Influence of body condition on maintenance energy requirements of Charolais cows

1993 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ortigues ◽  
M. Petit ◽  
J. Agabriel

AbstractThe objective of the experiment was to test whether maintenance energy requirements of non-lactating, non-pregnant beef cows increased with body fatness. Twelve Charolais cows were initially fed to attain either lean or fat body condition. Subsequently, over a period of 66 days food allowances were regularly adjusted for zero live-weight change. For the following 76 days, lean and fat cows received either 400 or 553 kJ metabolizable energy (ME) per kg initial live weight 0·75 per day, respectively. Fat cows maintained their body weight and composition whereas lean cows lost 296 g body weight, 221 g lipid and 65 g protein daily. Calculated maintenance energy requirements averaged 516 and 536kJ ME per kg live weight 0·75 per day for lean and fat cows respectively but were not significantly affected by body fatness. Diet dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and energy apparent digestibilities but not acid-detergent fibre digestibility were significantly higher in fat animals.

2008 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. GARCIA ◽  
J. AGABRIEL

SUMMARYCull cows account for a large part of beef consumption in France and are a significant proportion of farm income for dairy (0·10) and beef systems (up to 0·30). On-farm observations highlight considerable variations in cull cow phenotypes in terms of age, frame size, health, physiological status and body condition. Consequently, an important issue for producers of cull cows is the management of feed supply during the finishing period to obtain a satisfactory condition score and conformation prior to slaughter.New feeding recommendations for cull cows should consider live weight and live weight gain, age, frame size and body condition score (BCS) to estimate the energy requirements. A predictive model, called CompoCow, was developed for this purpose. The present paper describes the CompoCow model by summarizing developments from previous modelling approaches and outlining the assumptions and equations used in the model. CompoCow combines a growth model for the cow during its productive period (3–8 years old) and a model for the finishing period (in days) and was parameterized for Charolais, Limousine and Holstein breeds. Sensitivity analysis highlighted that the outputs of the model were mainly sensitive to initial body weight and expected body weight gain of the animal. The proportion of lipid in live weight gain was related to body weight, BCS and frame size of the animal. The model also accounts for the higher proportion of lipid in live weight gain in Holstein than in Charolais cows. The model was applied to data from Charolais cows. It showed that the proportion of variability explained by CompoCow for energy requirements was higher than the proportion obtained with previous INRA recommendations, 0·78 and 0·67, respectively. CompoCow does not rely on mechanistic relationships, but it appears robust as it accounts correctly for the effects of age and BCS on the requirements.


1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Wright ◽  
A. J. F. Russel ◽  
E. A. Hunter

ABSTRACTForty-eight Hereford × Friesian and Blue Grey cows ranging in body condition score from 1·75 to 4·0, 12 weeks before calving, were fed to achieve three levels of body condition score at calving. Half the cows were fed on an increasing plane of nutrition as pregnancy advanced and half were fed on a flat-rate feeding system. The condition scores achieved by the three groups at calving were 2·28, 2·47 and 2·70 (s.e.d. 0·071; P < 0·001). Differences in cow body condition at calving were reflected in cow live weight and condition 6 weeks later, but there was no effect on calf performance. Hereford × Friesian cows lost more weight in early lactation, tended to produce more milk and their calves were heavier. Pattern of feeding had no effect on cow condition score or weight at calving or on subsequent performance.It was calculated that each unit of body condition-score loss in late pregnancy contributes the equivalent of 3200 MJ dietary metabolizable energy while 6600 MJ dietary metabolizable energy are required for 1 unit of condition-score gain.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 1198-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aksel Wiseman ◽  
Miles Redden ◽  
Adam McGee ◽  
Courtney Spencer ◽  
Ryan Reuter ◽  
...  

