Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T04:02:33.887Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The dietary requirements of calcium and phosphorus for growing lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. Wan Zahari ,
J. K. Thompson ,
D. Scott  and
W. Buchan
M. Wan Zahari
Affiliation:
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, PO Box 12301 GPO 50774 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
J. K. Thompson
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 1UD
D. Scott
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
W. Buchan
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access

Abstract

Groups of wether lambs were fed on four concentrate diets, from a live weight (LW) of about 25 kg until they had grown to about 50 kg, when they were killed, minced and analysed. A fifth group was killed at the start of the trial to provide data on their initial composition. The dietary treatments were identical except in their concentrations of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) and supplied, with some approximations: (A) 0·75 times the requirements for Ca and P estimated according to the recommendations of the AFRC Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients (TCORN, 1990); (B) a close match to the estimated requirements for both elements; (C) 1·5 times the estimated requirements for both elements; (D) 1·5 times the Ca requirement and 0·75 times the P requirement.

The retentions of Ca and P in the lambs were closely similar with diets B and C (6·8 and 7·3 g Ca per kg LW and 4·1 and 4·5 g P per kg LW) and significantly lower with diet A (4·8 g Ca and 3·0 g P per kg LW) and diet D (5·0 g Ca and 2·7 g P per kg LW). Parallel differences in response to diet were evident in the composition of the metacarpi. Plasma Ca and P concentrations showed no significant differences between the dietary treatments A, B and C, but plasma P concentrations were markedly depressed with lambs on diet D and plasma Ca concentrations were elevated in this group. Rumen P concentrations were also markedly lower in lambs on diet D and their food intakes and growth rates were lower than in lambs in other groups. The results indicate that Ca and P retentions were not increased by feeding these elements in excess of their estimated requirements and were reduced when Ca and P or P alone was reduced proportionately to about 0·75 times requirement. The data are in accord with the TCORN recommendations and suggests that they provide a satisfactory basis for defining Ca and P requirements for growing lambs.

Keywords

body compositioncalciumlambsphosphorus
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 1990 , pp. 301 - 307
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1990

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

Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2, Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Agricultural Research Council. 1980. The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Breves, G. and Holler, H. 1983. Protein digestion in P-depleted sheep. Proceedings of the IVth International Symposium on Protein Metabolism and Nutrition. Les Colloques de VINRA No. 16, pp. 321–324. ClermontFerrand.Google Scholar
Durand, M., Bertier, B., Hanneouart, G. and Guéguen, L. 1982. Effect of diets low in phosphorus and high in calcium on plasma inorganic and urinal phosphorus and calcium concentrations. Reproduction, Nutrition, Développement 22: 865–879.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grace, N. D. 1983. Amounts and distribution of mineral elements associated with fleece-free empty body weight gains in the grazing sheep. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 26: 59–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1977.Genstat V. Mark 4.01. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden.Google Scholar
Preston, R. L. and Pfander, W. H. 1964. Phosphorus metabolism in lambs fed varying phosphorus intakes. Journal of Nutrition 83: 369–378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttle, N. F. 1983. Meeting the mineral requirements of sheep. In Sheep Production (ed. Haresign, W.), pp. 167–183. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients. 1990. A reappraisal of the calcium and phosphorus requirements of sheep and cattle. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews In press.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. K., Gelman, A. L. and Weddell, J. R. 1988. Mineral retentions and body composition of grazing lambs. Animal Production 46: 53–62.Google Scholar
Todd, J. 1984. Mineral, trace element and vitamin allowances for ruminant livestock. MAFF, DAFS, DANI, UKASTA, BVA Working Party Report. In: Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition — 1984. (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D. J. A.) pp. 113–142. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Wan Zahari, M., Thompson, J. K., Scott, D., Topps, J. H., Buchan, W. and Plnnil, K. 1989. Effect of growth rate on mineral retention and body composition of growing lambs. Animal Production 49: 443–450.Google Scholar