Effects of Protein and Roughage Sources in Total Mixed Ration on Voluntary Feed Intake, Nutrient Intake and Blood Metabolites in Black Bengal Goats

Background: Agricultural productivity in Southeast Asian countries are important to produce food for human, thus the first priority to improve agricultural productivity is feed and feeding in livestock, especially in ruminants when rice straw and Napier grass are used as the roughage sources; in addition, cassava leaves and Leucaena leaves can be used as the protein sources. Interestingly, the strategy to improve feed in ruminant is through the use of total mixed rations (TMR) which are produced by combination of roughages, concentrates, minerals, vitamins and additives. Methods: During the period 2020-2021 a study with 2 × 2 factorial, in 4 × 4 Latin square design with 21 days per period tested the following TMR’s T1- 5% urea treated rice straw with dried Leucaena leaves, T2- 5% urea treated rice with dried cassava leaves, T3- fermented napier grass with dried Leucaena leaves and the T4- fermented napier grass with dried cassava leaves on voluntary feed intake, nutrient intake and blood metabolites in Black Bengal goats. Result: All treatments did not affect voluntary feed intake (kgDM/head/day and % BW) (P greater than 0.05), but feeding with 5% urea treated rice with dried cassava leaves, it was non significantly higher (0.71 kgDM/day). Furthermore, nutrient intake of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and rumination were not affected among all the four treatments (P greater than 0.05). Additionally, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen and triglyceride concentrations in plasma were not influenced due to treatments (P greater than 0.05). Nevertheless, Feed cost (USD/kg) was reduced T3 and T4. In conclusion, feeding Black Bengal goat with fermented napier grass with dried Leucaena leaves and fermented napier grass with dried cassava leaves in the TMR were suitable because of the lowest price (0.13 USD/kg) when compared to the other treatments.

PSIV-B-27 Effect of feed flavour on the feeding behaviour and kinetics of daily feed intake of lactating high-prolific sows during summer

Increasing voluntary feed intake of the sow is a major challenge for nutritionists in tropical climate conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the dietary supplementation of a feed flavour for sows during lactation on their feeding behavior and kinetics of daily feed intake under tropical conditions. A total of 60 high-prolific mixed parity sows divided into 10 batches of 6 sows each were used, distributed in a completely randomized experimental design among 2 dietary treatments (0 or 500 g/ton of Krave®, Adisseo). The average meal size was 107 g/meal lower in sows fed the control diet when compared with flavour fed sows. Daily feed intake was greater in the flavored diet than in the control (6,417 vs. 5,362 g/d; P < 0.05). The flavor improved ingestion time (58.4 vs. 46.6 min/ d, respectively flavour and control; P < 0.05). Sows receiving flavor showed a higher nocturnal (704 vs. 583 g/meal) and diurnal (678 vs. 582 g/meal) feed intake. Sows also showed a higher voluntary intake between 00:00 and 10:00 am, which was equivalent to 83% of the total daily feed intake. From a comparison of hourly feed intakes or variations from hour to hour (during 24 h), the nycthemeral pattern of feed intake peaked twice daily for both dietary treatments. However, the size of the peak was greater (P < 0.05) for flavour fed sows when compared with the control at 0400 and 1900 h (Figure 1a). Diets also influenced on kinetics of daily feed intake during the lactation period.Feed intake was higher for the flavour fed sows from d 3 to 8 and from d 10 to 24 (Figure 1b; P < 0.05).In conclusion, the strategic use of a feed flavour to manipulate the sensorial properties of feed is a viable strategy to increase the sows’ voluntary feed intake.

