Feeding systems for rainbow trout and other salmonids with reference to current estimates of energy and protein requirements

This study aimed to estimate the protein requirements for the maintenance of growing Saanen goats of different sexes from 5 to 45 kg of body weight (BW) using two methods and applying a meta-analysis. For this purpose, two datasets were used. One dataset was used to evaluate the effects of sex on the protein requirements for maintenance using the comparative slaughter technique. This dataset was composed of 185 individual records (80 intact males, 62 castrated males, and 43 females) from six studies. The other dataset was used to evaluate the effects of sex on the protein requirements for maintenance using the N balance method. This dataset was composed of 136 individual records (59 intact males, 43 castrated males, and 34 females) from six studies. All studies applied an experimental design that provided different levels of N intake and different levels of N retention, allowing the development of regression equations to predict the net protein requirement for maintenance (NPM) and the metabolizable protein (MP) requirements for maintenance (MPM) in Saanen goats. The efficiency of MP use for maintenance (kPM) was computed as NPM/MPM. The efficiency of MP use for gain (kPG) was calculated using the equation of daily protein retained against daily MP intake above maintenance. A meta-analysis was applied using the MIXED procedure of SAS, in which sex was considered a fixed effect, and blocks nested in the studies and goat sex were considered as random effects. The NPM did not differ between sexes, irrespective of the approach used. The daily NPM estimated was 1.23 g/kg0.75 BW when using the comparative slaughter technique, while it was 3.18 g/kg0.75 BW when using the N balance technique for growing Saanen goats. The MPM estimated was 3.8 g/kg0.75 BW, the kPM was 0.33, and the kPG was 0.52. We observed that the NPM when using the comparative slaughter technique in growing Saanen goats is lower than that recommended by the current small ruminant feeding systems; on the other hand, the MPM was similar to previous reports by the feeding systems. Sex did not affect the protein requirements for maintenance and the efficiencies of use of metabolizable protein.

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Influence of Salinity on Protein Requirements of Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) Fingerlings

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f73-298 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 30 (12) ◽

pp. 1867-1873 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

I. H. Zeitoun ◽

J. E. Halver ◽

D. E. Ullrey ◽

P. I. Tack

Keyword(s):

Rainbow Trout ◽

Protein Efficiency Ratio ◽

Salmo Gairdneri ◽

Efficiency Ratio ◽

Protein Requirements ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Major Consequence ◽

Percentage Weight ◽

Net Protein ◽

Representative Samples

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) juveniles maintained at 10 and 20 ppt salinity were fed seven diet treatments from 30 to 60% protein in 5% increments for 10 weeks. The fish were stocked in cones, initially 50 fish per cone. Biweekly weights of diets and fish were determined and mortality was recorded daily. Percentage weight gain, gross diet efficiency, and protein efficiency ratio (P.E.R.) were computed. The minimum protein levels required for fish to achieve highest performance using these criteria were 40 and 45% for those maintained at 10 and 20 ppt, respectively. Mortality was significantly (P < 0.05) higher for fish maintained at the higher salinity. Analyses of the fish carcasses were conducted at the beginning and end of the experiment on representative samples to estimate the grams protein retained and apparent net protein utilization (N.P.U.) to verify the above findings. All the available data showed that dietary protein was of major consequence on all measurements until the minimum required level of protein in the diet was reached, while salinity was of minor consequence. P.E.R. and apparent N.P.U. were 2.10 and 34.4, respectively, for casein diets at the 40% protein level.

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Energy: Protein Ratio in Ruminants: Insights from the Intragastric Infusion Technique

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11092700 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2700

Author(s):

Denis J. Meehan ◽

Ana R. J. Cabrita ◽

Margarida R. G. Maia ◽

António J. M. Fonseca

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

Maintenance Energy ◽

Nutrient Metabolism ◽

Protein Ratio ◽

Protein Requirements ◽

Utilisation Efficiency ◽

Fatty Acid Utilisation ◽

Infusion Technique ◽

Feeding Systems

Studies on energy:protein ratio in ruminants are constrained by rumen fermentation since it governs nutrient metabolism and the ratio of energy:protein yielding nutrients available for absorption. By circumventing rumen fermentation, the total intragastric infusion technique (IIT) allowed objective quantification of maintenance energy and protein requirements, volatile fatty acid utilisation efficiency, efficiency of energy utilisation for maintenance (Km) and growth (Kf) and the origin of N retention responses to independent variation of energy and protein intake. This review outlines the key IIT findings and whether they are reflected in current feeding systems with implications for different production systems worldwide. Maintenance energy requirements are similar to those derived from comparative slaughter but maintenance N requirements are significantly lower. No differences in utilisation efficiency exist between acetic, propionic and butyric acids. At low energy intakes, endogenous energy reserves are utilised to retain amino acids and fuel substantial tissue protein gains. The use of fasting metabolism to measure the utilisation of nutritionally balanced diets is questioned since it is a glucose-deficient state. Inter-species differences in glucose metabolism appear to exist, suggesting that glucose requirements may be higher in cattle than sheep. The difficulty in predicting nutrient requirements, particularly protein, with any one technique is highlighted.

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