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The effects of synchronizing the rate of dietary energy and nitrogen supply to the rumen on the metabolism and growth of ram lambs given food at a restricted level

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

M. W. Witt ,
L. A. Sinclair ,
R. G. Wilkinson  and
P. J. Buttery
M. W. Witt
Affiliation:
Animal Science Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Edgmond, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB
L. A. Sinclair
Affiliation:
Animal Science Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Edgmond, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB
R. G. Wilkinson
Affiliation:
Animal Science Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Edgmond, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB
P. J. Buttery
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, Division of Nutritional Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD
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Abstract

The effects of diets formulated to have two rates of organic matter (OM) release and to be either synchronous or asynchronous with respect to their hourly release of OM and nitrogen (N) in the rumen on N retention, microbial N production, growth and metabolism of ram lambs offered food at a restricted level was studied in two experiments. Four diets were formulated to differ in their rate and extent of OM and N release in the rumen based on the sum of in situ degradability data of the ingredients. All diets were formulated to have a similar metabolizable energy (10·4 MJ/kg dry matter (DM)), crude protein (140 g/kg DM) and daily ratio of N : OM released (34 g N per kg OM) and were either synchronous or asynchronous with respect to their hourly N : OM release. The four diets were slow energy, synchronous (SS), slow energy asynchronous (SA), fast energy, synchronous (FS) and fast energy asynchronous (FA). In both experiments the diets were offered at a rate of 1·75 maintenance energy requirements as two equal meals at 09:00 and 17:00 h. In experiment 1 there was no significant effect of diet on OM apparent digestibility or N retention. Lambs given diet FS had the highest daily production of allantoin (7·82 mmol per day; P < 0·05) and microbial N (7·80 g/day; P < 0Ό5). Hourly plasma urea and ß-hydroxy butyrate (3-OHB) concentrations exhibited a cyclical trend between meals with maximum concentrations occurring within 3 h of feeding and were higher in lambs given diet FA.

In experiment 2 the four diets were offered to 32 growing ram lambs. Animals given synchronous diets (SS and FS) had a significantly higher live-weight gain than those given asynchronous diets (SA and FA; (132 g/day v. 107 g/day respectively; P < 0·001). Food conversion efficiency (FCE; kg gain per kg DM intake) was improved proportionately by 0·23 in animals offered synchronous diets compared with asynchronous diets (P < 0·001). There was little effect of diet on carcass composition except kidney fat, which was greater in lambs offered the synchronous diets (P < 0·01). Plasma 3-OHB concentrations were higher throughout the growth period in lambs given diet FA whilst plasma urea concentrations were greater in lambs given the diet SS. In conclusion, greater attention to the formulation of diets to be synchronous for their hourly release of N : OM in the rumen can improve the growth rate and FCE of lambs. This effect may be due to an improvement in energy rather than N metabolism.

Keywords

dietary proteinenergy consumptiongrowthlambsrumen
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 69 , Issue 3 , December 1999 , pp. 627 - 636
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

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