Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T20:21:21.440Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prediction of the Energy Requirements for Growth in Beef Cattle 1. The irrelevance of fasting metabolism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. J. F. Webster ,
J. M. Brockway  and
J. S. Smith
A. J. F. Webster
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
J. M. Brockway
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
J. S. Smith
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access

Summary

1. According to the Agricultural Research Council (1965) energy retention in cattle is predicted from metabolizable energy (ME) intake, the net availabilities of ME for maintenance (km) and for fattening (kf) and measurements made of fasting metabolism (F). The present experiments were designed to examine the validity of the use of F as a basis from which to predict energy retention.

2. Four British Friesian and four Aberdeen Angus steers were fed, from weaning to slaughter at about 450 kg, a barley-based, pelleted diet at two levels calculated to yield overall efficiencies of retention of ME of 20% and 10% respectively. Successive measurements were made of the energy balance of each animal at intervals of 4 to 8 weeks.

3. The metabolizability of the diet was measured for both sheep and cattle. In both species metabolizability was greater at the higher level of feeding. In sheep kf measured directly or estimated from metabolizability was 0·61.

4. Measured values for F in cattle agreed closely with values given by the Agricultural Research Council.

5. Basal metabolism in the growing animal (F') was predicted by extrapolation to zero intake of measurements made on animals in positive energy balance. Log F' during growth was proportional to log body weight0·73. Expressed in terms of the usual exponent of metabolic body size, F' was about 440 kJ/kg0·75 per 24 hr throughout growth. There were no major differences in F' attributable to breed or to level of food intake.

6. The results indicate that F is not a good basis from which to predict energy retention in steers.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , October 1974 , pp. 127 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2. Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Alderman, G., Morgan, D. E. and Lessells, W. J. 1970. A comparison of live-weight gains of beef cattle with values predicted from energy intakes measured as starch equivalent or metabolizable energy. In Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Schurch, A. and Wenk, C.), EAAP Publ. No. 13.Google Scholar
Andrews, R. P. and Ørskov, E. R. 1970. The nutrition of the early weaning lamb. II. The effect of dietary protein concentration, feeding level and sex on body composition at two live weights. J. Agric. Sci., Camb 75: 19–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1965. Official Methods of Analysis. 10th ed. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. 1967. The Energy Metabolism of Ruminants. 2nd. ed. Hutchinson and Co. Ltd, London.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. 1969. The efficiency of energy transformation in ruminants. In Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Blaxter, K. L., Kielanowski, J. and Thorbek, G.), EAAP Publ. No. 12.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. 1972. Fasting metabolism and the energy required by animals for maintenance. In Festskrift til Pr. K. Breirem. Mariendals Boktrykkeri., Gjøvik.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. 1974. Metabolizable energy and feeding systems for ruminants. Proc. Feed. Manfacturers Conf. Univ. of Nottingham, (in press).Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L.Brockway, J. M. and Boyne, A. W. 1971. A new method for estimating the heat production of animals. Q. Jl. exp. Physiol 57: 60–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Clapperton, J. L. 1965. Prediction of the amount of methane produced by ruminants. Br. J. Nutr 19: 511–522.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L., Clapperton, J. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1966. Utilization of the energy and protein of the same diet by cattle of different ages. J. agric. Sci., Camb 67: 67–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1961. The utilization of food by sheep and cattle. J. agric. Sci., Camb 57: 419–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., and Wood, W. A. 1951. The nutrition of the young Ayrshire calf. 3. The metabolism of the calf during starvation and subsequent realimentation. Br. J. Nutr 5: 29–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brody, S. 1945. Bioenergetics and Growth. Reinhold Publs, New York.Google Scholar
Kay, M., Massie, R. and MacDiarmid, A. 1971. Intensive beef production. 12. Replacement of concentrates with chopped dried grass. Anim. Prod 13: 101–106.Google Scholar
Kleiber, M. 1961. The Fire of Life. Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Kleiber, M. 1965. Metabolic body size. In Energy Metabolism (ed. Blaxter, K. L.), EAAP Publ. No. 11.Google Scholar
Lofgreen, G. P. and Garrett, W. N. 1968. A system for expressing net energy requirements and feed values for growing and finishing beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci 27: 793–806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marston, H. R. 1948. Energy transactions in the sheep. Aust. J. sci. Res. Ser Bl: 93–112.Google Scholar
Mount, L. E. 1968. The Climatic Physiology of the Pig. Arnold Ltd, London.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 1970. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle, 4th ed. National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.CGoogle Scholar
Nehring, K. 1969. Investigation on the scientific basis for the use of net energy for fattening as a measure of feed value. In Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Blaxter, K. L., Kielanowski, J. and Thorbek, G.), EAAP Publ. No. 12.Google Scholar
Pullar, J. D. and Webster, A. J. F. 1974. Heat loss and energy retention during growth in congenitally obese and lean rats. Br. J. Nutr 31: 377–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schiemann, R. 1970. Der energiebedarf fur der Eiweissansatz. Wiss. Ztschr. Humboldt. Univ. Berlin Math-Naturwiss Reihe 19: 35–43.Google Scholar
Wainman, F. W. and Blaxter, K. L. 1969. Further experience with closed circuit respiration chambers. In Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Blaxter, K. L., Kielanowski, J. and Thorbek, G.), EAAP Publ. No. 12.Google Scholar