Crude Protein Intake Research Articles

Protein Supplementation Improves Performance of Lambs Fed Low-Quality Forage.

Simple SummaryIn Jordan and in the Middle East, both quantity and quality of forage have declined in recent decades. Livestock producers have thus tended to use plant protein supplements such as soybean meal to correct for protein deficiencies. In this study, soybean meal supplementation improved the performance of lambs fed low-quality forage.The objective was to investigate the effect of supplementing Awassi lambs fed low-quality forage with soybean meal. Twenty-one lambs (initial body weight (BW) of 26.1 ± 2.57 kg) were randomly assigned to the study diets, 1) the basal diet (forage mix; CON; n = 7); 2) the basal diet supplemented with either 125 (SBM125; n = 7); or 3) with 250 (SBM250; n = 7) SBM g/head/day. The forage mix was composed of 65% wheat straw and 35% alfalfa hay. The experimental diet was offered to the animals for 54 days. On day 40, four animals from each group were chosen to assess N balance and nutrient digestibility. The intake of crude protein (CP) and dry matter (DM) was the highest (p < 0.016) in the SBM250 group, followed by the SBM125 group and the CON diet. Digestibility of DM and CP was higher (p <0.05) for the SBM-containing diets than the CON diet. Final BW and average daily gain were greater (p < 0.008) for lambs that consumed SBM-containing diets than for those that consumed the CON diet. In summary, the growth performance, forage utilization, and nutrient digestibility improved for lambs fed low-quality forage when supplemented with soybean meal.

Use of Fecal Indices as a Non-Invasive Tool for Nutritional Evaluation in Extensive-Grazing Sheep

Simple SummaryTo adequately manage ruminants in extensive grazing, it is important to have non-invasive techniques to evaluate their nutritional status. Some of these techniques are based on the use of fecal indicators, such as the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and 2,6-diaminopimelic acid. These indices have been used in some species of wild ungulates, but their use has been limited in domestic ruminants. Hence, this research proposes the evaluation of fecal indices, as predictors of intake of dry matter, nitrogen and phosphorus in sheep that graze on Mediterranean annual grasslands.The aim of the present study was to assess the reliability of fecal indices as predictors of nutrient intake in sheep under extensive grazing conditions. Fecal concentrations of 2,6-diaminopimelic acid (DAPAf), nitrogen (FN) and phosphorous (FP) were determined in four sheep kept in an extensive grazing system on annual Mediterranean grassland in the vegetative, reproductive and dry phenological stages. Metabolizable energy (MEI), crude protein (CPI) and phosphorus (PI) intake were calculated using the botanical composition, metabolizable energy, crude protein and phosphorus concentrations in each vegetal species making up the animal’s diet. Significant differences were observed in the nutrient intake for each phenological stage (p < 0.0001). The highest MEI, CPI and PI were observed during the vegetative stage (p < 0.0001). FN and FP were different in each phenological stage (p < 0.0001), with significant correlations observed between these variables (r = 0.916; p < 0.0001). Regressions among nutrient intake and fecal indices were significant, except in the cases of DAPAf and MEI, and DAPAf and CPI. Based on these results, fecal indices could be used to estimate nutrient intake in sheep under extensive grazing on annual Mediterranean grassland.

Effect of supplementing graded levels of wet brewery grain by-product to natural pasture hay and wheat bran based diet on the performance of Tigray highland sheep, Northern Ethiopia

A feeding trial was conducted for 84 days followed by 7 days of fecal collection to determine performance and also digestibility of nutrients at Maichew ATVET College in Tigray, North Ethiopia using 24 yearling intact male local sheep grouped into six blocks of four sheep based on their initial body weight and each block assigned to each of the four treatments diets. The basal diet was composed of natural pasture hay (ad libitum), wheat bran (309 g/sheep/d) and salt (3 g/head/d) and test diet (graded levels of wet brewery grain by-product=WBGB). Treatment diets were: T1 (basal diet+0g WBGB/head/day), T2 (basal diet + 210g WBGB/head/day), T3 (basal diet + 280g WBGB/head/day) and T4 (basal diet + 350g WBGB/head/day). ANOVA of data was conducted using General Linear Model (GLM) procedures of SAS; and means compared using Tukey’s HSD test (p&lt;0.05). Dry matter, organic matter and crude protein intake and digestibility significantly increased (p&lt;0.05) with increasing levels of supplementation. Higher average daily body weight and feed conversion efficiency (p≤ 0.05) were recorded in T4 followed by T3, T2, and T1. Hot carcass weight (9-11 kg), rib eye muscle area as a sign of degree of muscling (7.20 -10.70cm2 ), net return and marginal rate of return (MRR) were higher (p&lt;0.05) in supplemented than in T1 fed sheep, with best results in T4. It can be recommended that sheep can be supplemented up to 124 g dried BGB or 350 g WBGB because it gave better body weight and carcass performances and MRR.

