Partition of dietary energy by sheep fed fresh ryegrass (Lolium perenne) with a wide-ranging composition and quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 1008
Author(s):  
C. A. Ramírez-Restrepo ◽  
G. C. Waghorn ◽  
H. Gillespie ◽  
H. Clark

Context Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is an important forage in temperate ruminant agricultural systems, but its quality and composition is highly variable and can become dominated by senescent material during summer and dry periods. Nutritive value is often predicted on the basis of chemical composition and calculated metabolisable energy (ME), which is rarely measured. Aim To measure the partition of energy from ryegrasses with widely varying proportions of leaf and senescent material, among faeces, urine and methane (CH4) in sheep. Methods Three experiments were undertaken with two groups of young wether sheep, fed seven diets of freshly cut ryegrass, at maintenance levels of intake to measure the partition of dietary energy among faeces, urine and CH4, enabling ME to be calculated. Across the seven diets, green leaf accounted for 16.0–87.6% of feed offered, whereas senescent material ranged from 2.8% to 65.0% and nitrogen (N) ranged between 8.6 and 31.2 g/kg DM. Measured ME was compared with predicted values based on digestible energy. Methane emissions were determined by both open-circuit respiration chambers and sulfur hexafluoride marker dilution. Key results Apparent digestibility (g/100 g) of DM ranged from 51.8 to 75.3 and N from 26.7 to 73.9. The percentage of the gross energy of feeds partitioned to CH4 (chamber) was 6.01–7.42, and 1.77–5.69 to urine. Effects of digestibility on CH4 yields (g/kg DM intake) were minor and the sum of energy losses to CH4 and urine were 13.5–17.6% of digestible energy (DE) intake, suggesting an underestimation of ME when predicted from DE. Use of sulfur hexafluoride substantially overestimated CH4 emissions when the permeation tubes had been in the sheep for 80 days. Conclusions A high proportion of senescent material in ryegrass had little effect on CH4 yields from sheep and energy losses to urine were mostly less than 3% of energy intake and were related to dietary N concentration. Implications Dietary ME calculated from DE is likely to be underestimated when ryegrass contains a high proportion of senescent material, due to reduced urinary energy losses, as CH4 yields are largely unaffected by maturity or senescence.

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (10) ◽  
pp. 1525-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Bielohuby ◽  
Karin Bodendorf ◽  
Heinz Brandstetter ◽  
Martin Bidlingmaier ◽  
Ellen Kienzle

Knowledge about metabolisable energy (ME) intake is crucial for various experimental settings in rodent studies. ME considers faecal and renal energy losses. In particular, faecal energy excretion can vary considerably between differentially composed diets. Thus determination of faecal energy losses, i.e. apparent energy digestibility, is the most important experimental approach to determine ME. Predictive equations for ME such as Atwater factors or an equation for pigs, which are frequently employed for rodent feed, consider an average energy digestibility for nutrients and average renal losses for protein. Both equations, however, were never validated for rat feed. We therefore determined experimentally the digestibility of energy (experimentally determined digestible energy − 5·2 kJ/g digestible protein) and nutrients of eleven natural and five purified rat diets and compared the present results with the predicted values. Compared with natural diets, digestibility of gross energy (GE) and nutrients was higher by about 20 % in the purified diets (P < 0·0001). Mean GE digestibility in natural diets amounted to 71·4 % (range 53·3–83·5 %;n11). Atwater factors predicted ME with satisfactory accuracy in purified diets. In contrast, for natural diets, only the equation for pig feed gave acceptable estimates of ME. Choosing an inappropriate predictive equation for ME resulted in considerable error. For prediction of ME in mixed rat feed, we propose to use the equation for pig feed for natural diets and Atwater factors for purified diets. If the equation for pig feed cannot be applied we suggest using the lower modified Atwater factors instead of the ‘original’ Atwater factors to estimate the ME of a diet.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1967-1980
Author(s):  
Kélvia Jácome de Castro ◽  
◽  
Silas Primola Gomes ◽  
Iran Borges ◽  
Fabrícia Rocha Chaves Miotto ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to evaluate the energy value of diets containing babassu cake as a replacement for Tifton-85 hay (70, 140, 210, 280 and 350 g kg-1 dry matter, DM), using the technique of indirect calorimetry. Twenty-five castrated male Santa Inês sheep, with an average body weight of 49.6 + 9.4 kg, were used in a completely randomised design. The trial was carried out in an individual open-flow respirometry chamber for small ruminants, with each animal remaining for 24 hours inside the chamber. Gross energy and net energy intake were not affected by adding the cake. Digestible energy intake and metabolisable energy intake showed a linear response, ranging from 145.44 to 178.40 and from 121.85 to 158.08 kcal kg-0.75 day-1 respectively. The energy lost through faeces and methane (% of gross energy intake, GEI) showed decreasing linear behaviour, while the caloric increase, in %GEI, showed a quadratic response. The values for digestible energy and metabolisability presented an increasing linear response. The partial efficiency of use of metabolisable energy for maintenance ranged from 0.71 to 0.81, and showed a quadratic response; however, the net energy values did not differ. For every 10 g of added by-product, there was a reduction of 0.31 g of methane per kg of DM intake. The addition of babassu cake to replace up to 350 g kg-1 DM in sheep diets increases the energy efficiency of the diet and reduces methane emission by the animals.


