scholarly journals Seasonal variation in voluntary food intake and post-weaning growth in lambs: a comparison of genotypes

1991 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Iason ◽  
A. R. Mantecon
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Normal Rate ◽  
Seasonal Cycles ◽  
Negative Deviation ◽  
Individual Analysis ◽  
Growth Regime ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

ABSTRACTVoluntary food intake (VFI) was measured daily and live weight (LW) was measured weekly in a total of 39 growing lambs of six genotypes given a similar complete chopped-straw based diet in experiments in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1988. The six genotypes and the years of study were: Scottish Blackface (BF), 1983 and 1988; Suffolk × (Border Leicester × BF) (BL × BF), Suffolk × (East Friesland × Cheviot) (EF × NCC), Suffolk × (East Friesland × BF) (EF × BF), 1985; Welsh mountain (WM) and Beulah (BH), 1985. Measurements were made on lambs penned individually within 6 weeks of weaning at 5 to 6 months of age through to slaughter in the following spring. During this period there was an increase in LW and VFI associated with growth. Regression lines were fitted to LW and weekly means of daily VFI against week for each individual. Analysis of deviations about these lines showed a decline in VFI in BF lambs around December and to a lesser e×tent in BL × BF from December to January. The decline in VFI in BF was observed in two different years. A negative deviation from the normal rate of increase in LW was also apparent although it was much less marked and present in EF × NCC lambs as well as BF and BF × NCC. Any such variability of seasonal cycles between genotypes of growing lamb would influence the e×tent to which nutrition and growth may be manipulated. This should be considered when choosing a feeding or growth regime for a particular genotype, or vice versa.

Seasonal variation of voluntary food intake and metabolic rate in three contrasting breeds of sheep

1994 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Iason ◽  
D. A. Sim ◽  
E. Foreman ◽  
P. Fenn ◽  
D. A. Elston
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Basal Metabolic Rate ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Seasonal Effect ◽  
Seasonal Cycles ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

AbstractVoluntary food intake (VFI) of chopped timothy hay and metabolic rate were each measured in each month of the year in six non-breeding ewes of each of three breeds. Metabolic rate was measured using indirect calorimetry over a range of food intakes and adjusted for intake to an estimated maintenance metabolic rate (MMR). The breeds compared were the Dorset Horn (DT), Scottish Blackface (BF) and Shetland (SH), the first being less seasonal in reproductive and other characteristics than the other two which are hill or northern latitude breeds. There was significant overall variation between months in VFI which was higher in the summer (July to September) than in the winter (December to February) months (P < 0·001). There was a significant breed × month interaction (P < 0·01), the seasonal effect being most strongly observed in the BF and SH ewes, whose VFI in summer was proportionately 0-1 greater than the year-round mean but was 0-1 lower in the winter. The DT ewes showed much less seasonal variation in VFI. There was no overall difference in VFI between breeeds (DT: 43-7; BF: 49-5; SH: 48-1 g dry matter per M075 live weight per day, P > 0·1). Although MMR varied significantly between months (P < 0·001), there was no systematic variation between summer and winter. There was no significant breed × month interaction, but the MMR differed significantly (P < 0·001) between breeds giving a high overall MMR in BF (DT: 322-7; BF: 356-6; SH: 324-5 kf/kg M0·75 per day). No significant correlation existed (P > 0·05) between the monthly mean MMR and VFI in any of the breeds. The causal relationship between seasonal cycles of basal metabolic rate and VFI is questioned.

The effect of body reserves at farrowing on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows

1989 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Mullan ◽  
I. H. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Body Reserves ◽  
H 30 ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

ABSTRACTThe level of body reserves in first-litter sows was manipulated by giving gilts one of three levels (high (H), medium (M) or low (L)) of food from selection (44 kg live weight) to parturition. The aim of this experiment was either to maintain or to mobilize these reserves during lactation (31·4 days) by feeding sows to appetite (high (H)) or 2·0 kg/day (low (L)).When the level of body reserves was increased prior to farrowing (171 kg live weight, 32 mm backfat) sows had a lower voluntary food intake during lactation than those animals that farrowed with a low level of body reserves (126 kg live weight, 20 mm backfat) (H-H v. L-H, 3·4 v. 4·9 kg/day; P < 0·001). Both groups had a normal return to oestrous activity after weaning (mean interval between weaning and mating of 14 days) but the heavier animals mobilized more of their body reserves (H-H −30·7 kg live weight, -4·3 mm backfat; L-H -3·6 kg live weight +0·9 mm backfat; P < 0·001). When food intake during lactation was restricted to 2·0 kg/day the interval between weaning and mating was increased by 50% regardless of the level of body reserves present at farrowing. For the same animals, there were insufficient body reserves to support milk production at the same level as for those animals given food t o appetite.