PSX-11 Effects of lamb’s breed and energy concentration of diet on nutrient digestibility and growth performance

Abstract The accumulation of subcutaneous adipose deposits occurs in many genotypes of animals adapted to tropical arid conditions. In sheep, good adaptation of fat-tailed sheep breeds, as Rabo Largo, to arid environmental conditions and food shortages can also undergo digestive and metabolic adaptation, including a greater capacity for digestion of poor roughage. Forty lambs (18±3 kg initial BW) were assigned in a randomized completely block design with a 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with 2 breeds – B (Santa Inês- SI and Rabo Largo-RL) and 2 diets – D (low and high energy), resulting in four treatments: SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE. Lambs (20 SI and 20 RL) were individually penned during 43 d and fed 1 of 2 diets with different concentrate: roughage ratio: low energy-LE (with 70% hay and 10.7% CP, DM basis) and high energy-HE (70% concentrate and 12.7% CP, DM basis). At the end of performance period, the intake was recorded and total feces collected for 5 d. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and when a significant effect (P &amp;lt; 0.05) was found, means were compared using Tukey’s method. The G:F ratio had effect only for D (0.12, 0.22, 0.10 and 0.24 for SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE, respectively). There was observed an effect of D and B (P &amp;lt; 0.05) for all variables related to growth and digestibility, with higher means for SI and HE, except for NDF intake (495, 322, 340 and 268 g/d for SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE, respectively) and NDF digestibility (63, 58, 59 and 45% for SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE). It was observed an interaction D x B on CP intake, NDF intake and NDF digestibility. Breed and diets affected the performance and digestibility of lambs. However, RLLE increased the NDF digestibility, but decreased the ADG, suggesting higher fat depots accumulation.

PSIX-21 Effect of reduced digestible protein and amino acid supply imposed in the grower and finisher period or solely in the finisher period on growth performance and feeding behaviour

Abstract Above 65 kg empty BW, protein deposition is greater in pigs fed protein-restricted compared to standard diets. It is unclear whether the greater CP deposition rate in the finisher period results from the restricted CP supply in the grower phase. To elucidate this, a growth performance study (22.1–110.0 kg BW) was performed with 48 Large-White pigs. They were assigned within litter to 3 dietary treatments: C, LP-F, LP-GF. The grower-finisher diets of treatment C were formulated based on the Swiss feeding recommendations whereas those for the LP-GF treatment contained 20% lower digestible CP and essential amino acids levels than the C diets. Pigs of the LP-GF group were offered in the grower and finisher period the standard and the low CP diets, respectively. The pigs were reared in one large pen, equipped with 6 automatic feeders, which allowed measuring the individual ad-libitum feed intake per visit. The BW was determined weekly. Growth performance and feed behaviour data were analysed with a linear mixed model using treatment as fixed and litter, litter size and farrowing series as random effects. Despite total CP intake was 6 and 16% lower (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in the LP-GF than the LP-F and C groups, respectively, overall ADG from 22.1 to 110.0 kg BW did not differ. Accordingly, gain-to-CP-intake ratio was 9 and 20% greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in the LP-GF than the LP-F and C group. In the grower, but not the finisher period, LP-GF pigs visited 1.6-times more (P &amp;lt; 0.05) the feeder and ingested 12% less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) feed per visit than C and LP-F pigs. These data suggest that lowering the CP supply by 20% in the grower and finisher compared to solely the finisher period or not at all has no detrimental effect on growth performance and markedly improves CP utilization for growth.