1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (66) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Michell

Gross energy levels and energy digestibilities were determined on 80 single species pasture samples of known dry matter digestibility. Crude protein, ash and ether extract levels were also determined. The pastures consisted of regrowths of six species, Trifolium repens (White clover cv. Grasslands Huia), Lolium perenne x multiflorum (manawa ryegrass cv. Grasslands Manawa), Lolium (multiflorum x perenne) x L. perenne (ariki ryegrass cv. Grasslands Ari ki), Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass cv. Tasmanian No. 1), Dactylis glomerata (currie cocksfoot cv. Currie) and Dactylis glomerata (apanui cocksfoot cv. Grasslands Apanui), harvested eight times between May 1969 and August 1970. The gross energy levels in pasture dry matter and pasture digestible organic matter were highest with white clover (means 4.64 and 4.98 K cal g-1) and lowest with the ryegrasses (4.50 and 4.80 K cal g-1). They were also higher in the winter (4.60 and 4.91), autumn (4.53 and 4.90) and spring (4.56 and 4.86), and lower in the summer (4.49 and 4.77). Relations between gross energy levels and chemical composition were weak. The strongest relation was with crude protein content (r = +0.41, P < 0.01). Relations of energy digestibility and digestible energy level in pasture dry matter, with dry matter digestibility had high correlations (r = +0.97, P < 0.01, and r = +0.92, P < 0.01) and were similar to previously published relations. However, seasonal differences occurred in both relations and, at low dry matter digestibilities, winter pasture had higher energy digestibilities and higher levels of digestible energy than spring-summer pasture. Species differences occurred in the latter relation and, at high dry matter digestibilities, white clover had higher levels of digestible energy than the grasses.


1998 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Van Lunen ◽  
D. J. A. Cole

