scholarly journals Nitrogen balance studies with the milk-fed lamb

1967 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Walker ◽  
L. J. Cook ◽  
K. T. Jagusch

1. Thirty-three cross-bred lambs were given reconstituted dried whole cow's milk from 1 week of age at different levels of intake and at different frequencies of feeding.2. Feeding frequency had no effect on live-weight gain, N retention or total body composition.3. Lambs given two feeds daily had significantly heavier abomasums than pair-fed lambs given six feeds daily.4. The weights of fat, protein (N x 6.25) and water in the body were closely related to empty body weight; body composition (% of empty body) was not significantly affected by the level of milk intake or by the rate of growth.5. Live-weight gain was closely related to energy intake (r = +0.99) and to N retention (r = +0.97). A live-weight gain of 100 g was associated with an intake of 511 kcal and a N retention of 2.28 g N.

1969 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Gunn

SUMMARYA subclinical calcium or phosphorus dietary deficiency on many hill pastures and a relationship between this and the premature loss of permanent incisor teeth are postulated. The effects of small individual supplements of calcium (12 g calcium carbonate suspended in water) or phosphorus (13 g monosodium phosphate in solution) supplied three times a week between mid-February and the end of May to Scottish Blackface ewes which grazed reseeded pasture in April and May were compared with those of no mineral supplement and with those of no mineral supplementon hill pastures throughout.Neither supplement had any significant effect on the number or weights of lambs born or reared on reseeded pastures. Both resulted in significantly greater ewe live-weight gain during the treatment period, in a significant improvement in the firmness and permanence of the incisor teeth, and in significantly higher serum Ca levels during lactation. All effects increased with advancing age.The use of hill pastures during late pregnancy and early lactation without any mineral supplement could result in significantly poorer ewe live-weight gain during the treatment period depending on season. This was also associated with significantly lighter single lambs at 6 weeks and with slower deterioration of the incisor teeth.It is suggested that minerals lost from the body during lactation on reseeded pastures are not replaced during the autumn recovery period on hill pastures and that a gradual depletion occurs throughout life, leading possibly to demineralization of the alveolar bone and premature loss of the incisor teeth. It is suggested that this is indicative of a higher mineral requirement for maintenance of the permanent dentition than is necessary for normal acceptable growth andreproductive performance. Mineral content of hill herbage may therefore be too low to supply requirements at the levels of OM intake normal on hill pastures.


1978 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Williams ◽  
I. McDonald ◽  
I. Bremner

1. The amounts of copper and zinc in the foetuses of ewes carrying from one to four lambs were measured at different stages of gestation and estimates were made of the amounts of these metals in their livers.2. The accretion of Cu and Zn could be described by growth equations of the Gompertz form, from which could be derived estimates of the instantaneous and fractional rates of deposition of these metals in the foetal body.3. Between the 80th and 144th day of gestation the instantaneous rates of deposition of the metals increased exponentially, and at the end of pregnancy were calculated to be 0.24 and 2.0 mg Cu and Zn/d respectively in the triplet lamb foetus. The corresponding total accretions were estimated to be 10 and 69 mg respectively.4. The fractional rates of live-weight gain and of deposition of Cu were similar and decreased at similar rates; that of Zn deposition decreased much more slowly.5. The proportion of whole-body Cu estimated to be in the liver was always greater than 50 %. The amount of Zn in the liver remained constant and contributed 72 % of the total body Zn at 80 d but only 8 % at 144d.6. The relative amounts of Cu and of Zn accrued per unit body-weight gain were not constant during the development of the foetus. As foetal numbers increased the amounts of each metal deposited in the foetus decreased more rapidly than did foetal weight.7. The results are discussed in relation to the demands for Cu and Zn during pregnancy in sheep.