PSVII-6 Precision feeding and reduced crude protein on nitrogen efficiency of pigs raised under tropical conditions

Abstract Feeding pigs with low protein diets is suggested to attenuate the negative effects of heat stress in pigs reared in hot climate areas, without changes on pigs performance. This study aimed to evaluate the nitrogen balance of pigs raised under tropical conditions and fed in conventional group-phase feeding systems (CON) or fed individually with daily tailored diets (IPF) receiving diets formulated with low (LCP) or high (HCP) crude protein. Sixty male castrated pigs (39kg±0.98) were assigned to 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. The experiment lasted 56 days (phase 1: d 0–28, and 2: d 29–56). CON fed pigs received within each phase a constant blend of diets A (high nutrient) and B (low nutrient density) supplying the estimated nutrient requirements of the group, whereas IPF pigs received daily a personalized blend providing the estimated amount of nutrients. Body lean was assessed by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the beginning and at the end of each phase and converted to body protein. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS including the fixed effects of feeding system, feed formulation, and their interactions. Pigs receiving LCP diets reduced the CP intake in 27% (P &amp;lt; 0.001). However, IPF pigs consumed on average 15% less CP than CON pigs (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Regardless of the reduced CP intake, LCP fed pigs showed a greater N retention than pigs receiving HCP diets during the first phase (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Moreover, pigs fed LCP diets excreted 30% less N to the environment than pigs fed HCP diets (P &amp;lt; 0.001). When LCP diets are complemented with the use of IPF technique, the N excreted can be reduced 18% more than in CON system (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Our results indicate that LCP diets and IPF are feasible to improve the nitrogen utilization of pigs raised under tropical conditions.

Pleurotus Ostreatus and Volvariella Volvacea Can Enhance the Quality of Purple Field Corn Stover and Modulate Ruminal Fermentation and Feed Utilization in Tropical Beef Cattle.

Simple SummaryThe use of purple field corn stover contains enriched anthocyanin. Moreover, the effect of anthocyanin in purple field corn could inhibit methane (CH4) synthesis by changing hydrogen from the CH4 route to form propionic acid. However, purple field corn was found to have poor digestibility owing to its fiber linkage structure. Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvarialla volvacea are species of white-rot fungal mushroom, famous and abundant in tropical regions. These fungi have potential to decrease indigestion of cell wall contents and increase cell wall digestibility of rice straw material by secondary metabolites namely lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase enzyme, and showed the structural polymer found in rice straw and purple field corn residue. Accordingly, feeding purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus or V. volvacea will increase feed utilization and reduce CH4 production in beef cattle.This objective is to elucidate the effect of purple field corn stover treated with Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvarialla volvacea on feed utilization, ruminal ecology, and CH4 synthesis in tropical beef cattle. Four male Thai native beef cattle (100 ± 30 kg of body weight (BW) were assigned randomly as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Factor A (roughage sources) was rice straw and purple field corn stover and factor B was species of white-rot fungi (P. ostreatus and V. volvacea). After fermentation, crude protein (CP) was increased in rice straw and purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. The unfermented purple field corn stover contained 11.8% dry matter (DM) of monomeric anthocyanin (MAC), whereas the MAC concentration decreased when purple field corn stover was fermented with white rot fungi. There were no changes (p > 0.05) in DM intake of body weight (BW) kg/d and g/kg BW0.75 among the four treatments. The organic matter (OM), CP, and acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake were different between rice straw and purple field corn stover and were the greatest in the purple field corn stover group. Moreover, the current study showed that neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ADF digestion was higher in purple field corn stover than in rice straw, but there were no significant differences between P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. There were significant effects of roughage sources on ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) at 4 h after feeding. Bacterial population was changed by feeding with purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. On the other hand, the number of protozoa was reduced by approximately 33% at 4 h after feeding with purple field corn stover (p < 0.01). Propionic acid concentration was different between roughage sources (p < 0.01) enhanced with purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. In addition, methane production decreased by 15% with purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea compared to rice straw. There were significant differences on all nitrogen balances parameters (p < 0.05), except the fecal N excretion (p > 0.05) were not changed. Furthermore, microbial crude protein and efficiency of microbial N synthesis were enhanced when purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea was fed compared to rice straw group. Base on this study, it could be summarized that P. ostreatus or V. volvacea can enhance the quality of purple field corn stover and modulate rumen fermentation and feed digestion in Thai native beef cattle.

Growth Performance and Bio-Economic Indices of Varying Mixtures of Grass-Legume Pellets Fed to West African Dwarf (Wad) Goats

