White lupin lupinus albus and australian lupin l. angustifolius grain fed whole or ground for finishing steers

Abstract

During 126 days on the autum-winter season of 1994, twenty eight penned Hereford steers of 9-10 months of age and 208 kg liveweight were utilized in order to compare L. albus (white lupin) and L. angustifolius (australian lupin) grain as a finishing suplementary feed . Treatments studied were T1 : ground white lupin; T2 : whole white lupin; T3 : ground australian lupin and T4 : whole australian lupin. Both types of grain had alkaloids concentrations lower than 0,05%. The concentrates of each treatment contained also ground barley and minerals. Maize silage as conserved forage, was fed ad libitum. All treatments were isoproteic.
Individual animal liveweight were recorded every 14 days. Animal intake was detemimed individually and the results were statistically analyzed under a completely random design with 7 replications in a factorial structure with two lupins species and two fonns of grain presentation.
Lupin grain presentation (ground vs whole) did not present significant differences (P³0,05) on daily liveweight gain (1,004a vs 0,988a kg/an), daily intake (5,99 a vs 5,98a kg/an) and the feed conversion efficiency (5,99a vs 6,05a dry matter consumed per kg liveweight gain). The use of the two species of lupins produced differences that were statistically significant (P £ 0,05) on daily liveweight gain (0,941b and 1,052a kg/an) and daily intake (5,74b and 6,23a kg/an) . No differences were found on feed conversion efficiency (6,11a and 5,95a) (P³0,05). The interaction between feed presentation of the grain in the concentrate and lupin species was not significant (P³0,05).
It was concluded that grain processing in lupin does not implie a productive advantage and that animals fed with australian lupin grain present higher dry matter intake and higher daily liveweight gains.