1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yilala ◽  
M. J. Bryant

ABSTRACTTwo experiments are described in which individually-penned Suffolk × (Blue-faced Leicester × Swaledale) lambs were given complete diets based on grass silage, and voluntary intake, live-weight gain and nitrogen (N) retention were measured.Experiment 1 investigated the effects of supplements of fish meal (0, 60 and 120 g/kg diet dry matter (DM)) and barley (0, 150 and 300 g/kg diet DM) in a 3 × 3 design using 72 lambs. The lambs averaged 35 kg live weight at the start of the 47-day experiment. Fish-meal supplements increased daily intakes of diet DM, silage DM and metabolizable energy (ME), and improved daily gains, carcass weights and N retention. Barley supplements increased daily intakes of diet DM and ME, but reduced silage DM intake; live-weight gain, carcass weight and N retention were all improved.Experiment 2 investigated the effects of supplements of rapeseed meal (0 and 120 g/kg diet DM) in two forms (untreated and formaldehyde-treated) and barley (0 and 150 g/kg diet DM) in a 2 × 2 × 2 design with two missing treatments and using 48 lambs. The lambs averaged 39 kg live weight at the start of the 42-day experiment. Rapeseed meal supplements increased daily intakes of diet DM, silage DM and ME, and improved daily gains, carcass weights and N retention. Form of rapeseed meal had no effect. Barley increased diet DM and ME intakes and improved daily gains and carcass weights.


1957 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. W. Spedding ◽  
T. H. Brown

1. The live-weight gain of lambs initially infected at five different levels was compared with that of similar but worm-free animals, under conditions of set-stocking at a high rate per acre.2. Over a period of 9 months the worm-free controls gained 67·7% more weight than the total infected group, but the live-weight gains of the five levels did not appear to be related to their original infection or to their egg counts.3. Although a few nematode eggs were detected in the faeces of some control lambs, reinfection was negligible under the conditions of this experiment.4. It was concluded that a marked depression of productivity may be associated with an egg count as low as 114 e.p.g. in sheep 4–7 months of age.


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Yan ◽  
J. E. Cook ◽  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
W. E. Ivings ◽  
T. T. Treacher

AbstractTo examine the possibility of reducing milk substitute costs in artificial rearing of goat kids, 36 castrated male Saanen kids at 2 days of age were randomly allocated across six treatments in a 2×3 factorial design experiment. Milk substitute was provided for the kids over a period of 28 or 39 days, and daily levels of milk substitute dry matter (DM) intake were 0·140,0·176 or 0·272 kg.Increasing the level of milk substitute offered had no significant effect on intake of concentrate up to weaning, but did significantly reduce the total intake of concentrate through to slaughter. Weaning after 39 days, as opposed to 28 days, also significantly reduced the total intake of concentrates. However, there was no difference when the same total quantity of milk substitute was consumed over different periods. Increasing the daily intake of milk substitute significantly increased daily live-weight gain to weaning, but tended to increase the time taken by kids to regain their weaning weight following cessation of milk substitute intake. However, milk substitute level and weaning age did not significantly affect overall daily live-weight gain or the length of time taken to reach 28 kg.Eight additional kids were slaughtered at 2 days of age to develop regression equations relating initial body composition to live weight. These relationships were similar to others published for 2-day-old Saanen kids. Treatments had no significant effect on overall rates of fat, crude protein, water, ash and energy gain or on final body composition, carcass weight or carcass composition when kids were slaughtered at a live weight of 28 kg. These data suggest that savings in milk substitute may be achieved by reducing the weaning age and/or the daily intake level.


1978 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Broster ◽  
T. Smith ◽  
J. W. Siviter ◽  
E. Schuller ◽  
Valerie J. Broster

SUMMARYFive experiments were made to observe the effect on nitrogen (N) utilization by young cattle of supplements of sucrose, glucose monohydrate (dextrose), and maize starch when added to basal diets of concentrates and straw. The supplements provided about 12% of the total intake of air-dry food. Twenty-four yearling Friesian heifers were used in each of two randomized block experiments to measure live-weight gain, and 6, 10 and 10 yearling Friesian steers in three changeover design experiments to measure N retention.Rates of live-weight gain and N retention were increased by all the supplements amongst which no order of superiority in benefit conferred could be established. The improvement in N retention was associated with a marked reduction in urinary N and a small increase in faecal N with supplemented rations.The proportions of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in rumen fluid were not affected by starch supplementation. Both sugars, but glucose more than sucrose, decreased the ratio of acetic to propionic acid, measured 2 h after feeding.Statistically significant multiple linear regression equations were observed between N retained and intakes of N and digestible organic matter (DOM), both as absolute amounts with live weight as a further independent variate, and as intakes/unit metabolic body size. N2and DOM × N as additional variates did not benefit the fit of the equations over the range of intakes studied.


Author(s):  
S. Alexandrova ◽  
A. Bakharev ◽  
O. Simonov ◽  
E. Renev ◽  
S. Shabaldin ◽  
...  

