Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T03:46:34.587Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Nitrogen utilization of growing-finishing Barbados Blackbelly lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. O. Osuji
Affiliation:
Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad
C. Devers
Affiliation:
Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad

Summary

Twelve 6–8 months old male Barbados Blackbelly lambs were used in a 4 × 4 latin square experiment with three replicates to study the utilization of diets made from local by-products and containing 64, 93, 125 or 143 g crude protein/kg D. M.

Both dry-matter (mean 750·1 g/day) and digestible-energy (mean 6·2 MJ DE/day) intakes, and their digestibility coefficients increased, though not significantly, with increasing dietary protein concentration. However, nitrogen digestibility, urinary-nitrogen output and nitrogen retention all increased significantly (P < 0·01) with increasing dietary protein concentration.

Metabolic faecal nitrogen and endogenous urinary nitrogen derived from the intercept of significant regressions of nitrogen intake against urine and faecal nitrogen outputs were 5·07 g/kg dry matter eaten and 3·46 g/day (0·35 kg W0·75) respectively. The diets had a mean biological value of 73·6%. The digestible crude protein requirements for maintenance were (g/day) 29·0, 38·4 and 26·6 when estimated from nitrogen retention, factorially and from live-weight performance respectively.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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

Agricultural Development and Advisory Services (1971). Nutrient Allowances and Composition of Feeding Stuffs for Ruminants. ADAS Advisory Paper No. 11. London: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.Google Scholar
Agricultural Research Council (1965). Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock, No. 2. Ruminants. Technical Reviews and Summaries. London: Agricultural Research Council.Google Scholar
Allison, M. J. (1970). Nitrogen Metabolism of Rumen Micro-organisms. In Physiology of Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant (ed. Phillipson, A. T.), pp. 456473. Newcastle upon Tyne: Oriel Press.Google Scholar
Andrews, R. P. & Ørskov, E. R. (1970). The nutrition of the early weaned lamb. 1. The influence of protein concentration and feeding level on rate of gain in body weight. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 75, 1119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arman, P., Hopcraft, D. & McDonald, I. (1975). Nutritional studies on East African herbivores. 2. Losses of nitrogen in the faeces. British Journal of Nutrition 33, 265276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (1965). Official Methods of Analysis. Washington, D.C.: Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. (1967). Problems in predicting the value of non-protein nitrogen as a substitute for protein in rations for farm ruminants. World Review of Animal Production 3, 8491.Google Scholar
Baumgardt, B. R. (1970). Control of feed intake in the regulation of energy balance. In Physiology of Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant (ed. Phillipson, A. T.), pp. 235253. Newcastle upon Tyne: Oriel Press.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. (1975). Energy-protein relationships in ruminants. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress of Nutrition, Mexico 1972, vol. 3, pp. 122127. Basel: Karger.Google Scholar
Brody, S. (1945). Bioenergetics and Growth. New York: Reinhold Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H., Tuck, , Valerie, J., Smith, T. & Johnson, V. M. (1969). Experiments on the nutrition of the dairy heifer. VII. Observations on the effect of the energy intake on the utilization of protein in growth and in lactation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 72, 1330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burroughs, W., Frank, N., Cerlaugh, P. & Bethke, R. M. (1950). Preliminary observations upon factors influencing cellulose digestion by rumen micro-organisms. Journal of Nutrition 40, 924.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campling, R. C., Freer, M. & Balch, C. C. (1962). Factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cows. 3. The effect of urea on the voluntary intake of oat straw. British Journal of Nutrition 16, 115124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Conrad, H. R. (1972). Urea kinetics and amino acid entry rates in dairy cows. In Tracer Studies on Non-protein Nitrogen for Ruminants, pp. 6977. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency.Google Scholar
Dyer, L. A., Riquelme, E., Baribo, L. & Couch, B. Y. (1975). Waste cellulose as an energy source for animal protein production. World Animal Review 15, 3943.Google Scholar
Elliot, R. C. & Topps, J. H. (1964). Studies of protein requirements of ruminants. 3. Nitrogen balance trials on Blackhead Persian sheep given diets of different energy and protein content. British Journal of Nutrition 18, 245252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elliot, R. C., Reed, W. D. C. & Topps, J. H. (1964). Studies of protein requirements of ruminants. 4. Liveweight changes of two breeds of African cattle given three levels of dietary protein each with varying amounts of digestible energy. British Journal of Nutrition 18, 519528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hironaka, R., Bailey, C. B. & Kozub, G. C. (1970). Metabolic faecal nitrogen in ruminants estimated from dry matter excretion. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 50, 5560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1970). Quantitative aspects of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. In Physiology of Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant (ed. Phillipson, A. T.), pp. 474485. Newcastle upon Tyne: Oriel Press.Google Scholar
