Energy utilization for maintenance and growth in preruminant kid goats and lambs

Abstract

Energy metaboclism of the Granadina kid goat and the Segureña lamb was analysed by an experiment on different feeding levels and comparative slaughter. The metabolizable energy (ME) intake, total energy retention, energy retained as protein and energy retained as fat were determined in both kinds of animal for their first 2 months of life. ME requirements for maintenance, ME efficiencies for energy retention and ME intake values at which protein retention and fat deposition begin to occur were estimated by the regression method. The estimated ME requirements for maintenance and ME efficiencies for energy retention were: 456 kJ per kg 0.75 per day and 0.55 for kid goats, and 393 kJ per kg 0.75 per day and 0.54 for lambs, respectively. Values of ME intake at which protein retention and fat deposition begin to occur were: 258 and 575 kJ per kg 0.75 per day for kid goats, and 428 and 362 kJ per kg 0.75 per day for lambs, respectively. According to the results obtained, it was deduced that kid goats compared with lambs show a higher ME requirement for maintenance together with a higher partial efficiency of ME utilization for protein retention and a lower partial efficiency of ME utilization for fat deposition.