Under the environments of the Tyumen region a scientific and research work has been carried out, including an assessment of the influence of antimicrobial substances: colloidal silver, antibiotics and organic acids on the body of broiler chickens. The purpose of the work was to evaluate the influence of antimicrobial substances on the productivity of broiler chickens. The research and laboratory experiment has been carried out in the laboratory of the Northern Trans-Ural Scientific and Research Institute of the Tyumen Scientific Center of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences on chickens of the cross ArborAykrs+. Chickens at the daily age have been distributed according to the principle of balanced groups-analogues. The period of chicken rearing was 35 days, during the same period the analysis of the studied antimicrobial substances has been performed. The composition of the test substances was included colloidal silver 10 μg/l, antibiotics (Pulsoceril, Enronite) and the mixture of organic acids (Agrofeed) at the dose of 0,4 ml/l. The results have shown that chickens that have been watered colloidal silver had the gain of live weight for the period of rearing 1850,94 g or lower than chickens in the control group. At the same time, broiler chickens with watering of antibiotics and organic acids exceeded the control group’s analogues. For example chickens of the 1st experimental group where colloidal silver has been watered at the dose of 10 mcg/l every day had the live weight gain during the rearing period lower by 15,56 g and the average daily live weight gain of 0,45 g than chickens of the control group. At the same time broilers of the 2nd experimental group (with antibiotics) and the 3rd experimental group (with organic acids) had the higher gain of live weight during the rearing period by 56,61 and 95,23 g, respectively, compared to the control group. The average daily gain diff erences were 1,62 and 2,72 g. Indicators of morphological and biochemical composition of blood of experimental groups of broiler chickens indicated that they were within the limits of the corresponding physiological norms. At the same time, there were some changes on the part of both red and white blood, which seems to be related not only to the body’s response to feeding, but also to the biochemical processes within the body.


1990 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. J. van Houtert ◽  
H. B. Perdok ◽  
R. A. Leng

ABSTRACTGrowing heifers (experiment 1) and wether lambs (experiments 2 and 3) were offered ammoniated cereal straw with or without a protein meal. The effects of supplementation with long-chain fatty acids (LCFA; as calcium salts of LCFA (CaLCFA) or fat prills) on nutrient utilization were studied.Intake of the basal diet (g/kg live weight) was unaffected by the protein meal, but was often reduced by supplementation with LCFA, especially fat prills. Live-weight gain was increased both by supplementation with protein meal and CaLCFA. Fat prills only increased live-weight gain in the presence of protein meal and depressed live-weight gain in the absence of protein meal. There were small differences between the two sources of LCFA in their apparent effects on rumen fermentation.Supplementation with protein meal increased relative protein content (P < 0·05) and tended to increase water content (P > 0·05) in the wethers in experiment 3 (corrected to equal empty-body weight at slaughter). Of the LCFA, only CaLCFA tended to increase relative body fat content (by proportionately 0·23; (P > 0·05) but decreased relative protein and water content by 0·05 and 0·06 (P < 0·05).Supplementation of straw-based diets with as little as 20 g CaLCFA per kg food dry matter improved live-weight gain and efficiency of nutrient utilization of ruminants, particularly when offered in combination with a protein meal. There appeared to be marked differences in the effects of CaLCFA and fat prills on food intake, productivity and to some extent body composition.


1969 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Mudd ◽  
W. C. Smith ◽  
D. G. Armstrong

SUMMARYThree gilts and three castrated males weighing 23 kg live weight were given four semi-synthetic diets containing increasing amounts of Ca and P. The Ca and P contents (% dry basis) and Ca:P ratios for the four diets were A, 0·30, 0·38, 1:1·27; B, 0·58, 0·68, 1:1·17; C, 0·94, 1·13, l:l·20; D, 1·16, 1·47, 1:1·27. Each animal was slaughtered at 41 kg live weight and the whole body contents of Ca and P determined. Six pigs were slaughtered at 23 kg live weight and their bodies also analysed for Ca and P contents. Dietary concentration of Ca and P did not influence rate or efficiency of live weight gain nor carcass characteristics. Net retention of Ca and P increased with increasing dietary concentration of these elements. Analyses of isolated femurs suggested that optimal mineralization of the bone was associated with a net retention of 8·2 g Ca/kg live weight gain. The data were used to calculate a value of 32·9 mg/kg live weight/day for the endogenous loss of Ca in pigs of 23–41 kg body weight. The values have been used to compute a mineral requirement of dietary calcium which is in excellent agreement with that derived from estimates in the literature.


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