The need to improve forage conservation for animal usage during the dry season is a necessity. Varied mixture of grass-legume pellets (60% Panicum maximum (6Pm); 30% Panicum maximum + 30% Lablab purpureus (3Pm3Lp); 40% Panicum maximum + 20% Lablab purpureus (4Pm2Lp); 40% Panicum maximum + 20% Stylosanthes hamata (4Pm2Sh) and 30% Panicum maximum + 30% Stylosanthes hamata (3Pm3Sh)) were used to assess growth performance and bio-economic indices of varied mixtures of grass-legume pellets fed to West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Thirty (30) WAD goats (aged 6-7 months) were used and the experimental design was a Completely Randomized Design. Data obtained were crude protein, crude fibre, ash, minerals, dry matter intake (DMI), crude protein intake (CPI), protein efficiency ratio (PER), cost of feed/weight gain (CF/W) and analyzed by one way ANOVA. 3Pm3Sh pellets had the highest (p&lt;0.05) CP (17.32%) while 6 Pm had the highest (p&lt;0.05) values of fibre fractions except for hemicellulose. There was no significant influence on the mineral contents except for iron, copper and chlorine. WAD goats fed 3Pm3Sh had the highest (p&lt;0.05) DMI (458.72g/animal/day), CPI (76.72g/animal/day) and PER (0.91) which resulted in highest (p&lt;0.05) weight gain (3.82kg). The cost of feed/weight gain was similar across the pellets except for 3Pm3Lp. Higher (p&lt;0.05) CF/W was recorded for 3Pm3Lp. The study concluded that the grass-legume pellets can be employed as ruminant feed while pellet of 3Pm3Sh is the best grass-legume combination for WAD goats. Thus, this pellet can be fed to WAD goats during the dry season. Keywords : WAD goats, pellet, Panicm maximum , Lablab purpureum , Stylosanthes hamata DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-24-09 Publication date: December 31 st 2019

Mango (Mangifera indica) seed kernels as untraditional source of energy in Rahmani sheep rations

BackgroundThe present work aimed to investigate the impact of partial replacement yellow corn by mango seed kernels (MSK) at different levels of (0, 25, and 50%) on feed and water consumption, water metabolism, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and rumen fluid parameters.MethodsTwelve mature male Rahmani sheep of about 58.39 ± 1.22 kg live body weight on average were used to investigate the influence of replacing yellow corn contents (45% in the control ration) by mango seed kernels (MSK) at different levels (0, 25, and 50%) that equal (0, 11.25, and 22.5% of total ration contents) on feed and water intakes, water metabolism, nutrient digestibility coefficients, nitrogen utilization, and some rumen fluid parameters. The animals were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (four animals in each treatment). Sheep fed rations are composed of 50% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and 50% peanut vein hay (PVH) at portion 3% dry matter (DM) of live body weight (LBW).ResultsThe results showed that values of crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) of MSK and yellow corn were similar. Meanwhile, MSK has superior ether extract content compared to yellow corn; meanwhile, ash content of yellow corn was lower than ash content of MSK. All tested CFM were isonitrogenous (16.17% CP), but it differs in their contents of gross and digestible energy. On the other hand, all experimental total mixed rations (TMR) were isonitrogenous (14.52% CP) and isocaloric (4177 kcal/kg DM in average). Dietary treatments significantly (P < 0.05) decreased total dry matter intake (DMI) and crude protein intake (CPI) that expressed as (g/h/day, g/kgW0.75, and kg/100 kg LBW) or gross energy intake (GEI) and digestible energy intake (DEI) that expressed as (Mcal/h/day, kcal/kgW0.75, and Mcal/100 kg LBW). Inclusion MSK in sheep ration insignificantly (P > 0.05) increased drinking water by 20% and 6.89% for experimental groups fed TMR2 and TMR3, respectively, compared to the control one (TMR1). Incorporation MSK in the rations significantly (P < 0.05) increased insensible losses of water. Dietary treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased nutrient digestibility coefficients of DM, organic matter (OM), CP, CF, and NFE. Meanwhile, it significantly (P < 0.05) decreased EE digestibility. On the other hand, both values of total digestible nutrient (TDN) and digestible crude protein (DCP) were significantly (P < 0.005) improved. Nitrogen retention (NR) (NR % of nitrogen intake (NI) and NR % of digested nitrogen (DN)) values were significantly (P < 0.05) increased with increasing level of MSK in the sheep ration. Inclusion MSK significantly (P < 0.05) increased ruminal pH; however, it had no significant (P > 0.05) on both ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and total volatile fatty acid (TFVA) concentrations. Sampling time at 3 h post feeding significantly (P < 0.05) decreased ruminal pH in comparison with before and 6 h post feeding; meanwhile, sampling time had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on NH3-N concentration. Dietary treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased the interaction between treatments and sampling time for ruminal pH. However, no interaction between treatments and sampling time was observed for both NH3-N and TVFA concentrations.ConclusionThe present results revealed that replacement up to 50% of yellow corn by MSK as alternative source of energy could be useful in feeding sheep without any adverse effect on digestion and fermentation processing. Also, it can be used to depress the rations cost.