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to examine the effects of dietary lysine/digestible energy (DE) ratio (g/MJ) and dietary energy concentration on growth performance and body composition of young hybrid gilts from 9·1 to 25·4 kg live weight. Seven pigs were assigned to each of 10 dietary treatments consisting of lysine/DE ratios from 0·6 to 1·4 in 0·2 g/MJ increments and two DE concentrations (14·25 and 16·40 MJ/kg). Food was provided ad libitum and at 25·4 kg all pigs were slaughtered and body composition was determined. Responses to lysine/DE ratios were different for each DE concentration. The pigs given the 16·40 MJ/kg DE diets had a higher daily live-weight gain (DLWG) and nitrogen deposition rate (NDR) than those given the 14·25 MJ/kg diets up to the 1·2 g/MJ lysine/DE ratio. Beyond this point no DE effects were evident. Lipid deposition rate (LDR) was higher for all 16·40 MJ/kg diets as compared with the 14·25 MJ/kg diets and decreased with increasing lysine/DE ratio. The 14·25 MJ/kg diets resulted in increasing efficiency of nitrogen and gross energy utilization with increasing lysinel DE ratio up to the 1·0 g/MJ ratio after which it declined. Efficiency of lipid utilization decreased with increasing lysine/DE ratio for all 14·25 MJ/kg diets. The 16·40 MJ/kg diets resulted in a decrease in nitrogen and gross energy utilization efficiency with increasing lysine/DE ratio while lipid efficiency decreased up to the 1·0 g/MJ lysine/DE ratio after which it increased. Young hybrid pigs given high energy diets appear to be less sensitive to dietary lysine/DE ratio than those given lower energy diets. The optimum lysine/DE ratio for the genotype tested from 9 to 25 kg live weight was of the order of 1·2 g/MJ for both DE concentrations. The maximum DLWG and NDR of the genotype tested over the live-weight range of 9 to 25 kg appears to be of the order of 620 and 17 g/day (106 g/day protein deposition rate) respectively.


1971 ◽  
Vol 11 (49) ◽  
pp. 156 ◽  
Author(s):  
ES Batterham ◽  
FS Shenstone

The nutritive value of locally produced cottonseed meal, incorporated at a level of 10 per cent in wheat based diets, was compared with meat and bone meal and soybean meal for growing pigs. The effect of adding synthetic lysine to the cottonseed meal diet was also observed. The diets were fed at restricted rates and pig performance was assessed over the 18 to 45 kg, 45 to 73 kg, and 18 to 73 kg growth phases. Cottonseed meal was of similar nutritive value to meat and bone meal and the addition of lysine increased growth and feed conversion during the 18 to 45 kg growth phase. Soybean meal produced similar gains to the cottonseed meal plus lysine diet during the 18 to 45 kg range, but greater gains than the other three diets over the 18 to 73 kg range. Carcase quality was similar for all four diets. With cottonseed meal there was an increase in the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in the backfat of the pigs due to cyclopropene fatty acids in the residual oil in the meal. The metabolizable energy values of the diets were approximately 96.7 per cent of the digestible energy values and there was a significant correlation between them (r = 0.94). The correlation between digestible energy values estimated by the methods (gross energy in the feed X dry matter digestibility) and (gross energy in feed - gross energy in faeces/dry matter intake) was significant (r = 0.92).


1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Karalazos ◽  
D. Dotas ◽  
J. Bikos

Four castrated crossbred (Karagouniki♂ × Friesian♀) rams were used in a 4 × 4 Latin-square design to determine the apparent digestibility of four diets based on alfalfa hay and maize grain and containing varying proportions of whole cottonseed (WCS). The proportions of WCS studied were 0, 175, 355 and 530 g/kg diet dry matter (DM) and the respective apparent digestibility coefficients of DM were 0·744, 0·716, 0·689 and 0·625; of organic matter, 0·772, 0·739, 0·718 and 0·643; and of neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), 0·409, 0·481, 0·522 and 0·472. The gross energy (GE) apparent digestibility coefficients were 0·745, 0·722, 0·704 and 0·641, for the same order of treatments. The effect of the incorporation of WCS instead of maize grain in the diet in significantly reducing DM, OM and GE digestibility was evident. The lowest digestible energy value of WCS was observed in the treatment with the highest level of WCS.


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Livesy ◽  
I. R. Davies ◽  
J. C. Brown ◽  
R. M. Faulks ◽  
S. Southon

