scholarly journals Functional diversity vs monotony: The effect of a multi-forage diet as opposed to a single forage diet on animal intake, performance, welfare, and urinary nitrogen excretion

Author(s):  
K Garrett ◽  
M R Beck ◽  
C J Marshall ◽  
A E Fleming ◽  
C M Logan ◽  
...  

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of offering animals a multi-forage choice of fresh herbages on dry matter intake (DMI), live weight gain and animal welfare, in comparison with a monotonous diet of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Twenty ram lambs [30.5 ± 0.9 kg initial live weight; mean ± standard error of the mean], were randomly allocated to either a diet consisting of diverse multi-forage choice (MF) or a single forage ryegrass (SF) diet (n = 10 per treatment) for 35 days. Both diets were fed ad libitum; however, the MF diet was composed of set dry matter ratios of: 24% chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), 30% lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), 25% plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), and 21% ryegrass. The DMI of the MF lambs was 48% greater (P < 0.01) and the within animal day-to-day coefficient of variation (CV) of intake was 26% lower (P < 0.01) than the SF lambs. The average daily gain (ADG) of lambs offered the MF diet was 92% greater (P < 0.01) than the lambs offered the SF diet. The within animal day-to-day CV of intake was negatively related with ADG (r = -0.59: P < 0.01). The MF lamb’s urinary N concentration was 30% lower (P < 0.01) than that of the SF lambs. The SF lambs spent more time (P < 0.05) exhibiting stereotypic behaviors in the afternoon and spent more time observing other animals than the MF. Overall, allocating a multi-forage choice of fresh herbages as opposed to a single forage diet of ryegrass increases DMI and thereby animal performance, while potentially reducing urinary N excretion.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-111
Author(s):  
N. N. Umunna ◽  
W. R. Woods ◽  
T. J. Klopfenstein

THE influence of casein on urea-nitrogen utilization by cattle was investigated in two studies. In a fattening study, the inclusion of casein to a soybean meal (SBM) or urea-supplemented ration depressed both average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (P<.05}. Casein addition, on the other hand, significantly (P <.05 increased rumen :ammonia concentration. The second and metabolism study involved the use of identical rations as in the fattening study. Cattle fed rations with casein did not show any significant decrease in nitrogen retention as compared to cattle fed rations without casein. However, there was a non-significant drop in nitrogen retention, and an increase in urinary nitrogen excretion attributable to casein. Ruminal histamine observed for steers on the fattening study was higher than that noted for steers on the metabolism study. Part of the poor performance of steers on the casein diets could be attributed to the higher urinary nitrogen excreted and the elevated ruminal histamine levels observed.


1967 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Brown ◽  
A.R. Main

The nitrogen requirements of some female euros (Macropus robustus) were determined by means of nitrogen balance feeding trials. The average minimum dietary nitrogen requirement for the maintenance of nitrogen equilibrium was 1.99 g/day or 309 mg/day per kgW*0.73. The metabolic faecal nitrogen output of the euros, determined indirectly, was estimated to be 0.27 g/100 g dry matter intake. The minimum digestible nitrogen requirements of the euros were 160 mg/day per kgW*0.73, equivalent to approximately 1 g digestible nitrogen per day. The minimum urinary nitrogen excretion of the euros, at dietary nitrogen intakes of approximately 1 g/day, was an average of 34 mg/day per kgW*0.73. Comparison of the results obtained with data for eutherian species reported in the literature indicates that the nitrogen requirements and urinary nitrogen excretion of this species is markedly less than that of eutherian species. The results are briefly discussed in relation to survival of the euro in the arid environment of the Pilbara district of Western Australia.


1960 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. N. Majumdar

1. EUN and MFN excretions have been determined in goats on a N-low ration and also on a N-free ration. The values obtained were,EUN = 0·052 g./kg. live weight andMFN = 0·41 g./100 g. dry-matter feed intake.2. The values so determined with the two feeding regimens, for both the EUN and MFN agreed very closely.3. The minimum protein requirement of goats for maintenance, as calculated from the EUN value, is 0·65 lb./1000 lb. live weight.4. The formula for calculating the utilizable protein requirement for this species is found to be P = 0·89. W0.734, and is almost identical with the one given by Mitchell.5. The usefulness of the above formula in predicting the EUN of immature goats is discussed.


1981 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. N. Umunna ◽  
C. N. Chineme ◽  
D. I. Saror ◽  
A. Ahmed ◽  
S. Abed

SUMMARYThe effects of various lengths of water deprivation were studied with Yankasa sheep fed either a high roughage or a high concentrate diet in two experiments. Water was given once in 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Free water intake decreased linearly (P < 0·01) as the period of water deprivation increased but feed intake was not similarly affected. There was a marked decrease in live-weight gain and consequently a decline in feed efficiency (kg gain/kg feed). In the metabolism study, there was a tendency towards reduced mean faecal and urinary nitrogen excretion, faecal moisture content and increased mean nitrogen retention and nitrogen and dry-matter digestibilities as the period of deprivation increased. Rams given water once in 72 and 96 h were very inactive and dull and one and three rams respectively, died of severe dehydration from those treatments in Expt 2.


2011 ◽  
Vol 149 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. R. HERLING ◽  
C. G. S. PEDREIRA ◽  
P. H. DE C. LUZ ◽  
G. J. BRAGA ◽  
W. A. MARCHESIN ◽  
...  