The influence of dietary betaine supplementation to Ossimi rams on: (A) Growth performance, digestibility coefficients, some blood parameters and activity of thyroid gland

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary betaine supplementation on growth characteristics and some blood constituents of Ossimi rams. A total of 18 Ossimi rams were randomly divided into three equal groups, considering their body weight. Animals of the first group (Co) served as control, while animals of the second (BET1) and third (BET2) groups offered 2 and 4 g of betaine/head/day, respectively. At the last day of the experiment, blood samples were taken to estimate some blood metabolites. Three digestibility experiments were carried out to determine nutrients digestibility and nutritive values of the rations. Body weight was recorded while average daily gain, feed conversion and feed economic efficiency were calculated. The results show that betaine supplementation to rams either with 2 or 4 g/head/day increased (P≤0.05) plasma total protein, plasma globulin, plasma glucose and triiodothyronine hormone (T3), while it significantly (P≤0.05) decreased A/G ratio and plasma total cholesterol. Concentrations of plasma albumin and plasma urea N did not differ significantly due to betaine supplementation. Digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP, EE and CF were significantly (P≤0.05) increased for BET2 group than for BET1 and Co groups. However, NFE digestibility was not influenced by betaine. The TDN value was increased (P≤0.05) for BET2 diet compared with other treated diets. While, the nutritive values as DCP did not significantly differ among treatments. Animals in BET1 and BET2 consumed more (P≤0.05) metabolizable energy (ME, Mcal/kg) compared with the control group. Live body weight did not differ (P>0.05) among groups while average daily gain and total weight gain were improved (P≤0.05) in treated groups. Feeding Ossimi rams on BET1 increased significantly (P≤0.05) daily dry mater intake (DMI), and total digestible nutrient intake (TDNI) when compared with BET2 and Co groups, while treated groups consumed (P≤0.05) metabolizable energy (ME) more than the control group. Daily digestible crude protein intake (DCPI) did not significantly differ among treatments. In conclusion, dietary betaine supplementation to Ossimi rams could modify some metabolic processes, and enhance feed consumption and energy mobilization which could be reflected on improving the productive performance.

Impact of early weaning on small intestine, metabolic, immune and endocrine system development, growth and body composition in artificially reared lambs.

AbstractThis study evaluated the effect of early weaning (EW) of artificially reared lambs using a restricted milk replacer (MR) feeding and step-down weaning system on the short- and long-term effects on growth, feed intake, selected blood metabolites and hormones, body composition, and small intestine development. Mixed-sex twin-born 2 to 5 d old lambs were randomly allocated to individual pens and fed MR at 20% of initial individual BW in week 1 and 15% in week 2 followed by weaning off MR by the end of week 4 (EW; n = 16) or week 6 (Control; Ctrl, n = 16) using a step-down procedure. Concentrate starter and fiber diets were offered ad libitum to week 9, then gradually removed over a 10-d period. All lambs were managed as a single group on pasture from weeks 6 to 16 of the trial. Feed intake was recorded daily in the first 6 wk, and BWs recorded weekly. At weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, and pre- and postclostridial vaccination at week 8, blood samples were collected for analysis of selected blood metabolites, IGF-1, and immune function. Body composition was evaluated in eight animals per group at weeks 4 and 16 after euthanasia, and duodenal samples collected for histomorphometric evaluation. Early weaned lambs had lower DM, ME, CP, and NDF intake than Ctrl lambs at 21, 15, 21, and 36 d of rearing, respectively (P < 0.001), driven by lower intakes of MR from day 15 (P < 0.001) as per the experimental design, and lower total DMI of fiber (P = 0.001) from 21 to 42 d of rearing. Lamb BW tended (P = 0.097) to be lower in EW than Ctrl lambs from 5 to 10 wk of rearing, with lower ADG in EW lambs from weeks 3 to 6 (P = 0.041). Early weaning had negligible effects on duodenal morphology, organ, and carcass weights at weeks 4 and 16. Plasma metabolites (urea nitrogen, triglycerides, NEFA, glucose, and total protein) were similar between groups, while β-hydroxybutyrate was greater in EW than Ctrl lambs at weeks 4 and 6 (P = 0.018) but not week 8 indicative of early rumen development. Serum IGF-1 tended to be lower in EW than Ctrl lambs from weeks 2 to 6 only (P = 0.065). All lambs developed antibody responses postvaccination and there was no effect of treatment (P = 0.528). The results of this study illustrate that artificially reared lambs can be weaned off MR by 4 or 6 wk of rearing without compromising growth, small intestine morphology, major organ development, and body composition, nor immune function at either 4 (preweaning) or 16 (postweaning) wk of age.

Performance of crossbred goat kids fed with diets varying in concentrate-to-forage ratio: intake, nutrient utilization, enteric methane emission and body weight changes

ABSTRACT The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of isonitrogenous diets varying in concentrate-to-forage ratio on enteric methane (CH4) emission, nutrient utilization and growth performance in crossbred goat kids. Fifteen Alpine and Beetal crossbred (AxB) kids (3–4 months age) were divided into three groups based on average body weight and treatments were assigned to the three groups randomly. The first group (GP-I) received a total mixed ration (TMR) containing concentrate mixture and berseem fodder in the ratio of 70:30. The TMR of the second (GP-II) and third (GP-III) groups consisted of concentrate mixture and berseem fodder in the ratio of 50:50 and 20:80, respectively. The results of 90 days feeding experiment revealed that the intake of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in GP-I than GP-II and GP-III. Digestibility coefficients of DM and CP were unaffected by the treatments, however neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility increased significantly in GP-II and GP-III compared to GP-I. The emission of enteric CH4 reduced (p < 0.05) by 34.18% in GP-I in contrast to GP-III. Average daily gain (ADG) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in GP-I (115.99 g/day) compared to GP-II (80.94 g/day) and GP-III (77.42 g/day), however the feed efficiency remained unaltered. It was concluded that increased level of concentrate in TMR reduced methane emission and impacted the growth performance positively in crossbred goat kids.

Effects of rumen-protected oil supplementation on finishing grazing beef cattle.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of rumen-protected oil (soybean and palm oil) in supplements for beef cattle during the fattening phase in pastures on the intake and digestibility of nutrients, animal performance, and carcass characteristics. Forty-eight noncastrated male Nellore cattle (15 ± 2months and 389.5 ± 20kg of body weight) were used in a completely randomized design to evaluate the following treatments: protein-energy supplement (PES) without rumen-protected oil (control: CO), PES containing palm rumen-protected oil (PRPO), PES containing soybean rumen-protected oil (SRPO), and PES containing a mixture of soybean and palm rumen-protected oil (SPRPO). The study lasted 112days, and there was a decrease in crude protein intake (P < 0.05) and an increase in ether extract intake (P < 0.05) when rumen-protected oil was included in the supplements. In comparison to the palm rumen-protected oil supplement, the soybean rumen-protected oil supplement promoted a lower average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.05); however, regardless of the rumen-protected oil source, an increase in the fat thickness of the subcutaneous tissue was observed. In addition, there was no difference in carcass gain (P > 0.05) regardless of oil source. Rumen-protected oil is a tool to increase the finishing of pasture-finished young beef cattle in the dry season.

Effects of agroindustrial by-product supplementation on dairy goat milk characteristics, nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation, and methane production

The use of agroindustrial by-products, such as dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and dried citrus pulp (DCP), has been widely investigated in dairy cows, but information on their effects in dairy goats is limited. The influence of feeding olive cake (a by-product of olive oil production) to dairy goats has been assessed in some studies, but exhausted olive cake (EOC) has been much less investigated. Twelve Murciano-Granadina goats were used in a crossover design trial with 2 periods to assess the effects of including agroindustrial by-products on nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, methane production, urinary excretion of purine derivatives, and milk yield and composition. In each period, 6 goats received daily a control diet comprising 1 kg of alfalfa hay and 1 kg of high-cereal concentrate, and another 6 goats received a diet (BYP) comprising 1 kg of alfalfa hay and 1 kg of a concentrate including corn DDGS, DCP, and EOC in proportions of 180, 180, and 80 g/kg of concentrate (as-fed basis), respectively. Diet had no effect on total dry matter intake, but intake of alfalfa hay, CP, and fat was greater for the BYP group than for the control group. There were no differences between diets in nutrient apparent digestibility, with the exception of fat, which was greater for the BYP diet compared with the control diet. Although fecal N tended to be greater for the BYP diet, there were no differences in N utilization. Compared with the control diet, milk yield tended to be greater and daily production of milk CP, fat, whey protein, and TS as well as milk gross energy were greater for the BYP diet. The concentration of C12:0, C14:0, and C16:0 fatty acids (FA) was or tended to be lower and the concentration of polyunsaturated FA was greater in the milk of BYP-fed goats compared with goats fed the control diet. Diet had no effect on ruminal parameters (pH, volatile FA, and NH3-N concentrations) and methane emissions, but urinary excretion of total purine derivatives tended to be lower in BYP-fed goats than in those fed the control diet. A mixture of corn DDGS (180 g), DCP (180 g), and EOC (80 g) could replace 44% of cereal grains and protein feeds in the concentrate for dairy goats without compromising nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation, or milk yield and led to a more unsaturated FA profile in milk.

