Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T10:49:38.263Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The prediction of the body composition of hill sheep from body weight, red cell volume and tritiated water space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. R. Sykes
A. R. Sykes
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh EH17 1JH
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The use of body weight, red cell volume and tritiated water space in the prediction of the body water, body-fat and soft tissue protein contents of hill sheep was investigated. Sixteen Blackface sheep, ranging in age from 2½ to 6½ years, were used before mating in November when in peak body condition and 21, of similar age distribution, were used in mid-lactation in June when in very poor body condition. Mean fat concentrations in the empty body were 188 and 28 g/kg in November and June, respectively.

Body weight alone accounted for 46 and 14% of the variation in body-fat content in November and June, respectively. The inclusion of red cell volume as a second independent variate did not improve the efficiency of the prediction equations. When tritiated water space and body weight were used 77% of the variation in body-fat content was accounted for in both November and June. Separate equations for the November and June groups gave the most accurate estimate of body-fat content, but it was concluded that for most practical purposes a single relationship would be sufficiently accurate. Soft tissue protein content was best described as a simple function of body weight.

The application of prediction equations from the literature to the present populations of sheep led to overestimates of body-fat content by up to 100%. It is suggested that prediction equations need to be specific to the experimental conditions operating or to the particular population under study.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , April 1974 , pp. 269 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

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

Doornenbal, H., Asdell, S. A. & Wellington, G. H. (1962). Cr61-determisned red cell volume as an index of ‘lean body mass’ in pigs. Journal of Animal Science 21, 461–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eadie, J. M. (1967). The Nutrition of Grazing Hill Sheep. The Hill Farming Research Organisation, 4th Report.Google Scholar
Farrell, D. J. & Reardon, T. F. (1972). Undernutrition in Grazing Sheep. III. Body composition and its estimation in vivo. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 511–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A. C. & Stjttle, N. F. (1966). A method for determining the body composition of sheep based on dissolution of the sheep in nitric acid. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 25, xxiii–xxiiv.Google Scholar
Field, A. C., Suttle, N. F. & Gunn, R. G. (1968). Seasonal changes in the composition and mineral content of the body of hill ewes. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 71, 303–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodoetts, V. E. (1961). The dynamic red cell storage function of the spleen in sheep. III. Relationship to determination of blood volume, red oell volume and plasma volume. Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science 39, 187–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, E. G. (1965). Changes in the composition of sheep muscle during malnutrition and cobalt defioiency. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology 50, 203–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keenan, D. M., McManus, W. R. & Freer, M. (1969). Changes in the body composition and efficiency of mature sheep during loss and regain of live-weight. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 72, 139–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, D. A. & Morris, J. G. (1972). Prediction of the body composition of live cattle. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 78, 505–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, F. D., Olesen, K. D., McMurray, J. D., Parker, H. V., Ball, M. R. & Boyden, C. M. (1963). The Body Cell Mass and its Supporting Environment. Philadelphia, London: Saunders.Google Scholar
Muldowney, F. P. (1957). The relationship of total red cell mass to lean body mass in Man. Clinical Science 16, 163–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Panaretto, B. A. (1963). Body composition in vivo. III. The composition of living ruminants and its relation to the tritiated water spaces. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 14, 944–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. & Little, D. A. (1965). Body composition in vivo. VII. The relation between red cell volume and total body water in ewes. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 16, 661–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Gunn, R. G. & Doney, J. M. (1968). Components of weight loss in pregnant hill ewes in winter. Animal Production 10, 43–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searle, T. W. (1970). Body composition in lambs and young sheep and its prediction in vivo from tritiated water space and body weight. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 74, 357–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, B. S. W. & Sykes, A. R. (1974). The effect of route of dosing and method of estimation of tritiated water space on the determination of total body water and the prediction of body fat in sheep. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 105—12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. (1956). Statistical Methods. Iowa, U.S.A.: Iowa State University Press.Google Scholar
Sykes, A. R. & Field, A. C. (1972). Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. I. Body composition and mineral content of the ewes. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 78, 109–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, A. R. & Field, A. C. (1973). Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. IV. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin, transferrin and plasma urea levels. The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 80, 29–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Widdowson, E. M. & McCance, R. A. (1951). The effect of undernutrition and of posture on the volume and composition of the body fluids. In Studies of Undernutrition, Wuppertal 1946–9, p. 165. Special Report Series of the Medical Research Council No. 275.Google ScholarPubMed