340 Relationship of Retained Energy in Lactating Beef Cows to Maintenance Energy Requirement and voluntary Feed Intake

This study’s objective was to determine the relationship between retained energy, lactation maintenance energy requirement (MER), and dry period voluntary feed intake (VOL) in beef cows. Twenty-four mature fall-calving Angus cows were used in an 82-d study during lactation to establish maintenance energy requirements followed by a voluntary feed intake study after weaning. During the lactation MER experiment, cows were housed in 2 drylot pens and limit-fed a mixed hay/concentrate diet (17.8% CP, 2.6 Mcal/kg ME, DM basis) individually once per d in a stall barn. Cows were adapted to the diet and feeding management for the first 16 d. Subsequently, cows were weighed and feed allowance adjusted at 14-d intervals to achieve BW and BCS stasis. Milk yield and composition were determined on d – 10, 49, and 77 using a milking machine. Retained energy was calculated as average daily maternal tissue energy change plus average daily milk energy yield. During the post-weaning VOL experiment, cows were provided ad libitum access to a grass hay diet for 41 d (8.15% CP, 1.8 Mcal/kg ME, DM basis) using five individual feed intake monitoring units (SmartFeed, C-Lock, Inc). Each one unit increase in metabolizable energy intake, kcal/kg BW0.75 was associated with a 0.86 ± 0.28 kcal/kg BW0.75 increase in total retained energy (P = 0.005). Using this partial efficiency coefficient, ME required for maintenance declined by 0.80 ± 0.11 kcal ME/kg BW0.75 for each additional kcal net energy retained/kg BW0.75 (P < 0.0001). There was no relationship between lactation-period retained energy and post-weaning VOL forage dry matter intake. The present study results contradict previous reports suggesting that maintenance requirements increase with increasing productivity.

Freshwater-adapted sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax feeding frequency impact in a lettuce Lactuca sativa aquaponics system

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of three daily fish feeding frequencies, two, four and eight times per day (FF2, FF4, and FF8, respectively) on growth performance of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)and lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa) reared in aquaponics. 171 juvenile sea bass with an average body weight of 6.80 ± 0.095 g were used, together with 24 lettuce plants with an average initial height of 11.78 ± 0.074 cm over a 45-day trial period. FF2 fish group showed a significantly lower final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate than the FF4 and FF8 groups. Voluntary feed intake was similar for all the three feeding frequencies treatmens (p > 0.05). No plant mortality was observed during the 45-day study period. All three aquaponic systems resulted in a similar leaf fresh weight and fresh and dry aerial biomass. The results of the present study showed that the FF4 or FF8 feeding frequency contributes to the more efficient utilization of nutrients for better growth of sea bass adapted to fresh water while successfully supporting plant growth to a marketable biomass.

Effects of the Inclusion of Fermented Mulberry Leaves and Branches in the Gestational Diet on the Performance and Gut Microbiota of Sows and Their Offspring

Fermented feed mulberry (FFM), being rich in dietary fiber, has not been fully evaluated to be used in sow’s diet. In this study, we investigated the effects of 25.5% FFM supplemented in gestation diets on the performance and gut microbiota of sows and their offspring. Results showed that the serum concentration of glucose, progesterone, and estradiol were not affected by the dietary treatment, while the level of serum insulin and fecal short chain fatty acid were both reduced in FFM group on gestation day 60 (G60, p < 0.05). Additionally, FFM increased both voluntary feed intake and weaning litter weight (p < 0.05), while decreased the losses of both Backfat thickness and bodyweight throughout lactation (p < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequencing showed FFM supplementation significantly increased the diversity and relative abundance of sows’ fecal microbiota on G60 (p < 0.05). The differential microbiota for sows from FFM group was that Bacteroidetes was increased on G60 while Firmicutes were decreased on Lactation day 7 (L7, p < 0.05), and which for the FFM piglets was that both unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae on L0 and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae on L7 were increased (p < 0.05). In short, FFM can be recognized as a potential feed ingredient used in sow’s diet.

Reduction of cat voluntary feed intake in the short-term response to the sugar cane fibre supplementation

