Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T04:05:37.219Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of zinc source and dietary concentration on serum zinc concentrations, growth performance, wool and reproductive characteristics in developing rams

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2019

C. M. Page
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3684, 1000 East University Ave., Laramie, WY, USA
M. L. Van Emon
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3684, 1000 East University Ave., Laramie, WY, USA
T. W. Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3684, 1000 East University Ave., Laramie, WY, USA
C. K. Larson
Affiliation:
Zinpro Corporation, 10400 Viking Dr # 240, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, USA
J. G. Berardinelli
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3684, 1000 East University Ave., Laramie, WY, USA
I. R. McGregor
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3684, 1000 East University Ave., Laramie, WY, USA
J. B. Taylor
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service,Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, US Sheep Experiment Station, 19 Office Loop, Dubois, ID 83423, USA
W. C. Stewart*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3684, 1000 East University Ave., Laramie, WY, USA
*
Get access

Abstract

Dietary Zn has significant impacts on the growth and development of breeding rams. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of dietary Zn source and concentration on serum Zn concentration, growth performance, wool traits and reproductive performance in rams. Forty-four Targhee rams (14 months; 68 ± 18 kg BW) were used in an 84-day completely randomized design and were fed one of three pelleted dietary treatments: (1) a control without fortified Zn (CON; n = 15; ~1 × NRC); (2) a diet fortified with a Zn amino acid complex (ZnAA; n = 14; ~2 × NRC) and (3) a diet fortified with ZnSO4 (ZnSO4; n = 15; ~2 × NRC). Growth and wool characteristics measured throughout the course of the study were BW, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency (G : F), longissimus dorsi muscle depth (LMD), back fat (BF), wool staple length (SL) and average fibre diameter (AFD). Blood was collected from each ram at four time periods to quantify serum Zn and testosterone concentrations. Semen was collected 1 to 2 days after the trial was completed. There were no differences in BW (P = 0.45), DMI (P = 0.18), LMD (P = 0.48), BF (P = 0.47) and AFD (P = 0.9) among treatment groups. ZnSO4 had greater (P ≤ 0.03) serum Zn concentrations compared with ZnAA and CON treatments. Rams consuming ZnAA had greater (P ≤ 0.03) ADG than ZnSO4 and CON. There tended to be differences among groups for G : F (P = 0.06), with ZnAA being numerically greater than ZnSO4 and CON. Wool staple length regrowth was greater (P < 0.001) in ZnSO4 and tended to be longer (P = 0.06) in ZnAA treatment group compared with CON. No differences were observed among treatments in scrotal circumference, testosterone, spermatozoa concentration within ram semen, % motility, % live sperm and % sperm abnormalities (P ≥ 0.23). Results indicated beneficial effects of feeding increased Zn concentrations to developing Targhee rams, although Zn source elicited differential responses in performance characteristics measured.

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States.
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2019

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.)

Footnotes

a

Present address: USDA, ARS, Genetics, Breeding, and Animal Health Research Unit, US Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA

b

Present address: Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA

*

Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, colour, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

