the total amount of **fresh‑weight** feed (in kilograms) required for the whole herd over the 180‑day period.
(b) If the farmer wishes to shorten the feeding period by 20 days while still achieving the same final weight, what must be the new ADG (kg day⁻¹) and the corresponding daily fresh‑weight feed amount per calf (kg day⁻¹)?

Accepted Answer

a) 750 kg fresh feed; b) ADG ≈ 0.94 kg day⁻¹, feed ≈ 0.188 kg per calf per day

Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 29

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