SUMMARYHerbage allowance (HA) impacts performance of grazing cattle as well as sward structure and herbage yield. The objective of the current study was to compare average daily gain (ADG) of Nellore steers on Marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex A. Rich.) Stapf. cv. Marandu) pastures in response to HA. Treatments were applied as 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg dry matter (DM) per 100 kg live weight (LW) per day HA5, HA10, HA15 and HA20), in rotationally stocked pastures under a 35-day grazing cycle (28 days of rest and 7 days of grazing). The trial was carried out in Pirassununga, Brazil, during two summer seasons in 2003 and 2004, each divided into four grazing cycles. Individual animal (250 kg yearling steers) gain increased with HA up to HA15 (mean=0·69 kg/head per day) during each of four grazing cycles per year. The 2-year gain per area was greater for HA5 and HA10 than for HA15 and HA20 and average stocking rate was 9·6, 6·7, 5·4 and 4·6 head/ha for HA5 to HA20, respectively. In addition to the effects of HA on ADG, changes in sward structure, especially sward height, help to explain variation in daily gain in both years. The HA10 treatment provides higher gain per area without excessively reducing individual animal performance, and thus may be the level of choice for optimizing animal output in pasture-only systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 155 (4) ◽  
pp. 669-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. CHENG ◽  
J. MCCORMICK ◽  
A. N. HUSSEIN ◽  
C. LOGAN ◽  
D. PACHECO ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe objective of the present study was to investigate live weight (LW) gain, urinary nitrogen (UN) excretion and urination behaviour of dairy heifers grazing pasture, chicory and plantain in autumn and spring. The study comprised a 35-day autumn trial (with a 7-day acclimation period) and a 28-days spring trial (with a 7-day acclimation period). For each trial, 56 Friesian × Jersey heifers were blocked into five dietary treatments balanced for their LW and breeding worth (i.e. genetic merit of a cow for production and reproduction): 1·00 perennial ryegrass–white clover pasture (PA); 1·00 chicory (CH); 1·00 plantain (PL); 0·50 pasture + 0·50 chicory (PA + CH); and 0·50 pasture + 0·50 plantain (PA + PL). A fresh allocation of the herbage was offered every 3 days with allowance calculated according to feed requirement for maintenance plus gain of 1·0 kg LW/day. In both trials, LW gain was lower on CH than other treatments. In the spring trial, UN concentration and UN excretion were lower in CH and PL than other treatments. In autumn, a higher urination frequency was observed over the first 6 h after forage allocation in CH and PA + CH than other treatments. Data from the present study indicate that feeding CH alone limited heifer LW gain. However, heifers grazing swards containing chicory (CH and PA + CH) and plantain (PL and PA + PL) had the potential to lower nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching from soil compared with heifers grazing PA, by reducing N loading in urine patches.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-551
Author(s):  
T.S. Brand ◽  
J. Van der Merwe ◽  
L.C. Hoffman

Canola meal (CM) is a locally produced protein source that may be less expensive than soybean meal (SBM). This study evaluated the effects of replacing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% SBM with CM in diets for slaughter ostriches. The CM was added at the expense of SBM and other concentrates, with minor changes in other ingredients. Birds (n = 15 per treatment) were reared from 77 to 337 days old on the trial diets, which were supplied ad libitum for starter, grower, and finisher phases. Bodyweights and feed intake were measured during these phases. No differences (P >0.05) were found between treatments for live weight at the end of each phase, dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) over all the growth phases. Although no differences were observed in live weight at the end of each phase, the birds reared on the diet with 50% CM were heaviest at slaughter, and birds reared with 100% CM were lightest (P <0.05). Differences (P <0.05) between diets were observed for the weight at slaughter, weights of the liver and thyroid glands and the pH of the cold carcass. However, no differences (P >0.05) were observed between diets for fat pad weight, dressing percentage, and weights of thighs and Muscularis gastrocnemius. The results indicate that CM could replace SBM in the diets of slaughter ostriches without affecting production traits and slaughter yields.Keywords: alternative protein, average daily gain, canola, dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, growth, ostrich nutrition, production


1957 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Cunningham ◽  
G. J. Brisson

Daily observations were made on the fecal and urinary nitrogen excretions of four calves fed nitrogen-free diets during the second and fifth weeks after birth. The endogenous urinary nitrogen excretion was equivalent to 65.3 mg. per kg. of body weight (W) per day or 186 mg. per kg. W0.72. The metabolic fecal nitrogen excretion averaged 44.0 mg. per kg. of body weight per day or 0.334 per cent of the dry matter intake.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 858-865
Author(s):  
Clóvis Ribeiro Guimarães ◽  
Rafael Alves de Azevedo ◽  
Mariana Magalhães Campos ◽  
Fernanda Samarini Machado ◽  
Alexandre Mendonça Pedroso ◽  
...  

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of reducing crude protein (CP) contents in diets with a constant metabolizable protein content on the intake, performance, nitrogen balance, and nutrient digestibility of lactating Holstein-Gyr cows. Animals (n = 24, 103±23 days in milk) were allocated to four treatments (n = 6 per group) with different CP contents: 127, 132, 139, and 156 g kg-1 dry matter (DM). DM intake was not affected by treatments. CP intake and digestibility increased linearly with higher CP contents. Milk yield (23.7±3 kg per day) and the percentages of milk protein (3.3±0.2%) and fat (3.8±0.5%) were not affected by CP reduction. Milk and blood urea nitrogen increased linearly with the increase of CP in the diet, similarly to urinary nitrogen excretion. Nitrogen use efficiency was 29.8 and 22.4% when CP was 127 and 156 g kg-1 DM, respectively. Reducing CP in diets fed to mid-lactating Holstein-Gyr cows increases nitrogen use efficiency and maintains the productive performance of the cows.


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