References

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) 1990. Annual book of ASTM standards, Standard tests method D584. Wool content of raw wool – Laboratory scale, Sec. 7, volume 07.01:193–197. ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, USA.Google Scholar
ARC 1980. The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock. Common-wealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough, UK.Google Scholar
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 2000. Official Publication, Atlanta, GA, USA.Google Scholar
Blanchard, RK and Cousins, RJ 1996. Differential display of intestinal mRNAs regulated by dietary zinc. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 93, 68636868.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burton, DJ, Ludden, PA, Stobart, RH and Alexander, BM 2015. 50 years of the Wyoming ram test: how sheep have changed. Journal of Animal Science 93, 13271331. https://doi.org//10.2527/jas2014-8150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cao, J, Henry, PR, Guo, R, Howlwerda, RA, Toth, JP, Littell, RC, Miles, RD and Ammerman, CB 2000. Chemical characteristics and relative bioavailability of supplemental organic zinc sources for poultry and ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 78, 20392054.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cardoso, FM and Queiroz, GF 1988. Duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium and daily sperm production of Brazilian hairy rams. Animal Reproduction Science 17, 7784.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colagar, AH, Marzony, ET and Chaichi, MJ 2009. Zinc levels in seminal plasma are associated with sperm quality in fertile and infertile men. Nutrition Research 29, 8288.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fadayifar, A, Aliarabi, H, Tabatabaei, MM, Zamani, P, Bahari, A, Malecki, M and Dezfoulian, AH 2012. Improvement in lamb performance on barley based diet supplemented with zinc. Livestock Science 144, 285289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gunter, SA, Malcolm-Callis, KJ, Duff, GC and Kegley, EB 2001. Performance of steers supplemented with zinc during grazing and receiving at the feedlot. The Professional Animal Scientist 17, 280286. https://doi.org//10.15232/S1080-7446(15)31641-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hafez, ESE and Hafez, B 2000. Reproduction in farm animals, 7th edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA, USA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hale, WH and Garrigus, US 1953. Synthesis of cysteine in wool from elemental sulfur and sulfate sulfur. Journal of Animal Science 12, 492496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hanford, KJ, Van Vleck, LD and Snowder, GD 2003. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic change for reproduction, weight, and wool characteristics of Targhee sheep. Journal of Animal Science 81, 630640. https://doi.org//10.2527/2003.813630x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herdt, TH and Hoff, B 2011. The use of blood analysis to evaluate mineral element status in ruminant livestock. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 27, 255283.Google ScholarPubMed
Ishaq, SL, Page, CM, Yoeman, CJ, Murphy, TW, Van Emon, ML and Stewart, WC 2019. Zinc AA supplementation alters yearling ram rumen bacterial communities but zinc sulfate supplementation does not. Journal of Animal Science 97, 687697. https://doi.org//10.1093/jas/sky456CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jafarpour, N, Khorvash, M, Rahmani, HR, Pezeshki, A and Hosseini-Ghaffari, M 2014. Dose-responses of zinc-methionine supplements on growth, blood metabolites and gastrointestinal development in sheep. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 99, 668675.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, GB and Tracy, BF 2015. Evaluating seasonal variation in mineral concentration of cool-season pasture herbage. Grass Forage Science 70, 94101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kumar, N, Verma, RP, Singh, LP, Varshney, VP and Dass, RS 2006. Effect of different levels and sources of zinc supplementation on quantitative and qualitative semen attributes and serum testosterone level in crossbred cattle (Bos indicus × Bos taurus) bulls. Reproduction Nutrition Development 46, 663675.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, GB and White, CL 1992. Effects of dietary zinc deficiency on gonadotrophin secretion and testicular growth in young male sheep. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 96, 497507. https://doi.org//10.1530/jrf.0.0960497.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, GB, White, CL, Markey, CM and Blackberry, MA 1994. Effects of dietary zinc deficiency on the reproductive system of young male sheep: testicular growth and the secretion of inhibin and testosterone. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 101, 8796.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masters, DG, Chapman, RE and Vaughan, JD 1985. Effects of zinc deficiency on the wool growth, skin and wool follicles of pre-ruminant lambs. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 38, 355364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masters, DG, Paynter, DI, Briegel, J, Baker, SK and Purser, DB 1998. Influence of manganese intake on body, wool and testicular growth of young rams and on the concentration of manganese and the activity of manganese enzymes in tissues. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 39, 517524.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NRC 2007. Nutrient requirements of sheep, 7th edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Page, CM, McGregor, I, Van Emon, ML, Murphy, TW, Larson, CK, Berardinelli, JG and Stewart, WC 2017. Effects of zinc source and dietary concentration on zinc status, growth performance, and wool characteristics in developing rams. American Society of Animal Science 68, 127131. https://doi.org//10.2527/asasws.2017.0053.Google Scholar
Page, CM, Murphy, TW, Van Emon, ML, Bowman, JGP, Wyffels, SA and Stewart, WC 2018. Blood serum mineral element concentrations of weaned Montana ram lambs and their relationship with water quality characteristics. The Professional Animal Scientist 34, 410420. https://doi.org//10.15232/pas.2018-01747.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pal, DT, Gowda, NKS, Prasad, CS, Amarnath, R, Bharadwaj, U, Suresh Babu, G and Sampath, KT 2010. Effect of copper- and zinc-methionine supplementation on bioavailability, mineral statues and tissue concentrations of copper and zinc in ewes. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology 24, 8994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rahman, HU, Qureshi, MS and Khan, RU 2014. Influence of dietary zinc on semen traits and seminal plasma antioxidant enzymes and trace minerals of Beetal bucks. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 49, 10041007. https://doi.org//10.1111/rda.12422.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spears, JW 1989. Zinc methionine for ruminants: relative bioavailability of zinc in lambs and effects on growth and performance of growing heifers. Journal of Animal Science 67, 835843.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttle, NF 2010. Mineral nutrition of livestock, 4th edition. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, EJ and Somers, M 1969. Studies of zinc nutrition in sheep. І. The relation of zinc to growth, testicular development, and spermatogenesis in young rams. Australian Journal of Agriculture Research 20, 889897.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, EJ and Suttle, F 1999. The mineral nutrition of livestock, 3rd edition. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wahlen, R, Evans, L, Turner, J and Hearn, R 2005. The use of collision/reaction cell ICP-MS for the determination of 18 elements in blood and serum samples. Spectroscopy 20, 12.Google Scholar
White, C, Martin, G, Hynd, P and Chapman, R 1994. The effect of zinc deficiency on wool growth and skin and wool follicle histology of male Merino lambs. British Journal of Nutrition 71, 425435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, H, Nie, HT, Wang, Q, Wang, ZY, Zhang, YL, Guo, RH and Wang, F 2015. Trace element concentrations and distributions in the main body tissues and the net requirements for maintenance and growth of Dorper × Hu Lambs. Journal of Animal Science 93, 24712481.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed