Metabolic changes and nutrient repletion in lambs provided with electrolyte solutions before and after feed and water deprivation.

Abstract

Providing feeder calves and lambs with electrolyte solutions before and(or) after a transport period could potentially reduce tissue shrink and speed repletion of nutrients and weight that are lost during transport. This trial was conducted to determine metabolic changes and nutrient repletion in lambs provided with electrolyte solutions before and after feed and water deprivation. Solutions were 1) deionized water, 2) ES1 (g/10 L: NaCl, 2.0; K carbonate, 2.8; Mg sulfate.7H2O, 2.0; equal mixture of amino acids [Lys, Thr, Phe, His, Trp, Met, Leu, Ile, and Val], .45; and phosphoric acid to pH 7.0), 3) ES2 (twice the concentrations as in ES1), and ES3 (g/10 L: NaCl 2.0; K carbonate, 8.0; Mg sulfate.7H2O, 4.0; amino acid mixture from ES1, .45; and phosphoric acid to pH 7.0). Eight Suffolk x Hampshire crossbred lambs (average BW 35 +/- 2 kg) were used in an 8 x 8 Latin square design with treatments arranged in a 2 x 4 factorial. Main treatments consisted of two deprivation electrolyte solutions (deionized water or ES1) and four realimentation electrolyte solutions (deionized water, ES1, ES2, and ES3). Lambs were limit-fed (600 g/d, as-fed basis) before and after a 3-d feed and water deprivation phase. Lambs provided the ES1 solution during the pre-deprivation phase had greater (P < .05) Na, Mg, Zn retention during the pre-deprivation phase, had greater (P < .05) Na and Mg losses during the 3-d deprivation phase, and greater (P < .05) cumulative Na, Cu, and Fe retentions than lambs given deionized water during the pre-deprivation phase. Compared to lambs provided water, lambs provided the ES1 solution during the realimentation phase had greater Na retention but similar K, Mg, and water retentions. However, when the concentration of electrolytes in the solution was doubled (i.e., ES2 solution), Na, K, and Mg retentions were increased (P < .05) compared with those of lambs provided deionized water or the ES1 solution. These results suggest that as the length or severity of the stress period increases, the concentration of electrolytes in the electrolyte solution may need to be increased to improve nutrient balance.