A note on the response of pigs weaned at 28 days to dietary protein

1986 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Campbell ◽  
M. R. Taverner
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Gain Ratio ◽  
Digestible Energy ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

ABSTRACTThirty-six piglets were used to investigate the effect of six concentrations of dietary protein ranging from 155 to 235 g/kg, and corresponding dietary lysine concentrations from 10·1 to 15·4 g/kg, on the performance of pigs weaned at 28 days of age and growing between 7·5 and 20 kg live weight. Voluntary food intake was not significantly affected by dietary protein, and growth rate increased with increase in dietary protein and lysine up to 167 and 10·9 g/kg respectively (0·75 g lysine per MJ digestible energy (DE)). Food: gain ratio improved significantly with each increase in dietary protein and lysine up to 177 and 11·6 g/kg (0·79 g lysine per MJ DE) respectively.

Growth and herbage consumption of grazing Merino and Border Leicester lambs reared by their mothers or fostered by ewes of the other breed

1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Langlands
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

SUMMARYEight Border Leicester castrated male lambs (wethers) were fostered on to 8 Merino ewes (MB) at birth, and 10 Merino wethers were fostered on to Border Leicester ewes (BM). Two additional groups of 10 wethers consisted of Border Leicester lambs (BB) and Merino lambs (MM) reared by their natural mothers. The lambs and ewes grazed together and growth rate, and milk and herbage consumption of the lambs were recorded.Live-weight gains to weaning at 74 days were 275, 245, 204 and 184 g/day for groups BB, MB, BM and MM respectively. Lambs reared by Border Leicester ewes received more milk and consumed less grass than lambs of similar genotype reared by Merinos, but BM lambs consumed less milk than BB lambs. Merino lambs also consumed less grass than Border Leicester lambs.It was concluded that Merinos grew more slowly than Border Leicester lambs primarily because of their lower voluntary food intake. The lower milk production of Merino ewes was considered to be of secondary significance since if herbage is available ad libitum, lambs with high voluntary intakes will compensate for the lack of milk by consuming more forage.

scholarly journals Effect of supplementation level and sheep breed on hay intake and diet digestibility

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 ◽  
pp. 85-85
Author(s):  
E. Gonzalez-Chábarri ◽  
P. Lavín ◽  
A.R. Mantecón
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Sheep Breed ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Sheep Breeds ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

Some recent studies (Frutos et al, 1992; Giraldez et al, 1993) comparing Spanish sheep breeds have indicate possible differences between breeds in the digestive diet utilization. The aim of this study was to compare voluntary food intake and diet digestibility in three sheep breeds when offered three levels of concentrate supplementation.A latin square trial (3x3x3) involving three sheep breeds and three levels of concentrate in three periods, with three replicates was designed. The breeds compared were Merina (39.83±10.05 kg live weight (LW)), Churra (44.33±9.86 kg LW) and Assaf (55.83±7.65 kg LW) and three non-productive ewes of each breed were used. All animals were divided into three groups of three animals (one ewe per breed) and housed in individual pens with free access to water and mineral blocks.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in the Voluntary Food Intake of Domesticated Cats (Felis Catus)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e96071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Serisier ◽  
Alexandre Feugier ◽  
Sébastien Delmotte ◽  
Vincent Biourge ◽  
Alexander James German
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Felis Catus ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

Effect of energy source or fibre level in concentrates fed to finishing Swaledale lambs

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 121-121
Author(s):  
C A Middlemass ◽  
C M Minter ◽  
M Marsden
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Basal Diet ◽  
The Other ◽  
Secondary Infections ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake ◽  
Effective Growth

Concentrate finishing systems for store lambs often involves a dramatic change in the basal diet as lambs are moved from being managed on, e.g. grass and / or roots to concentrates. If this is done too quickly there is a risk of digestive disturbances leading to acidosis and secondary infections. Hence, the selection of the carbohydrate balance between starch and digestible fibre is crucial as ruminants fed high levels of starch-based concentrates can develop sub-clinical acidosis and liver abscess, leading to decreased voluntary food intake and daily live weight gain (DLWG). The aim of this study was to evaluate two concentrate formulations for effective growth for finishing of Swaledale lambs, one concentrate being starch biased the other digestible fibre biased.