Apparent and partial digestible energy values for α-amylase (EC 3. 2. 1. 1)-resistant, retrograde starches, isolated from cooked maize and pea starches (RMS and RPS respectively), were determined in male Wistar rats (about 180 g) during a 28–29 d balance period with ten animals per treatment. The starches were provided as supplements (100 g/kg diet) to a semi-synthetic basal diet (B), and their effects on the apparent digestibilities of nitrogen and fat, and on gains of live weight, fat and lean tissue were examined. Diet B alone was the control; sucrose (Su) and Solka-floc cellulose (SFC) were also examined for reference. Apparent digestibilities for Su, SFC, RMS and RPS were 1.0, 0.16, 0.98 and 0.89 respectively. Whereas the apparent digestibilities of gross energy, N and fat in the diet were unaffected by supplementation with Su, each was decreased by supplementation with SFC, RMS and RPS. Partial digestible energy values calculated from the intakes and faecal losses of energy in the basal and supplemented diets were 15, 12.4 and 0.8 kJ/g for RMS, RPS and SFC respectively. These values were smaller than corresponding apparent digestible energy values calculated from the apparent digestibility of the supplement and its gross energy value. Only the Su and starch supplements increased the intake of apparent digestible energy and the gain of live weight. Both starches and Su increased total energy (and fat) deposition to almost similar extents. It is concluded that the resistant starches contribute significant dietary energy, enhance growth and elevate fat deposition to extents almost similar to Su.


Author(s):  
Angela Moss ◽  
D I Givens

The loss of digestible energy from ruminant feeds as methane gas is often assumed to be about 0.08 of gross energy (GE) intake. This represents a significant loss of feed energy and recently concern has been expressed about the importance of methane as a gas which contributes to global warming. As methane is a gaseous loss, its measurement requires specialised equipment. Therefore the metabolisable energy (ME) content of many feedstuffs is estimated using a predicted methane energy loss.


Author(s):  
J.A. Agunbiade ◽  
J. Wiseman ◽  
D.J.A. Cole

The use of full-fat rapeseed in non-ruminant animal feeding has for long been limited by the presence of anti-nutritive components. However, triple-low varieties have a considerable potential as a source of both protein and dietary energy in diets, although there is the need for precise information on the relative nutritive value of full-fat rapeseed and the resulting extracted oils and meals before they may be effectively and economically incorporated into animal diets.The rapeseed products evaluated comprised ground full-fat rapeseed (FFRS) extracted rapeseed meal (RSM) and rapeseed oil (RSO) all from a triple-low variety, Brassica campestris SVO 333, obtained from Dalgety-Panmure Co. Angus, U.K. The RSO, RSO plus RSM (ORSM) and FFRS were included to give levels of added oil of 40, 80 and 120 g/kg at the expense of the energy-yielding ingredients of the basal diet (Table 1). The RSM was incorporated into the basal at the same rates as in ORSM. All experimental diets were fed to 13 Landrace x (Landrace x Large White) gilts of 46kg average initial live weight in a metabolism trial conducted over four successive time periods. A ten-day acclimatisation in holding pens preceded a 5-day total collection of faeces (using indigo carmine as marker) and urine (facilitated by indwelling bladder catheter) in metabolism crates. The rapeseed products, diets, oven-dried faeces and freeze-dried urine were analysed for gross energy (GE) and (except urine) for oil content. Apparent digestible energy (DE) of test materials were derived by regression analysis. DE of oil was also derived indirectly as a product of oil digestibility and oil GE.


Author(s):  
M Gonzalez Yanez ◽  
R Mcginn ◽  
D H Anderson ◽  
A R Henderson ◽  
P Phillips

It Is claimed that the use of the correct enzyme system as an additive on grass silage will satisfactorily control the fermentation and reduce the cell-wall fibre content, thus preserving the nutrients In the silage and aiding their utilisation by the animal (Henderson and McDonald, 1977; Huhtanen et al, 1985; Raurama et al, 1987; Chamberlain and Robertson, 1989; Gordon, 1989;).The aim of the present experiment was to assess the effect of biological additives, enzymes or a combination of enzymes with an Inoculum of lactic acid bacteria, on the composition of silage and on its nutritive value when offered to store lambs as the sole constituent of their diet.On 1st June 1988, first cut perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) at pre-ear emergence was ensiled direct cut untreated (U), treated with a commercial enzyme (E) or with a commercial inoculum of lactic acid bacteria with enzymes (I) in 6t capacity bunker silos. The grass was cut with a mower and lifted with a New Holland precision chop forage harvester. The additives were pumped onto the grass using a dribble bar sited over the pick-up drum.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document