Abstract Early weaning is used to minimize cow nutrient requirements in situations where feed inputs are scarce or expensive. For many years, maintenance energy requirements have been assumed to be 20% greater in lactating compared with non-lactating beef cows. While not well established, maintenance energy requirements are thought to be greatest in primiparous cows and to decline with age. Consequently, early weaning primiparous cow–calf pairs should improve overall efficiency, particularly in situations where mid-to-late lactation forage or feed nutritive value is low. The objective of this study was to determine the biological efficiency of early weaning and maintenance energy requirements of lactating versus non-lactating primiparous cows. Experiments were conducted in two consecutive years using 90 primiparous cows and their calves (48 in yr 1, 42 in yr 2). Pairs were randomly assigned to one of the six pens (8 pairs/pen yr 1, 7 pairs/pen yr 2) and pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments; (1) early weaning (130 d ± 15.4; EW, n = 6) and (2) traditional weaning (226 d ± 13.1; TW, n = 6). Late lactation cow and calf performance and feed consumption were measured for 92 d (yr 1) and 100 d (yr 2). Cows were limit-fed to meet maintenance requirements, while calves were offered ad libitum access to the same diet in a creep-feeding area. Calves were not allowed access to the cows’ feed. Cow feed intake, body condition score, body weight (BW), milk yield and composition, and calf body weight gain and creep feed intake were recorded. After accounting for lactation and retained energy, there was a trend for greater maintenance energy requirements of lactating primiparous cows (P = 0.07). From the early weaning date to traditional weaning date, calf average daily gain (ADG) was greater (P &lt; 0.01) for TW calves. Feed and energy efficiency of the pair was improved for the TW system (P &lt; 0.01). Greater ADG were reported for EW calves during the stocker period (P = 0.03), but there were no differences during the finishing period (P &gt; 0.40). At harvest, BW was greater (P = 0.02) and gain to feed ratio tended (P = 0.06) to be improved for TW calves. The increased TW calf performance offset the additional maintenance costs of their lactating dams, resulting in the TW system converting total feed energy to kilograms of calf BW gain more efficiently.


1979 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. D. Richardson

ABSTRACTThe growth and efficiency of live-weight gain of 36 calves confined in pens was studied between 30 and 210 days of age. They were weaned individually at 30, 90 or 150 days old and offered one of three solid foods which contained 200, 300 or 400 g milled roughage/kg both before and after weaning. From 30 to 90 days and from 90 to 150 days weaned calves consumed more (P<0·001) solid food than sucking calves. During both these periods sucking calves consumed more (P< 0·001 and P<0·05 during the first and second periods respectively) metabolizable energy (ME), gained more (P<0·01) body weight and also gained more body weight/MJ ME consumed than weaned calves. Composition of solid food had little effect on calf performance.The combined efficiency (kg calf weight gain/MJ ME consumed by cow and calf unit) was higher (P<0·001) for suckling cows and calves than for weaned cows and calves between 30 and 90 days. Between 90 and 150 days, weaning had no effect on combined efficiency.Eight similar calves which were reared by their dams on veld until 210 days of age were heavier at 90 (P< 0·001) and 150 (P<0·05) days than penned calves which had been given concentrates ad libitum since weaning at 30 days. The body weights of these two groups were similar at 210 days.


1999 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. McG. Argot ◽  
J. S. Smith ◽  
R. N. B. Kay

AbstractRelationships between photoperiod and cycles of voluntary food intake (VFI) and maintenance energy requirements (MER) were determined in Soay rams, subjected to a 6-month photoperiodic regime. Food was offered ad libitum (no. = 5) or at a predicted maintenance level (no. = 5). All rams demonstrated 6-month cycles of VFI, growth and reproductive status. Metabolizable energy intake (MEI) was greatest in rams given food ad libitum (666 (s.e. 21.7) kJ/kg metabolic live weight (M0·75) and food-restricted (528 (s.e. 12.2) kJ/kg M0·75) rams during sexual quiescence. Conversely, MEI was minimal (ad libitum, 289 (s.e. 8.4) kJ/kg M0·75; restricted, 428 (s.e. 8.1) kJ/kg M0·75) during the rut. Distinct cycles of heat production (HP) accompanied changes in MEL Changes in HP were similar (P > 0·05) for both groups (ad libitum, 520 (s.e. 22.1) to 394 (s.e. 9.2) kJ/kg M0·75; restricted 503 (s.e. 14.0) to 407 (s.e. 17.5) kJ/kg M0·75) and therefore energy retention varied more (P < 0·015) when rams were given food ad libitum (ad libitum, 131 (s.e. 43-1) to -106 (s.e. 38.2) kJ/kg M0·75; restricted, 78·0 (s.e. 27.1) to -53.0 (s.e. 38.2) kJ/ kg M0·75). Apparent digestibility of dietary energy varied inversely with MEI (P < 0·01). MERs ranged from 524 (s.e. 35.0) kJ/kg M0·75 to 401 (s.e. 27.3) kJ/kg M0·75, a proportional fluctuation of ±0·13. Changes in metabolic rate preceded those in appetite, suggesting a causal relationship.