Replacing urea with nitrate as a non-protein nitrogen source increases lambs' growth and reduces methane production, whereas acacia tannin has no effect

This study investigated the effect of urea or calcium nitrate with or without the inclusion of Acacia tannin extract on dry matter intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, and methane emission in growing lambs. Forty South African Mutton Merino lambs (95 days old, average body weight of 34.7 kg) were blocked by weight and sex and randomly allocated to four groups and fed diets supplemented with: urea (control); nitrate; urea + tannin; and nitrate + tannin. The concentration of urea and nitrate source in the diet was 10 g/kg and 32 g/kg, respectively, while the tannin was an extract of Acacia mearnsii added at 42 g/kg DM. Lambs were gradually adapted to the diets for 21 days after which growth performance was monitored for 60 days. At the end of the experimental period, methane was measured in open-circuit respiratory chambers, and digestibility was carried out inside metabolic cages. Dry matter and other nutrient intakes of lambs were not influenced by NPN source or the inclusion of tannin extract in the diet with the exception of the crude protein intake, which was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in lambs receiving urea-containing diets. Tannin inclusion reduced (P < 0.05) digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre of diets but did not affect methane emission of lambs. Tannin inclusion shifted N-excretion from urinary-N to faecal-N although overall N-retention was not affected. Tannin inclusion reduced acetate and increased propionate proportion in the urea-containing diet (P < 0.01), whereas, it had no such effect in the nitrate-containing diet. Higher (P ≤ 0.05) average daily gain and lower methane emission (P < 0.01) were recorded in lambs fed the nitrate-containing diets. In contrast, the inclusion of tannin reduced (P < 0.05) the average daily gain without any reduction in methane production. This study demonstrated that nitrate could be used as a source of non-protein nitrogen with the additional benefit of reducing enteric methane emission and improving the average daily gain of lambs. In contrast, tannin extract did not show any positive effect to justify its use under the dietary conditions of this study.

Effects of different feeding regimens on milk fatty acid composition and milk flavor from the perspective of regional resource utilization

AbstractFeed is a primary factor affecting different milk components and creating a specific milk flavor. Dairy farms in different regions often depend on different feed resources and feeding regimens. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of completely different feeding regimens on the milk fatty acid (FA) profile and milk flavor. Eight lactating Holstein cows were assigned to one of two distinct feeding regimens, one grass silage‐based diet (GS) and one by‐product‐based diet (BP), using a switchback design with three periods of 28 days each. A sensory test of the pasteurized milk was conducted using the paired preference method. Dry matter, crude protein and total digestible energy intake were similar between the groups. There was also no difference in daily milk yields, milk fat, protein, lactose and solids‐not‐fat contents between the groups. Milk FA content with chain lengths C12–C14:1, C16 and C16:1cis and the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content were significantly higher in the GS group than in the BP group. In contrast, the milk FA content with chain lengths C18 and C18:1cis–C18:2 and the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content, including mono‐UFA (MUFA) and poly‐UFA (PUFA), were significantly higher in the BP group than in the GS group. The different feeding regimens did not affect milk sensory properties, including aroma, palatability, aftertaste, texture, body and sweetness. Using food by‐products that contain relatively high levels of PUFAs resulted in PUFA‐rich milk. However, even if using a distinct feeding regimen based on conserved or by‐product feeds, it may be difficult to create characteristic milk with an original flavor that is clearly identified by consumers.

