Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-pwrkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-19T22:16:47.956Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Faecal index to estimate intake and digestibility in grazing sheep

Part of: AGS Millet Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2013

D. B. DAVID ,
C. H. E. C. POLI ,
J. V. SAVIAN ,
G. A. AMARAL ,
E. B. AZEVEDO ,
P. C. F. CARVALHO  and
C. M. MCMANUS
D. B. DAVID
Affiliation:
State Foundation of Agricultural Research (FEPAGRO), São Gabriel, RS, Brazil
C. H. E. C. POLI*
Affiliation:
Animal Science Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
J. V. SAVIAN
Affiliation:
Animal Science Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
G. A. AMARAL
Affiliation:
State Foundation of Agricultural Research (FEPAGRO), Hulha Negra, RS, Brazil
E. B. AZEVEDO
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agronomy, Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Itaqui, RS, Brazil
P. C. F. CARVALHO
Affiliation:
Forage Plant and Agrometheorology Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
C. M. MCMANUS
Affiliation:
Animal Science Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: cesar.poli@ufrgs.br
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The current research was carried out to evaluate the use of crude protein and fibre components in faeces for estimating intake and digestibility in sheep fed with pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke). The equations were developed from four trials in metabolism cages with 16 sheep in each trial. Each animal received a different quantity of millet leaves in the diet: 0·015, 0·020 and 0·025 dry matter (DM) as a proportion of live weight (LW) and ad libitum with at least 0·2 of daily feed refusals. Organic matter intake (OMI, g/day) was measured, through the difference between offer and refusals; total faeces were collected for 5 days, which was used to determine faecal crude protein (CPf, g/day and g/kg of organic matter (OM)), faecal neutral detergent fibre (NDFf, g/day and g/kg OM), faecal acid detergent fibre (ADFf, g/day and g/kg OM) and OM digestibility (OMD). Linear regression equations were calculated to determine the relationship between OMI and CPf (P<0·001, R2=0·90, relative prediction error (RPE=14·02%). A multiple linear equation was generated for OMI including CPf and NDFf (P<0·001, R2=0·94; RPE=9·25%). Hyperbolic (single and multiple) and exponential models were tested to estimate OMD, where the hyperbolic multiple model including CPf and NDFf showed lower RPE (3·90%). These equations for estimating OMI and OMD were evaluated on sheep grazing P. americanum fertilized with increasing levels of nitrogen (N) (50, 100, 200 and 400 kg N/ha), comparing measured and estimated OMI. The intake estimated by multiple regression (CP and NDFf) showed a higher R2 (0·98) and lower RPE (5·25%) than the simple (CPf only) linear equation (R2=0·94; RPE=20·45%). The results demonstrated the feasibility of using the faecal index generated in metabolism cages for estimating intake and digestibility in sheep grazing P. americanum.

Type
Animal Research Papers
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 152 , Issue 4 , August 2014 , pp. 667 - 674
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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