Obesity is a well-known syndrome of excessive body fat in cats (Felis catus) that affects the health, welfare and lifespan of animals. Consequently, different diet strategies aiming to reduce voluntary feed intake in cats have been studied. One of these consists in reducing energy intake based on reduction of feed intake. Several clinical studies have demonstrated that dietary fibre inclusion in food reduced efficiently voluntary feed intake (VFI) in dogs. However, little clinical data is available regarding the impact of dietary fibre inclusion on cat’s feeding behaviours and VFI. The aim of the current study was to test the performance of sugar cane fibre included at three different levels in extruded feline diets. The main purpose was to measure the impact of fibre inclusion on the cats’ VFI, while maintaining palatability. Four feline diets were formulated with different inclusion levels of sugar cane fibre expressed on an as fed basis (0% sugar cane fibre (control), 3.7% of sugar cane fibre (SF3.7), 5.5% of sugar cane fibre (SF5.5) and 7.3% sugar cane fibre (SF7.3)). The VFI and palatability were evaluated in two different methods: a new method using 79 cats, called ‘consumption kinetics’ based on the dynamic measure of cat’s daily consumptions in ad libitum conditions providing information about cat’s feeding pattern, and the standard palatability two-bowl (versus) test using more than 30 cats. All foods had identical palatability performance, regardless of sugar cane fibre inclusion level, while the VFI of products containing 5.5% and 7.3% sugar cane fibre decreased significantly compared to the control diet. The level of supplementation of sugar cane fibre was efficient to reduce felines VFI without impairing food palatability level, and may be a useful ingredient to add to feline diets to improve the success of the weight management programs.

232 Reduced growth performance during viral challenge primarily results from disease hypophagia

Reductions in voluntary feed intake during disease, or disease hypophagia, is a common phenotype observed in nearly all species. However, the extent to which disease hypophagia explains attenuated pig performance during disease is poorly defined. The objective of this study was to describe the extent to which hypophagia explains pig performance during a Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus challenge. Twenty-four PRRS naïve barrows (12.8 ± 0.73 kg BW; Landrace x Large White, PIC) were selected, blocked by body weight, and allotted across three treatments (n=8/trt): 1) PRRS-naïve, ad libitum fed (Ad), 2) PRRS-inoculated, ad libitum fed (PRRS), and 3) PRRS-naïve, pair-fed daily to the PRRS pigs (PF) to mimic disease feed intake. All pigs were individually penned and after a 4-day acclimation, on days post inoculation (dpi) 0, PRRS pigs were inoculated with PRRS virus. Over 7 dpi, daily feed intake and body temperatures (BT), and 7 day ADG, ADFI, and G:F were assessed. Over the 7-day challenge period, a treatment x time interaction (P &lt; 0.0001) was reported for ADFI in which PRRS and PF pigs’ ADFI was reduced by 51% compared with Ad pigs. Compared with Ad pigs, PRRS and PF pigs end BW was reduced by 23% (P = 0.004). The Ad pigs had greater ADG compared with PF and PRRS pigs (0.64, 0.12, -0.04 g/d, respectively, P &lt; 0.0001). Overall G:F was reduced by 112% and 53% in the PRRS and PF pigs, respectively, compared with Ad pigs (P &lt; 0.0001). A treatment x dpi effect was reported in core BT, in which PF pigs; BTs reduced over time compared with Ad and PRRS pigs (38.7, 39.4, 39.6 °C, respectively, P = 0.001). In summary, disease hypophagia explains much of the reduced growth observed during PRRS challenge.

Effect of the Inclusion of Different Levels of Dietary Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) on Gilts’ Biochemical Parameters and Feed Intake during Lactation

The regulation of sows’ metabolic state during the gestation-lactation transition is a requirement for a higher feed intake in lactation, an important aspect in improving animal welfare in current swine production systems. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of different cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) levels in the diet of gilts during late gestation and lactation on their biochemical parameters and voluntary feed intake during lactation. From day 85 of gestation until weaning, 40 gilts were divided into four groups: GNC (group with no cactus) with a basal diet (BD) only, G1C; group with 1% inclusion of cactus plus BD, G2C; group with 1.5% inclusion of cactus plus BD, and G3C; group with 2% inclusion of cactus plus BD. The dietary cactus supplementation increased the gilts’ feed intake (by 1.04 kg/day on average) during lactation and reduced their weight loss (4.3%) at weaning. The glucose concentrations were higher (range 73.0–83.9 mg/dL) in the GNC. The GNC had the highest triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations at day 100 of gestation. G3C had the highest osteocalcin concentration at day 100 of gestation. The highest feed intake and lowest glucose concentration were achieved with a cactus consumption of 1.04% in lactating gilts.