Effect of the nutritional status of Creole goats on the density-dependent prolificacy of Haemonchus contortus

The objective of this study was to measure the effect of the nutritional status of Creole goat kids on the host responses and the nematode population established after an experimental H. contortus infection. Fifty six kids were fed with 4 diets corresponding to 2 nutritional statuses: the low nutritional status (HAY, hay ad libitum and HB, Hay ad libitum + banana) and the high nutritional status (HS, hay ad libitum + soya meal and HSB, hay ad libitum + banana + soya meal). For each diet, 8 kids were experimentally infected with 10,000 H. contortus infective larvae (L3) and 6 kids were kept as non-infected controls. From the day of infection until 6 weeks post-infection, samples were collected to measure individual intake, total tract digestibility, parasitological and hematological parameters. The dry matter intake (DMI), the average daily gain (ADG), the crude protein (CP) and the digestible CP intake were higher in goats fed the HS and HSB diets, but no statistically significant interaction between the nutritional status and the infection was observed. The packed cell volume (PCV), the red blood cell counts (RBC) and the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were higher with the HS and the HSB diets. In kids with the high nutritional status the nematode burden and pathophysiological impact of the infection were significantly lower but not the FEC. In conclusion, this reduced establishment rate was associated with an increased production of eggs by the female parasites and suggested a phenomenon of density-dependent prolificacy of H. contortus probably inherent to the fitness of the parasite population.

Nutrient intake of lactating dairy cows during the wet and dry seasons in Sleman, Yogyakarta

This study was conducted to determine the nutrient intake of lactating dairy cows in the wet and dry seasons in Wukirsari, Cangkringan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The experiment was conducted using forty lactating Friesian Holstein cows selected from dairy group farms, with average body weight 421.77±28.60 kg, and in 1st to 3rd lactation, housed in permanent pen models stanchion barn with cement floors and rubber mat with feed and drink water. They were fed twice daily, morning and afternoon and drinking water was given ad libitum. Feed samples were taken and analyzed in the Laboratory of Dairy Science and Milk Industry, Faculty of Animal Science UGM. The observed variables were feed availability and nutrients intake. The comparison results between the two conditions (wet and dry seasons) were tested using independent t-test analysis. The result indicated that intake of dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber and total digestible nutrient were not differ significantly. However, intake of crude protein (2.52±0.37 vs. 2.22±0.43 kg DM/head/day) was differ significantly (P<0.05) between wet and dry seasons. It was concluded that nutrient intake of lactating dairy cows in the wet season was better than the dry season, especially the intake of crude protein.

Calliandra calothyrsus as a protein source in goat’s diets: Study of feed intake and ruminal fermentation parameters

The study aimed to evaluate the usage of Calliandra leaves as protein source in Kacang goat’s diet at Wonolagi, Gunungkidul. Fifteen female Kacang goats weight 20 to 23 kg were plotted randomly into three diets treatments. The diet consisted of basal diets (local forages provided by farmer’s practices) with three different treatments: 100% Calliandra (T1), 50% Calliandra + 50% Soybean meal (SBM) (T2), and 100% SBM (T3). Parameters observed in this study were: feed intake (Dry matter intake, DMI; Organic matter intake, OMI; Crude protein intake, CPI; and Crude fiber intake, CFI) and ruminal fermentation parameters after 3 hours feeding period (pH value, total volatile fatty acid (VFA), acetate, propionate, butyrate, and A:P ratio). Collected data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the difference between means were analyzed using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. DMI, OMI, and CFI did not differ among treatments, however, greater SBM content in T3 improved CPI 34.21% significantly (P<0,05) compared to T1. Ammonia, total VFA, acetate and propionate profile were greater in T2 diets compared to T1 (P<0.05). In conclusion, the use of Calliandra to substitute SBM should be in the 50 to 50 ratio to optimize the feed intake and ruminal fermentation profile.

Response of Bali cattle compared to Bali crossed Angus on concentrate feeding

Bali cattle is one of Indonesian native cattle that has potential as a premium beef. Unfortunately, they have a small frame size. Crossing with Angus breed is expected improve the growth, frame size, and meat quality but it needs better feed quality, for example by adding feed concentrate. Fourteen Bali crossed Angus and fourteen Bali cattle at 9-15-month-old were used in this research. Trial was conducted for 30 days in an individual cages. Diet was consisted of roughage (80%) and concentrate (20%) (dry matter based) and contained 11% crude protein (CP) and 56.2% total digestible nutrients (TDN). The concentrate composition was rice bran (55.31%) and copra cake (44.69%). Results showed that total dry matter intake of Bali cross Angus cattle (5.19 kg/head/day or 2.92% body weight) was higher than Bali cattle (3.39 kg or 2.83% body weight). Crude protein intake was no significant difference (0.26 kg vs. 0.26 kg), but TDN intake was lower (1.43 kg vs. 1.90 kg). Feed intake had a positive correlation with average daily gain (0,52 vs. 0.12 kg/head/day). Bali crossed Angus cattle was more adaptive concentrate feed introduction.