The prediction of the voluntary food intake of pigs on poor quality foods

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 713-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. N. Tsaras ◽  
I. Kyriazakis ◽  
G. C. Emmans
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Prior Experience ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Crude Fibre ◽  
Acid Detergent Fibre ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Dry Food ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

AbstractAn experiment was carried out to investigate the proposal that the voluntary food intake of pigs, when given foods based on bulky materials, can be accurately predicted from the water-holding capacity (WHC, g water per g dry food) values of the foods. A basal food (B), with 12·9 MJ digestible energy and 249 g crude protein per kg dry matter, was diluted to two extents by either sugar-beet pulp (S), grass meal (G) or soya hulls (H). The contents of the bulky materials in the total diets were either 320 g/kg (foods BS, BG and BH) or 800 g/kg (foods S, G and H). Each of these six foods was givenad libitumto six pigs in period I, which lasted for 21 days, with a further four given B. In period II, which lasted for 14 days and followed period I immediately, the pigs were also given their food ad libitum. Only the 36 pigs from the six ‘bulky“treatments (i.e. on treatments other than B) continued in a change-over design. Two pigs from each of the six ‘bulky’ treatments were allocated to the three foods of the same level of dilution (e.g. the six pigs from BS were changed to BS, BG and BH). Of the ‘bulk’ characteristics measured (crude fibre, acid-detergent fibre, neutral-detergent fibre, apparent digestibility of the organic matter, density and WHC) only WHC accounted sufficiently for the effects of the foods on the voluntary food intake of the pigs. The two methods of centrifugation and filtration that were used for the WHC determination were very highly correlated (r = 0·978), with food B having the lowest value, 3·86 g water per g dry food, and food S having the highest value, 8·48 g water per g dry food, when measured by centrifugation. In both periods the rate of intake was calculated as g/kg live weight per day, scaled intake (SFI). Live-weight gain and food conversion efficiency both decreased significantly (P< 0·001) as B was diluted with S, G and H. For the six ‘bulky’ feeding treatments SFI in the last 14 days of period I was proportional to the reciprocal of the WHC of the foods: SFI (g/kg per day) = 235 (s.e. 6·3). No effects of previous feeding treatment on site were observed in period II as a whole; however, intake initially increased when the food had lower WHC than the one previously offered and decreased when it had higher WHC. It was concluded that: (a) the WHC of a food is a sufficient descriptor of its ‘bulk’ and that it accounts for the effects on the voluntary food intake of pigs; (b) the detailed methods used for measuring WHC need to be standardized; (c) pigs can adapt more rapidly to bulky foods when they have had prior experience of such foods; (d) the length of time needed to observe an intake, which will be characteristic of the bulky food on offer, depends on the prior experience of the pig.

Growth and reproductive development of red deer calves (Cervus elaphus) born out-of-season

1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Adam ◽  
C. E. Kyle ◽  
P. Young
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Reproductive Development ◽  
Normal Birth ◽  
Melatonin Administration ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

AbstractSince the productivity of farmed red deer is constrained by their inherent seasonal biology, the potential advantages of breeding out-of-season following melatonin administration were investigated. Calves born in February (F; no. = 8) were heavier at weaning in September of the same year than calves born with normal birth dates in June (}; no. = 8) (73·2 v. 441 (s.e.d. 3·59) kg; P < 0·001) and at the end of April of the next year (88·0 v. 67·6 (s.e.d. 6·44) kg; P < 0·02) although their suckled live-weight gain to 100 days of age was lower (304 v. 361 (s.e.d. 21·4) g/day; P < 0·05). After weaning, F calves had higher voluntary food intake than / calves (g dry matter per head per day) from September to November (1643 v. 2224 (s.e.d. 92·6); P < 0·002), November to February (1435 v. 926 (s.e.d. 67·9); P < 0·002), and February to April (1487 v. 2059 (s.e.d. 115·5); P < 0·02).Unlike J calves, F calves showed puberty in their first autumn. F male calves (no. = 3) grew antlers which hardened in November, whereas J males (no. = 3) did not, and F males, aged 8 months, had significantly higher mean plasma concentrations of testosterone than J males, aged 4 months (1·35 v. 0·28 (s.e.d. 0·154) fj.g/1, P < 0·001). Oestrous cyclicity was observed in 3/5 group F females, aged 9 months, but in 0/5 group ] females, aged 5 months. Although the dams of F and ] calves had similar live weights at mating, birth and 100 days pos t partum, F dams were heavier (P < 0·05) at weaning. Following parturition, F dams had a mean voluntary food intake of 2700 (s.e. 110) g dry matter per head per day from February to April.

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