Hungate, R. E. (1966). The Rumen and its Microbes. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Kay, M. (1969). Nutrition of the early-weaned calf. In Rowett Research Institute Annual Report of Studies in Animal Nutrition and Allied Sciences 25, 123129. Aberdeen: Rowett Research Institute.Google Scholar
Lesch, S. F., Pieterse, P. J. S. & Oosthuizen, F. J. (1963). Utilization of the energy in mature veld hay by steers: effect of urea supplementation. Proceedings South African Society of Animal Production 2, 4557.Google Scholar
Majundar, B. N. (1960). Studies on goat nutrition. Part II. Digestible protein requirements for maintenance from balance studies. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 54, 335340 (see also pp. 329–334).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maynard, L. A. & Loosli, J. K. (1962). Animal Nutrition. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc.Google Scholar
McNaught, M. L. (1951). The utilization of non-protein nitrogen in the bovine rumen: 7. A qualitative and quantitative study of the breakdown of carbo-hydrate which accompanied protein formation in bovine rumen contents during in vitro incubation. Biochemical Journal 49, 325332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, E. L. (1973). Evaluation of foods as sources of nitrogen and amino acids. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 32, 7984.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Minson, D. J. & Milford, R. (1968). The voluntary intake and digestibility of diets containing different proportions of legume and mature Pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens). Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 7, 546551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, H. H. (1964). Comparative Nutrition of Man and Domestic Animals. Vols. I, II. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Morrison, F. B. (1956). Feeds and Feeding. Iowa: The Morrison Publishing Co.Google Scholar
National Research Council (1964). Nutrient Requirements of Sheep. Publication No. 1193, Washington: National Academy of Sciences.Google Scholar
National Research Council (1975). Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals, No. 5. Nutrient Requirements of Sheep. Washington: National Academy of Sciences.Google Scholar
Njaa, L. R. (1959). Biological value of herring-meal protein. Urinary nitrogen excretion in relation to protein content of diet and food intake. British Journal of Nutrition 13, 142150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. (1976). The effect of processing on digestion and utilization of cereals by ruminants. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 35, 245252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osuji, P. O. (1974). The physiology of eating and the energy expenditure of the ruminant at pasture. Journal of Range Management 27, 437443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osuji, P. O. & Archibald, K. A. E. (1976). The nutritive value of some Caribbean feeding stuffs. Proceedings International Symposium on Feed Composition, Nutrient Requirements and Computerization of Animal diets. Utah State University, 11–16 07. (In the Press.)Google Scholar
Patterson, H. C. (1976). The Barbados Blackbelly Sheep. Bridgetown, Barbados: Ministry of Agriculture, Science and Technology.Google Scholar
Paturau, J. M. (1969). By-products of the Cane Sugar Industry – An Introduction to their Industrial Utilization. Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Pieterse, P. J. S. (1967). Urea in winter rations for cattle. In Urea as a Protein Supplement (ed. Briggs, M. H.), pp. 223238. London: Pergamon Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pigden, W. J. (1971). Effect of physical and chemical processing and non-protein nitrogen (NPN) supplementation on utilization of lignocellulose. In Report of an ad hoc. Consultation on the Value of Non-protein Nitrogen for Ruminants Consuming Poor Herbages. Kampala, Uganda, 29 June–3 July 1971, pp. 114131. Rome: FAO.Google Scholar
Preston, R. L. (1966). Protein requirements of growing finishing cattle and lambs. Journal of Nutrition 90, 157160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preston, R. L., Schnakenberg, D. D. & Prander, W. H. (1965). Protein utilization in ruminants. 1. Blood urea nitrogen as affected by protein intake. Journal of Nutrition 86, 281.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Purser, D. B. (1970). Nitrogen metabolism in the rumen: micro-organisms as a source of protein for the ruminant animal. Journal of Animal Science 30, 9881001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, J. H. B. (1970). Protein in milk replacers for calves. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 21, 346351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, J. H. B.. Balch, C. C., Miller, E. L., Ørskov, E. R. & Smith, R. H. (1977). Calculation of N-requirements for ruminants from nitrogen metabolism studies. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Protein Metabolism and Nutrition, Fleuohof, Netherlands, 1–6 May 1977.Google Scholar
Schmidt-Nielsen, B. & Osaki, H. (1958). Renal responses to changes in nitrogen metabolism in sheep. American Journal of Physiology 193, 657661.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, A. P. & Smith, R. H. (1976). Nitrogen metabolism in calves. Effect of giving different amounts of dietary casein with and without formaldehyde treatment. British Journal of Nutrition 36, 199209.Google ScholarPubMed
Van Niekerk, B. D. H., Smith, D. W. W. Q. & Oosthuisen, D. (1967). Quoted by Topps, J. H. (1971). The use of non-protein nitrogen for ruminants grazing low protein pasture in Africa. Report of anad hoc. Consultation on the Value of Non-protein Nitrogen for Ruminants Consuming Poor Herbages. Kampala, Uganda, 29 June–3 July 1971. Rome: FAO.Google Scholar
Williams, N. M., Pearce, C. R., Delaney, M. & Tribe, D. E. (1959). The growth and appetite of sheep on high fibre low-protein diets supplemented with urea and molasses. Empire Journal of Experimental Agriculture 27, 107116.Google Scholar