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The effects, in sheep, of dietary plant species and animal live weight on the faecal recovery rates of alkanes and the accuracy of intake and diet composition estimates obtained using alkanes as faecal markers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2006

L.-J LIN ,
H.-L. LUO ,
Y.-J. ZHANG  and
B. SHU
L.-J LIN
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing, 100094 PR China
H.-L. LUO
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing, 100094 PR China
Y.-J. ZHANG
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing, 100094 PR China
B. SHU
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing, 100094 PR China
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Abstract

Alkanes can be used as natural markers for estimating diet composition, but a factor should be used to correct for incomplete recovery in faeces. Faecal alkane recovery rates may be influenced by diet and animal factors. However, little research has been conducted to evaluate the effects of herbage species and live weight of animals on faecal alkane recoveries. In the current study, faecal recoveries of alkanes were determined in sheep in four different live weight groups (from 20 to 40 kg) fed three plant species (Elymus sibiricum, Leymus chinensis and L. dasystachys). In a second experiment, the accuracy of intake and diet composition estimates, using alkanes as faecal markers, was assessed by feeding known amounts of the same plant species as a three-component mixture. The results showed that faecal alkane recoveries were influenced significantly by herbage species (P<0·01), but no effect of live weight of animals was observed. Total dry matter intake was estimated correctly based on either C31:C32 or C29:C32 alkane pairs. With respect to estimators of E. sibiricum intake, reasonable results could only be obtained if the faecal alkane concentration was corrected based on diet-specific faecal recovery. More accurate estimations were obtained only if the alkanes found in relatively higher concentrations were used in diet composition estimates instead of using all available alkanes. Due to lower alkane concentrations or similar alkane patterns of L. chinensis and L. dasystachys in the diet, estimates of diet composition of these two herbage species were significantly different from the actual ones (P<0·05), implying that other markers need to be used for accurate estimation.

Type
Animal
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 145 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 87 - 94
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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