caa a22 4500 386321051 CHVBK 20180307111627.0 cr unu---uuuuu 161130e198804 xx s 000 0 eng 10.1017/S0003356100042227 doi S0003356100042227 pii (NATIONALLICENCE)cambridge-10.1017/S0003356100042227 An evaluation of prediction equations incorporated in a computer program to ration beef cattle [Elektronische Daten] Equations for the prediction of forage dry-matter intake, metabolizable energy (ME), rumen degradable protein and undegraded protein, based on those in the current Agricultural Research Council system, were incorporated into a computer program designed to be used by livestock advisors for on-farm rationing of beef cattle. The predictions of silage intake and live-weight gain are compared with experimental data. Voluntary intake of grass silage was generally over-estimated by the program by proportionately at least 0·06, with a root mean square error of ±0·18 of the mean observed silage intake for the all-silage rations. The prediction of ME requirement for observed production had an error of +0·15 of average ME intake but the calculations of ME intake were themselves dependent on the predictions of the ME concentrations of the silages and supplements. Similarly the comparison of protein supply with requirement was highly dependent on the value assigned to N-degradability. However, the program can be used to assess how changes in the input values would affect ration formulation. The mathematical basis of the program is described in the Appendix. Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1988 Neal H. D. St C. AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5LR Gill M. AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5LR France J. AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5LR Spedding A. Meat and Livestock Commission, PO Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley MK2 2EF Marsden S. Dalgety Agriculture Ltd, Dalgety House, The Promenade, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3NJ Animal Production Cambridge University Press 46/2(1988-04), 169-179 0003-3561 46:2<169 1988 46 ASC https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100042227 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100042227 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Neal H. D. St C. AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5LR NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Gill M. AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5LR NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- France J. AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5LR NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Spedding A. Meat and Livestock Commission, PO Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley MK2 2EF NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Marsden S. Dalgety Agriculture Ltd, Dalgety House, The Promenade, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3NJ NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Animal Production Cambridge University Press 46/2(1988-04), 169-179 0003-3561 46:2<169 1988 46 ASC CC0 http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0 nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-cambridge