REFERENCES

AOAC. (1975). Official Methods of Analysis, 12th edn, Washington, DC: Association of Official Analytical Chemists.Google Scholar
Azevedo, E. B. (2011). Consumo e utilização de nutrientes por ovinos em pastagem de azevém anual. Ph.D. Thesis, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.Google Scholar
Boval, M., Peyraud, J. L., Xandé, A., Aumont, G., Coppry, O. & Saminadin, G. (1996). Evaluation of faecal indicators to predict digestibility and voluntary intake of Dichanthium spp. by cattle. Annales de Zootechnie 45, 121–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boval, M., Archimède, H., Fleury, J. & Xandé, A. (2003). The ability of faecal nitrogen to predict digestibility for goats and sheep fed with tropical herbage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 140, 443–450.Google Scholar
Carvalho, P. C. F., Kozloski, G. V., Ribeiro Filho, H. M. N., Reffatti, M. V., Genro, T. C. M. & Euclides, V. P. B. (2007). Avanços metodológicos na determinação do consumo de ruminantes em pastejo. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 36 (Suppl.),151–170.Google Scholar
Coates, D. B. & Penning, P. (2000). Measuring animal performance. In Field and Laboratory Methods for Grassland and Animal Production Research (Eds T'Mannetje, L. & Jones, R. M.), pp. 353–402. Wallingford, UK: CABI.Google Scholar
Easley, J. F., Mccall, J. T., Davis, G. K. & Shirley, R. L. (1965). Analytical Methods for Feeds and Tissues. Gainesville, FL: Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, University of Florida.Google Scholar
Fanchone, A., Boval, M., Lecomte, P. H. & Archimède, H. (2007). Faecal indices based on near infrared spectroscopy to assess intake, in vivo digestibility and chemical composition of the herbage ingested by sheep (crude protein, fibres and lignin content). Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy 15, 107–113.Google Scholar
Fuentes-Pila, J., Delorenzo, M. A., Beede, D. K., Staples, C. R. & Holter, J. B. (1996). Evaluation of equations based on animal factors for predicting intake of lactating Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 79, 1562–1571.Google Scholar
Fuentes-Pila, J., Ibañez, M., De Miguel, J. M. & Beede, D. K. (2003). Predicting average feed intake of lactating Holstein cows fed totally mixed rations. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 309–323.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. (2004). Measurement of herbage intake and ingestive behaviour in grazing animals: an introduction. In Herbage Intake Handbook, 2 edn (Ed. Penning, P. D.), pp. 15–22. Reading, UK: The British Grassland Society.Google Scholar
Lancaster, R. J. (1949). Estimation of digestibility of grazed pasture from faeces nitrogen. Nature 163, 330–331.Google Scholar
Lemaire, G., Da Silva, S. C., Agnusdei, M., Wade, M. & Hodgson, J. (2009). Interactions between leaf lifespan and defoliation frequency in temperate and tropical pastures. A review. Grass and Forage Science 64, 341–353.Google Scholar
Lukas, M., Südekum, K.-H., Rave, H., Friedel, K. & Susenbeth, A. (2005). Relationship between fecal crude protein concentration and diet organic matter digestibility in cattle. Journal of Animal Science 83, 1332–1344.Google Scholar
Mott, G. O. & Lucas, H. L. (1952). The design, conduct, and interpretation of grazing trials on cultivated and improved pastures. In Proceedings of the 6th International Grassland Congress, 1952, Pennsylvania (Ed. Wagner, R. E.), pp. 1380–1385. Pennsylvania, USA: State College Press.Google Scholar
Peripolli, V., Prates, E. R., Barcellos, J. O. J. & Braccini Neto, J. (2011). Fecal nitrogen to estimate intake and digestibility in grazing ruminants. Animal Feed Science and Technology 163, 170–176.Google Scholar
Rymer, C. (2000). The measurement of forage digestibility in vivo. In Forage Evaluation in Ruminant Nutrition (Eds Givens, D.I., Owen, E., Axford, R. F. E. & Omed, H. M.), pp. 113–144. Wallingford, UK: CABI.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sollenberger, L. E. & Burns, J. C. (2001). Canopy characteristics, ingestive behaviour and herbage intake in cultivated tropical grasslands. In Proceedings of the 19th International Grassland Congress, Piracicaba, Brazil (Eds Gomide, J. A., Mattos, W. R. S. & da Silva, S. C.), pp. 321–327. Sao Pedro, Brazil: Brazilian Science Animal Husbandry, Piracicaba.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. & Robertson, J. B. (1985). Analysis of Forages and Fibrous Foods – a Laboratory Manual for Animal Science. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University.Google Scholar
Wang, C. J., Tas, B. M., Glindemann, T., Rave, G., Schmidt, L., Weißbach, F. & Susenbeth, A. (2009). Fecal crude protein content as an estimate for the digestibility of forage in grazing sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 149, 199–208.Google Scholar