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4.1 The Nitrogen Needs of Ruminants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

E. L. Miller
E. L. Miller*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke St., Cambridge, CB2 3DX
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Extract

The organizers of this symposium invited me to review factors which influence the N needs of ruminants. Such a request seems to imply that, for each class of ruminant, e.g. cattle or sheep, growing or lactating, there is a definitive N or amino acid requirement. If this is known, then diets may be formulated to provide that amount of N or amino acid and the expected level of production should be achieved. As a corollary of this approach, the determination of the nutritional characteristics of the diet, its metabolizable energy (ME), rumen degradable protein (RDP) or undegraded protein (UDP), appears to be a separate issue. While such a simplistic view has advantages for ease of diet formulation, it is unlikely to be entirely correct. In general, animal responses to increasing nutrient supply are curvilinear and do not show sharp break points defining a minimum amount of nutrient to give maximum production. Secondly, animal responses are not independent of diet and, conversely, the energy and protein values of the diet depend on the physiological state of the animal, e.g. the level of food intake influences rate of passage of digesta, the extent and site of digestion and the form of metabolites absorbed.

Type
4. The Nitrogen Needs of Ruminants and the Possible Contribution from Forages
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 6: Forage Protein in Ruminant Animal Production , 1982 , pp. 79 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1982

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