1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Wright ◽  
S. M. Rhind ◽  
T. K. Whyte ◽  
A. J. Smith

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to examine the effects of body condition at calving and feeding level post partum on the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period in beef cows. Forty-seven cows were used in each of 2 years. Cows were fed differentially before calving to achieve two levels of body condition at calving in November and December and were then fed at one of two levels of feeding post partum in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. At calving, mean body condition scores were 2·85 (F) and 2·23 (T) (P < 0·001) while live weights were 521 kg and 457 kg (P < 0·001) for F and T cows respectively. After calving metabolizable energy intakes were 111 and 118 MJ/day (H) or 56 and 64 MJ/day (L) in years 1 and 2 respectively. The H cows maintained live weight during the first 61 days of lactation while the L cows lost live weight (0·0 v. -1·1 kg/day, P < 0·001). The number of cows still acyclic on 1 May each year was higher (P < 0·01) on the TL treatment (10/24) compared with the other treatment combinations (FH: 2/22; FL: 5/22; TH: 2/24). The effect of level of feeding on the duration of the anoestrous period was significant in the T cows (89 v. 116 days for TH and TL cows respectively; P < 0·01) but not in the F cows (80 v.89 days for the FH and FL cows respectively; P > 0·05). At 3 weeks post partum LH pulse frequency was higher in F than in T cows and tended to be higher in H than in L cows. At 6 and 9 weeks post partum LH pulse frequency was higher in H than L cows. LH pulse amplitude was higher in F than T cows at 3 weeks post partum and tended to be higher at 6 weeks post partum. It is concluded that both body condition at calving and feeding level after calving influence the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period with the effect of feeding level being particularly pronounced in thin cows.


2002 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. M. Al Jassim ◽  
G. Brown ◽  
E. D. Salman ◽  
A. Abodabos

AbstractThe effect of tail docking on metabolizable energy requirements and carcass characteristics was studied using 80 weaned entire Awassi male lambs. Docking was performed within 3 days of birth and lambs were weaned at 90 days old. Docked and undocked lambs were randomly allocated to four groups, individually penned and offered different amounts of a pelleted concentrate diet. The pelleted diet was estimated to contain 11·8 MJ of metabolizable energy (ME) and 182 g of crude protein (CP) per kg dry matter (DM). Lambs on the high levels of intake were slaughtered at a target weight of approximately 45 kg. Other lambs were maintained on the diet for 149 days before being slaughtered. The right sides of all carcasses were cut into standardized commercial cuts then dissected into muscle, fat and bone. The soft tissue was pooled and analysed for DM, C P, ash and fat. Prediction of live-weight gain (LWG) and empty body gain for a given ME intake (MEI) was made using the growth and MEI data. MEI was expressed as MJ per kg metabolic body weight (M 0·75) per day. Tail docking had no effect (P > 0·05) on lamb growth from birth to weaning. During the post-weaning growth period, LWG and empty body gain were significantly higher (P < 0·05) for undocked lambs than docked lambs, at feeding levels between 0·31 and 0·52 MJ/kg M 0·75 per day and similar (P > 0·05) at high levels of intakes (between 0·74 and 1·1 MJ/ kg M 0·75 per day). Hot and cold carcass weights were similar (P > 0·05) for the two groups. Differences in empty body weight and fleece-free empty body weight were significant (P < 0·05) only for the 0·443 to 0·522 MJ/kg M 0·75 per day level of ME intake. Predicted ME requirements were higher for docked lambs for an estimated LWG between 0 and 100 g/day and lower for higher LWG (125 to 225 g/day). Docking had no effect (P > 0·05) on food conversion efficiency (FCE). Carcasses from docked lambs had significantly lower (P < 0·001) internal plus tail fat. Pooled soft tissue excluding tail fat, for the undocked lambs contained significantly more (P < 0·01) protein, less (P < 0·001) fat, higher (P < 0·01) moisture and similar (P > 0·05) ash content.


1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Davies ◽  
I. A. M. Lucas

SUMMARYGroups of individually-fed pigs, each of three gilts and three castrates of mean live weights 18, 31, 46, 58, 72 and 80 kg, were given for 20 days feed allowances based on the ARC estimates of energy required for maintenance, assuming an efficiency of utilization of digestible energy (DE) of 77% for maintenance. As the actual diet used had a higher DE value than that calculated before the start of the experiment, DE intakes (260·3 W056) were about 4·0% above the ARC values.There was no statistically significant change in live weight over the period of study. This supports the validity of the ARC estimates, if maintenance is defined as a lack of change in body weight.The metabolizable energy (ME) intakes (248·3 W0·56) which maintained weight were also close to other estimates of ME requirements.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1543
Author(s):  
Sang-Ho Moon ◽  
Yeong Sik Yun ◽  
Na Yeon Kim ◽  
Sanguk Chung ◽  
Qi Man Zhang ◽  
...  

Twelve adult (10 months old) castrated Korean black goats, with an average initial body weight of 24.98 ± 3.7 kg, were used in this experiment to determine their maintenance energy requirements. Dry matter intakes (g/d, p = 0.945) were not affected by energy levels, but metabolic energy intake (kcal/d, p < 0.002) and average daily gain (g/d, p < 0.001) were significantly increased at higher energy levels. Nutrient digestibility was similar in the treatments, but crude fat digestibility increased with the addition of protective fat powder (p = 0.001). The energy required for fattening the castrated Korean black goats was estimated using the correlation between metabolic energy intake per dietary body weight and average daily gain per dietary body weight. The Y-axis intercept value was calculated to be 108.76 kcal/kg BW0.75 (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.6036), which was the metabolic energy requirement for maintaining the lives of the fattening Korean black goats. The estimated energy requirements of the black goat can improve specification techniques, such as the energy level and the amount of feed supply required for domestic black goats.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-76
Author(s):  
Debbye Chávez ◽  
Julio Villacres Matías

El presente estudio guarda estrecha relación con la alimentación de caprinos, las ganancias de peso y su producción; sabiendo que, para que un animal logre buenos rendimientos productivos se hace necesaria una alimentación que cubra necesidades energéticas de mantenimiento, luego de crecimiento y ganancia de peso o de producción; se determinó el recorrido en unidades de desplazamiento; luego, por medio de fórmulas de medición energética trasformar esto a energía metabolizable que es una unidad fácilmente relacionable con las necesidades energéticas de mantenimiento y de producción, siendo 60 cabras de diferentes razas las que se consideraron en este estudio, donde se registró su peso, y edad antes de que formen parte del ensayo. Con la ayuda de podómetros calibrados para usarlos en cabras, se determinó el recorrido habitual. Los podómetros fueron colocados en uno de sus miembros posteriores a la altura de la rodilla, y retirados 24h después, registrando su desplazamiento y actividades en busca del alimento. Utilizando Excel se procedió a la tabulación y organización de los datos, que fueron sometidos a estadística descriptiva y análisis de la información, como resultado se evidenció 5Km de recorridos por animal, con edades entre 2,5 años de promedios, de igual forma las razas de cabras más frecuentes fueron, en primer lugar la Criolla y en segundo la Nubia; ambas razas de animales no se diferenciaron en el recorrido y peso, lo que permitió utilizar una forma universal de estimación del gasto energético (0,49 kcal/kg /km) pudiéndose determinar que fueron 87,69Kcal involucradas en 24h de actividad. ABSTRACT This study is closely related to feeding goats, weight gain and production; knowing that, for an animal to achieve good production yields a feed that covers maintenance energy requirements is necessary , after growth and weight gain or production a route was determined in units of displacement; then by using formulas of energetic measurement transform these to metabolizable energy which is a easily relatable unit with the energetic requirements of maintenance and production, 60 goats from different races were considered in this study, in which their weight and ages were recorded before forming part of the test. With the help of pedometers calibrated for use in goats, the usual route is determined. Pedometers were placed in one of his post-kneemembers, and retired after 24h, recording their movement and activities in search of food. Using Excel proceeded to the tabulation and organization of data, which were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of information, as a result of tours 5Km animal showed, aged 2.5 years average, similarly races more frequent goats were first Creole and secondly the Nubia; both breeds of animals did not differ in the way and weight, enabling use a universal way to estimate energy expenditure (0.49 kcal / kg / km) being able to determine which were involved in 24h 87,69Kcal activity.


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