Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-g7rbq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-26T06:03:27.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A note on the effects of high levels of dietary calcium, phosphorus and sodium on nutrient utilization by sheep offered a roughage-based diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. F. J. van Houtert
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
R. A. Leng
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Get access

Abstract

Castrated male sheep were offered a roughage without (control sheep, no. = 8) or with calcium, phosphorus and sodium (CaPNa sheep, no. = 8; Ca, P and Na intake 34, 10 and 17 g/day per sheep respectively, given twice daily as drench). Food intake and live-weight change were unaffected. Water intake and urine excretion were higher whereas dry-matter apparent digestibility, nitrogen retention and wool growth were lower in the CaPNa sheep. The excretion of allantoin in urine indicated no differences in microbial protein absorption from the gut. There were small differences in the proportions of volatile fatty acids, numbers of protozoa and mineral concentrations in rumen fluid between the sheep in the two groups. Retentions of Ca, P and Na were higher in the CaPNa sheep, whereas retention of potassium was lower.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1991

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

Anderson, D. L. and Henderson, L. J. 1986. Sealed chamber digestion for plant nutrient analyses. Agronomy Journal 78: 937939.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bietz, J. A. 1974. Micro-kjeldahl analysis by an improved automated ammonia determination following manual digestion. Analytical Chemistry 46: 16171618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borchers, R. 1977. Allantoin determination. Analytical Biochemistry 79: 612613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braithwaite, G. D. 1974. The effect of changes in dietary calcium concentration on calcium metabolism in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 31: 319331.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braithwaite, G. D. 1984. Changes in phosphorus metabolism of sheep in response to the increased demands for P associated with an intravenous infusion of calcium. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 102: 135139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braithwaite, G. D. and Riazuddin, Sh. 1971. The effect of age and level of dietary calcium intake on calcium metabolism in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 26: 215225.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chapman, R. E. and Wheeler, J. L. 1963. Dyebanding: a technique for fleece growth studies. Australian Journal of Science 26: 5354.Google Scholar
Demeyer, D. I. 1981. Rumen microbes and digestion of plant cell walls. Agriculture and Environment 6: 295337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dixon, W. J., Brown, M. B., Engelman, L., Frane, J. W., Hill, M. A., Jennrich, R. I. and Toporek, J. D. 1983. BMDP statistical software. University of California Press, Berkeley.Google Scholar
Duncan, D. L. 1958. The interpretation of studies of calcium and phosphorus balance in ruminants. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews 28: 695715.Google ScholarPubMed
Durand, M. and Kawashima, R. 1980. Influence of minerals n i rumen microbial digestion. In Digestive physiology and metabolism in ruminants, (ed. Ruckebusch, Y. and Thivend, P), pp. 375408. MTP press, Lancaster.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A. C., Kamphues, J. and Woolliams, J. A. 1983. The effect of dietary intake of calcium and phosphorus on the absorption and excretion of phosphorus in chimaera-derived sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101: 597602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godwin, I. R. and Williams, V. J. 1986. Effects of intraruminal sodium chloride infusion on rumen and renal nitrogen and electrolyte dynamics in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 56: 379394.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrison, D. G., Beever, D. E., Thomson, D. J. and Osbourn, D. F. 1975. Manipulation of rumen fermentation i n sheep by increasing the rate of flow of water from the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 85: 93101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hovell, F. D. DeB. and Greenhalgh, J. F. D. 1978. The utilization of diets containing acetate, propionate or butyrate salts by growing lambs. British Journal of Nutrition 40: 171183.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jenkins, T. C. and Thonney, M. L. 1988. Effect of propionate level in a volatile fatty acid salt mixture fed to lambs on weight gain, body composition and plasma metabolites. Journal of Animal Science 66: 10281035.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAllan, A. B. and Smith, R. H. 1973. Degradation of nucleic acids in the rumen. British Journal of Nutrition 29: 331345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacKie, R. I. and Therion, J. J. 1984. Influence of mineral interactions on growth efficiency of rumen bacteria. In Herbivore nutrition in the subtropics and tropics (ed. Gilchrist, F. M. C. and MacKie, R. I.), pp. 455477. Science Press, Craighall.Google Scholar
Maeng, W. J., Chang, M. B. and Yun, H. S. 1989. Dilution rates on the efficiency of rumen microbial growth in continuous culture. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 3: 477480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Research Council. 1980. Mineral tolerance of domestic animals. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and Allen, D. M. 1966. Utilization of salts of volatile fatty acids by growing sheep. 1. Acetate, propionate and butyrate as sources of energy for young growing lambs. British Journal of Nutrition 20: 295305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poole, D. A. and Allen, D. M. 1970. Utilization of salts of volatile fatty acids by growing sheep. 5. Effects of type of fermentation of the basal diet on the utilization of salts of acetic acid for body gains. British Journal of Nutrition 24: 695704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verbic, J., Chen, X. B., MacLeod, N. A. and Ørskov, E. R. 1990. Excretion of purine derivates by ruminants. Effect of microbial nucleic acid infusion on purine derivate excretion by steers. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 114: 243248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar